no more pie....

[Little Hardrock]

the rumors have been confirmed... sue has retired, and no more pies....


this was posted by amy king on facebook...


After 37 years of pie making, Sue King is retiring her rolling pin. We will no longer be baking pies at Rock Creek Lakes Resort. We want to assure all of our customers that Sue’s legacy will carry on as we continue to serve delicious, home-made baked desserts, including the crumbles that we have been serving alongside pie for the last two years. The cafe and grill will continue to serve breakfast and lunch daily. Please understand that this decision was not made lightly. We have spent the last two years examining what the Resort has become, what it was, and what we’d like it to be. We have discussed, analyzed, dreamed, and established a plan for moving forward.

We want to focus our energy and resources on creating a better experience in all aspects of the Resort. We are very grateful for the natural beauty that we are surrounded by, our cabin guests, and for all the campers and visitors wanting to spend their vacation in one of the most beautiful areas in California. We realize that Jim and Sue have worked hard to grow a wonderful business and we understand what Rock Creek means to so many people. The Resort will always be more than what we bake in the kitchen. Our goal is to continue Jim and Sue’s efforts of treating our guests like family and sharing our knowledge of Rock Creek Canyon and all it has to offer. We look forward to seeing you this summer!

-Steve and Amy



and my first obnoxious thought is... then why did they put the new road in for the bike riders?  they wont be riding up there for pie now....

[Mcgee Dude]

What I would do for 1 more chocolate chip pecan slice..

[Sierraslam]

The pie making at Rockcreek Lake Resort goes way further back than Sue and Jim King. The pies that Sue made were the recipes of Lila Colby and Dona Rader. In my opinion this takes a piece of resort history and throws in the trash. Baking those pies at the crack of dawn is just too much these days I guess. Oh well, burger, beer and pie at Toms Place now. Sad day in Rockcreek history.

[vhbcinc]

A very sad day indeed.

[Corey Baer]

I am a glass half full kinda girl and although I am sad about the pecan chocolate chip leaving me I am excited to see what new deserts there will be coming into my life ... Lets not forget the great breakfasts YUM and the grilled cheese OH MY GOD I love the grilled cheese . I am all about retirement even if it means no more pie .Everyone deserves to do what they dream when they retiree

[Little Hardrock]

I agree with the glass half full....   

the resort was turning into a bit of Disneyland...  just think, we may actually be able to walk inside now! 

[Scout]

You guys have no idea how tough it has been for me to keep quiet about this. I've known about it since last fall, but I was sworn to secrecy, so I had to bite my tongue and wait for the "official" word from the Kings.
I listened to all the reasoning behind this decision, and, after digesting it all, I have to agree with them. As LHR stated, the Resort was turning into a circus, I heard there were occasional "fights" in the lines of people waiting for their favorites. The last time I was in there, I had to walk behind the cash register counter just to get into the store.
As far as getting up at the crack of dawn to bake...try 3:00 A.M. They had to get up that early to make the numbers of pies necessary....I've heard up to 30! In two kitchen ranges....
When I worked at the Resort in the mid 80's, I remember when Sue decided to go from making 3 or so pies a day to 6. My brother and I both told her that she was creating a monster, and possibly lots more work. Just look at what happened. It truly did turn into a monster, and I'm sure everybody involved just got a litle burned out.
Maybe things will be a little more peaceful up there now, instead of looking like an In and Out.

[wshawkins]

I thought her daughter was taking over, but maybe she doesn’t want to continue the great pie legacy?  Got to admit, Sue put Rock Creek on the map with her pies!  Lot of work baking pies as I can attest too when my wife bakes them.

I still plan on eating breakfast there (The French toast is to die for!) and maybe now I’ll be able to get a table on the deck and enjoy the view of the beautiful mountains and trees.  Good times!

[Sierraslam]

I guess I'm slowly getting over it. The burgers are really good. I just think if the name of the cafe your taking over is the self proclaimed Pie In The Sky Cafe, you might want to continue baking pies. I know people who would drive home from Tahoe, and drive the 18 miles up and down Rockcreek Road just for a slice of pie. I'll have to bring up a Spice Cake to satisfy my Sierra sweet tooth. The recipe has been in my family for generations! So darn good! See I've moved on already.

[Little Hardrock]

too funny about keeping it a secret Scout!  you did good! 

Playing Menance came up with a great idea.. we will just have to challenge packer to come up a chedder pear pie desert for us at next years club.. !!!  we know he can do it!

humm... sounds like sierra slam can set up a 'spice cake stand' on the side of the road!

and what are they going to change the name too?  no pie in the sky café? 

[Scout]

Sunset Magazine christened it "Pie in the Sky", not the Kings...they just followed suit, maybe so people would know they were in the right place.
It will take time for everybody to get used to it, but it's not the end of the world...still the best burgers this side of Mono Cone (Lee Vining).
It was tough to keep my mouth shut.....

[Packer]

Scout, I hope your tongue heals fast as that was quite the pain to endure. We were driving home yesterday from a local backpack trip when my wife "got signal"and read the news blast out to me.
I think it is not such a bad thing as the "Pie Heads" that came up canyon just for that reason did not give the area the respect it deserves, let alone the in line attitude. I must also say I do not think Pie put Rock Creek on the map, as I camped there since 1960 at the ripe age of 5 months old, and did not even know pie existed. Did they have Pie in a bottle??

LHR, I accept the challenge. Do to circumstance I have time on my hands to start experimenting with cast iron pies. So..... What other flavors are a must have besides cheddar pear (yes one of my favorites also). And do not say Mud Pie, as the last time I tried that in a dutch oven, even the dogs would not eat it. Well, maybe Topwater would have had some...just kidding buddy.

I remember a few years back, Sn of Ab-Sn was crunching numbers (something he is an expert at besides Flyfishing) and the $$$ of Pie sales was quite lucrative. So maybe I will camp and set up a summer job if my concoctions work out!! So in reality, if the Kings have made the decision to stop pies, it is for just cause, as that is a good bit of revenue to pass off. I wish them the best on their decision.

[Little Hardrock]

[playingmenace]

Lol, in my original suggestion to LHR, I envisioned a pear cobbler slathered with a cheddar based strussel topping.

Should be easy for a dutch oven master such as yourself.

I'll bet the pear could be changed out for just about any fruit with the exception of tomato.

Maybe those pies were lucrative money wise for the King's. But maybe it's the time involved that could be better spent elsewhere. Especially considering the unintended consequences that went with the pie biz. That's what it sounds like to me.

[RockNCreekGirl]

Our neighbor at the creek who lives in Bishop was one of Sue's baking crew.  She would stay over night at the cabin just to be up at the resort at 4am to bake. It was a lot of work for all and for those of you low landers, baking at 9,500 feet is no small task.  Scout is right, nothing beats their burgers. Look on the bright side, maybe the bikers will stay off the mountain now. The new road is very nice, even with the bike lane.

[bstolton]

I guess this is sad news for the pie lovers, but sounds like an extremely well deserved Retirement for Sue and the rest of the pie makers.
Personally pies were not on my list of reasons to go to RCL.

Beauty of the area
Fishing
Camping
Hanging out with family and friends
Hiking

Did I mention the Beauty of the area and Fishing !!!

[playingmenace]

I guess this is sad news for the pie lovers, but sounds like an extremely well deserved Retirement for Sue and the rest of the pie makers.
Personally pies were not on my list of reasons to go to RCL.

Beauty of the area
Fishing
Camping
Hanging out with family and friends
Hiking

Did I mention the Beauty of the area and Fishing !!!

These were my thoughts originally, nearly word for word.

The pie was good, great actually. But it failed to make my Top 5 list of fav things to do.

Does JoJo have any thoughts on this?   

[bstolton]

Checked with JoJo here`s her top 5

All the amazing things to see and smell
Making as many new friends as possible
Quality time hanging out with Dad
Attempting to chase after lure`s or bait being cast into the water, even though Dad`s told me a million times "NO"
Making sure all scraps have been picked up after every meal

[Packer]

And all the lovin and pettin from members at the CLUB gathering.

[Scout]

I'm not going to try to keep this one to myself...I just got back from my weekly H2O run, checked things out (the Lake thawed last week, the gate to Mosquito is still closed), stopped in the Resort (they're still putting things together, but are open for business), talked with Steve for a few minutes, and may have good news for all you pie junkies.
No, they haven't changed their minds about the pies, but they are talking about having Sue create a cook book of all her pie recipes, to be sold in the store.
So, even if you can't buy a slice (or two or three), you can learn how to make them for yourself...but, as somebody already stated, baking a pie at high altitude is kinda tricky, you may have to figure that one out on your own.
Sounds like it's still in the "thinking about it" stages, keep your fingers crossed...and, don't hold me to this......

[Sierraslam]

It's not the pie that bums us out, it's that another tradition has come and gone. I think that's what you've missed.

[playingmenace]

On another thought, I believe the bike riders will still ride up the mountain to the Pieless Cafe.

I don't believe it was ever about pie for them, it was more about conquering the mountain and elevation. They'll just have a burger or chili instead.

I can't wait to get back up there so I can enjoy a late morning cheeseburger on the deck after a sunrise fishing excursion.

[Claremont Dude]

I must admit the chili is excellent! I actually had the chili instead of the pie last time I was up there.

[Packer]

Ray, those of us who camped down wind of you know you had chili instead!

[Claremont Dude]

It certainly kept the bears away!