Work Interrupted

Monday: (09/29) I drove down to San Jose after collecting a few things and setting up the cabinets we brought home last night so Lou can clean them up and we can still get around in the house. Breakfast in the yard, leftover pizza. I settled in at San Jose then did a little work. I sawed the concrete sidewalk in three places for the installation of drain lines for the gutter downspouts. Leftover potatoes for lunch. Enchiladas for dinner.

Tuesday: (09/30) I did a little more concrete sawing along the driveway this morning. The tenant came out to complain and mentioned he's on vacation this week. I said I'd tidy up and be back next week. I have enough to do at home as well. I stopped at Sprout's Market on the way home. I wanted to see if they had the Bee's Knee's peanut butter in jars. I had used it on my hike and it came in packets. They did have it. I also picked up a couple of pork roasts which looked good. I'm a picky met shopper. Home fried potatoes, ham and eggs for breakfast. Egg rolls and shrimp for lunch. For dinner, I put a pork roast with potatoes and sauerkraut in the slow cooker when I got home.

Wednesday: (10/01) A relaxing morning. Lou mad a nice bacon and eggs breakfast with hash browned potatoes. yum! I was off to a hike at Russian Ridge. i usually don't do the hikes our group offers on days other than Friday but since i was home and won't be doing the Friday hike this week, i joined them. We enjoyed a beautifully clear day with the best views of the ocean on one side of the ridge and the bay on the other. It was a short hike of only five miles. I was home by 1230. I enjoyed pasta and grapes for lunch. I eventually went out to the shop and worked on the new TV cabinet. It's a chest of drawers that I'm chopping down to a 24" high cabinet for below our big screen TV. I satisfied myself with how i was going to cut it so it will go back together in it's new form, then got out my trusty multi-tool vibrator saw and cut the op off. Tomorrow, hopefully, it will fit back together. Leftover pork, sauerkraut an potatoes for dinner by a campfire.

Thursday: (10/02) A rather hot day like yesterday. Lou and Dawn were off to an exercise class. I relaxed in the morning then got to work on the TV cabinet reconstruction. I determined I needed a shorter bunch of brads for my nail gun to put it back together so Lou and I were off to Harbor Freight Tools. After lunch i started test fitting the cabinet and determined I cut it 3/4 inch to big so I did some more cutting and got it just right. So much easier to mistakenly cut it to big that too short. It was finally all together as it got dark. All that is left is to remove the legs and so it's just the right height. Granola for my breakfast, smoothies for Lou and Dawn. Lou and Dawn had pizza for lunch while I had leftover pork and sauerkraut with potatoes. Lou and Dawn made more enchiladas for dinner.

 Friday: (10/03) Another relaxing morning for me. Lou and Dawn were up earlier for tea in the yard. We all stopped by A Good Morning for a late breakfast. After that we stopped by the Los Altos Post Office, the new Safeway store in Los Altos, and Los Altos Nursery where Lou bought some winter garden plants. For lunch we had some of Lou's chili beans. I spent some time in the afternoon finishing the TV cabinet. I had to drill some pocket screw holes to attach some of the cabinet back together. I also cut off the legs then moved it into the house. Lou and Dawn had mango goji berry soup while I had leftover enchiladas for dinner.

Saturday: (10/04) We started with our regular weekend shopping run. Lou prepared biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Today was breezeless so it was warm outside. We placed the new TV cabinet in it's place and placed the old one outside with a free sign. it will likely be gone in the morning. It seems lots of folks don't want to be seen taking things like that? Nice salads from the garden for lunch. Lou and Dawn were busy arranging the living room.  I was busy working on the computer. Salmon, Asparagus and french fries for dinner.

Sunday: (10/05) Lou made sausage, eggs and sauerkrauted potatoes for breakfast. It was enjoyed in the yard, as usual. I did a little gardening and repotted a couple of plants. Lou and I were busy much of the rest of the day moving the new side cabinets into our bedroom. To do so required a lot of additional work and a lot of decade cleaning. A couple of trips to the hardware store and a visit to IKEA for new lights completed the job. Lou's chili beans and corn bread for lunch. Dinner from LUU Noodle House.

 

 

Relaxing At Home

Saturday: (09/27) Another Saturday shopping morning. I had breakfast at Jack's again. Often my Saturday breakfast is at the McDonald's in Walmart, our usual first stop. We completed our shopping at Walmart, Sprout's, and Grocery Outlet. I relaxed the rest of the day while Lou and Dawn ran other errands. Lunch in the backyard. Lou and Dawn's enchiladas for dinner.

Sunday: (09/27) I made my famous sausage, eggs,and home fried potatoes for breakfast. I started work on rebuilding a chest of drawers into a TV cabinet. Today was just the disassembly and determining how to change it from a 36" high chest of drawers into a 22" high TV cabinet. In the afternoon we stopped by an estate sale to pick up two tall cabinets for either side our bed. Darn heavy real oak cabinets that had to be loaded on the top of the Jeep. I also stopped by Harbor Freight to get a pocket hole jig and a Japanese draw saw for use in rebuilding the TV cabinet. Salad for lunch. While Ernie and I unloaded the cabinets from the top of the Jeep, Lou and Dawn made pizza for dinner. Glutton free dough, tomato sauce from our garden.

Buzzard's Roost Hike, Big Basin SP

Friday: (09/26) Breakfast at Jack In The Box. I met my fellow carpoolers in Saratoga and we drove to Big Basin State Park. There we met the rest of our group (19hikers) and hiked up to Buzzard's Roost. It's a short hike of only 5 miles but provided some new views of the park. The trail is mostly shaded going through redwoods up to a rock outcrop and a good viewpoint. Lunch was at the Dim Sum King in Sunnyvale on the way home. Lou and Dawn made enchiladas for dinner.

Time To Get Back To Work?

Saturday: (09/20) Very busy doing very little today. A little laundry. A visit to the Art Guild in Menlo Park. I am collecting ideas on how to reform our yard eliminating the lawn and reducing water needs. The gardens at the Guild provided some ideas. Interesting walkways in particular. Lou made cheese blintzes for breakfast, tampura for lunch, and tater tots, roast beef, and a salad from the garden for dinner.

Sunday: (09/21) Started by watching the CBS Sunday Morning show, a favorite.  We're heading out to breakfast at A Good Morning restaurant. Pad Thai noodles and chili rellenos for dinner. A good nap and a little tinkering in the yard completed my day. Lou and Dawn were busy with garage sales, a craft swap, and a visit to the farmers market.

Monday: (09/22)  Lou made chorizo scrambled eggs for breakfast. I was off to San Jose to get back to work. Mostly I settled in. I did make a run to Home Depot for some supplies. A nice roast beef and cheese sandwich for lunch. Ramen noodles, weiners and yogurt for dinner. I spent some time working on my hike photos.

Tuesday: (09/23) For breakfast, chorizo breakfast burritos using some of Lou's leftovers from yesterday. I attended a webinar in the morning then returned to Palo Alto picking up lunch on the way, some dim sum from Dim Sum King in Sunnyvale.  Dawn and I caught a train to San Francisco. She wanted to attend a presentation at the California Historical Society building on Mission Street on Museums and Diversity. We caught Caltrain up to the city and had an early dinner at Peet's Coffee. I had a great Reuben sandwich and Dawn had a great salad with soup.  While Dawn was busy, i walked the streets doing some shopping and watching the construction activity on the Chinatown light rail tunnel near Union Square.

Wednesday: (09/24) Off to San Jose after a nice breakfast of ham and eggs with potatoes, thanks to Lou. Dawn and I took a tour of the new Student Union building at San Jose State then she was busy at the library. I'm not finding this work thing very easy. i didn't accomplish anything today. I was busy trying to find a source for my smp pump basin. i need a deep basin and they are not easy to find, evidently. A roast beef and cheese sandwich for lunch. Pork ribs with corn and tater tots followed by grapes for dinner.

Thursday: The day started with a heavy rain, the first significant rain in a very long time. Another non productive day accomplishing nothing significant. Blintzes for breakfast. Ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. Marie Calendar's for dinner.

Mt Madonna County Park Hike

Friday: (09/19) Lou thawed some of here apricot blintzes for breakfast. I was off early to Gilroy for a hike wth my San Jose Mid-Week Hikers Group at Mt Madonna County Park. Susan, one of our members, led her first hike which everyone enjoyed. We usually don't do hikes so far South but do have several members from the area. The trails were wonderful and we'll probably do more hikes in the area, especially if those members do the hosting. We visited the ruins of the Henry Miller summer mansion. Miller was a cattle baron in California having over 14 million acres of cattle land and a million cattle at one time. I then drove home via Santa Cruz stopping for a bite in Scotts Valley. Dawn made a shrimp noodle casserole for dinner. I'm still nursing a sore neck.

Coming Attractions

As I have time I'm going to touch up the photos on the posts, prepare a slide show and or movie of the hike, prepare an interactive map with the trail shown and photos linked to the map.

Catching Up

Tuesday: (09/16) When I weighed at home I'm at 192. That's 20 pounds less than before I left. Lou insisted I see my doctor for a checkup to be sure all is well so that's the main task for the day. Other than an achy left arm likely due to a pinched nerve from sleeping at the Vancouver Hostel, I feel great.

All's well per the doctor who was rather happy that my weight is where it should be. Now to maintain. Not to that end, we had lunch at the Chinese Buffet. My backpack, which I shipped home via UPS arrived this afternoon. I had managed to beat it home. It was nicer not traveling with the heavy pack.

Lou and Dawn were out at a class so I had dinner at our local Corner bakery, a chopped salad. Have to catch up on greens. Not much of that on the trail.

Wednesday: (09/17) Granola for breakfast. I attended the annual San Jose Mid Week Hikers Group pot luck presented by Bob and Sharon at their house in Saratoga this afternoon/evening. A really nice get together with my fellow hikers off trail.

Thursday: (09/18) Lou prepared sausage eggs and home fried spuds for breakfast. A nice morning in the back yard especially after the unexpected rain we had last night. We all headed down to San Jose and Cleaned up the apartment and checked what I needed to return to work there. A little grocery shopping to restock as well. We had lunch at the Super Taqueria as well. Ribs, spinach casserole and tater tots for dinner. I spent some time moving labeling and backing up photos today.

 

The Long railRoad Home

Sunday: (09/14) Up early even before I needed to be. I'd hate to miss the train. I bought my ticket and then searched for some place to get breakfast. It's Sunday, nothing open anywhere except for coffee shops like Starbucks. So, a granola bar form breakfast. The train left on time. I enjoyed lunch and dinner in the dining car. Due to a sore shoulder, I didn't sleep well.

Monday: I was up early. Had some tea and watched the lights as we approached Sacramento., then watched the sunrise. The morning views of the bay, as we meandered along the edge, were great. Luckily, the train was on schedule. By 1000 I was walking up The Alameda looking for breakfast. I had called Lou and Dawn who were at an appointment in San Jose. They picked me up and took me to John's restaurant where they met Dawn's friend Andrea. Home by noon. The garden looks good. The front lawn is nice and dead. The back yard green. Lou's walking great. All is well. Pot roast for dinner. I was busy going through mail.

Seattle Exploration

Friday: (09/12) Up at 0700. Had breakfast at a restaurant in Chinatown, simple egg white mushroom omelet with a bun. I checked out of the hostel and headed to the train station. The Amtrak  train was actually a Cantrails bus. Excellent driver. Nice to be in US again where I can use my cell phone and it's data plan. I enjoyed some more dim sum in Seattle's Chinatown for lunch. I then got a little more away from downtown to a cheaper motel in the Fremont area. Time to relax and get out on the town tomorrow. Dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant, Perabo Bueno.

Saturday: (09/13) I took a walk to the Blue Star Cafe & Pub for breakfast. I had some very nice corned beef hash and eggs with a scone. From there took a long walk throujgh the Fremont area neighborhood. I then we t downtown to the headquarters REI store for a look around. I managed to leave after only buying trekking poles!e point caps. Now I can stow my poles and not poke holes in everything. Then off to Pikes Marketplace for a look around. I had lunch/dinner there as well, fish and chips. On the way back to the motel I stopped in at a couple of stores and weighed myself and tried on pants. At 200 pounds, I lost 12 pounds and two pants sizes. That after nearly a week of eating out since I finished the hike.

On The Way To Vancouver

Wednesday: (09/10) Up at 0700. I couldn't resist a nice bath before heading over for breakfast. I had their summer hash, very good. I then checked out about 0910 and started my wait for the 1010 bus. While most people had bought their tickets online, I had been informed by reception that they were having trouble printing the tickets. There were about 15 people waiting for the bus, only two of us didn't have tickets. We all waited and waited. Finally a phone call confirmed the bus would be at least two hours late. I got a sandwich for lunch. The bus arrived at 1210. Our bags were thrown on. We two who needed tickets were told we'd get them two stops up the road in Chilliwack. I haven't ridden a Grayhound bus in a while. Quite nice, even has power outlets and WiFi.
When we got to town, another hiker, Snailtrainer, and I got a room at a hostel near the central transit station. He is from England and limes a beer or two so we stopped in to a British Pub a couple of blocks away where we also had fish and chips for dinner.

Thursday: (09/11) Snail and I walked clear downtown looking for a place for breakfast. We ended up at A&W where we had their Canadian combo. Surprising good for a fast food joint. Real eggs, bacon and sausage with pancakes, not factory reconstituted products. Snail took off to the airport to return to England. I headed out and bought a cheap little backpack to through the few things I really need from my big back pack then took the backpack to UPS to ship home. A tour around town followed. Lunch in Chinatown, some dim sum. Dinner in North Vancouver at Quay Marketplace after a ride there on the sea train. I bought a cheap now hiker looking shirt. Will be leaving tomorrow morning.

PCT Hike, MM 2660 - 2669, Manning Park, BC

Tuesday: (09/09) Up at 0630. On trail 0745 after a morning chat with my fellow campers. I was first on trail but was met by Snailtrainer about half way. We hiked together the rest of the way with me trying to keep up with someone who has hiked five times my 500 mile distance. I checked in to the lodge at 1130. After a nice shower I had lunch at the restaurant, their special of the day Ruben sandwich and turkey noodle soup. Not the chicken fried steak breakfast with a vanilla shake I'd been dreaming of but pretty good. Again, no cell signal here but there is wifi. Then time to do my wash arrange transportation to Vancouver, and update my blog. Dinner was a prime rib dip sandwich and a salad. The menu isn't broad and the prices are high but the food is good. Especially better than comes out of my pack. I threw out all my water bottles save one. I dried my tent, sleeping bag, and mat. I also moved everything from the pockets into the bag providing something easier to transport. When I get to Vancouver I ship the whole thing home and get a day pack with just what I need for city travel.

PCT Hike, MM 2641 - 2660, Canadian Border

Monday: (09/08) Up at 0600, on trail 0645. Jerky and a granola bar for breakfast. Spam and cheese wrap for brunch Both meals were quick. I wanted to do 19 miles to the border in time to still have light for a picture. I arrived at the border at 1719 finding Aya and Early Bee there. Later joined by a Brit named Snailtrainer, daVinci, and Foxxy. Aya completed a section hike, the other four the whole hike. Snailtrainer had brought a big bottle of champagne which I joined them in a swig or few. I then went a 1/4 mile further to a campground finding Red Ridinghood and Jamesen and Dick there. Dick is 71 years old and hiked from Rainy Pass. The others remained at the border finishing off other heavy liquids they had brought. We all enjoyed a nice campfire until late.

Me at Monument 78, I'm standing in Canada.

A nice campfire.

PCT Hike, MM 2624 - 2641, Hart's Pass

Sunday: (09/07) Up 0630, on trail 0730. I awoke to a deer munching the plants next to my tent. I also had a new pest trying to get at my pack this morning, a weasel or ermine (ferret). It was six miles to Hart's Pass where I had brunch. For a Forest Service road, there was sure a lot of traffic. Nice trail, graded right for the climb. This was supposed to be a 21 mile dry section but there was plenty of water, the longest of no water being about six miles. Camped at MM 2641. 17 miles today. I was joined by three through hikers and Aha, a girl from Seattle doing a section hike.



Me at Hart's Pass Guard Station. I took no other photos of me on this hike until now.

The mountains in this area have fewer trees.

PCT Hike, MM 2609 - 2624, 50 Miles To Go

Saturday: (09/06) Up 0620, on trail 0745. It was about a mile climb the eight miles down to start today. The a steep six mile climb out to Hart Pass. Stopped for the day at MM 2624, the reported last water source for the next 21 miles. Camped again with Mark and Jane, also Jamesen and Red Ridinghood. and a couple of friendly deer. Jamesen and Red Ridinghood started the Washington section hike 7/27. I think all the major climbs for this hike are now done.

Camped with a couple of deer by a spring.


Just a few miles more.

PCT Hike, MM 2592 - 2609, Granite Pass

Up 0530, on trail 0720. This morning I noticed my belt pouch had a huge hole and one granola bar wrapper was empty. darn! Met Shrewder and Freedom at a fallen bridge across Bridge Creek. Should they change the creek's name now. Fortunately there was a nice big log across the creek which I used. I last saw them at Cloudy Pass. I made 17 miles today going through Rainy Pass, Cutthroat Pass, and Granite Pass. Camped in a high meadow with 18 other folks. Popular site. Nice weather, sunny but cool on the verge of cold. We're near the freeze elevation. Camped next to mark and Jane on a section hike from Rainy Pass to Harts Pass. They leave nearby.

Several neighbors here.

A typical improved log bridge.

PCT Hike MM 2580 - 2592, South Fork

Thursday: (09/04) Up at 0600. I finished loading my pack then took a wall put on the docks. Clear skies this morning. Breakfast at the Lodge at 0700 when they opened. I caught the 0800 bus to Highbridge. It stopped at the bakery so I bought a cookie for later. On trail at Highbridge at 0900. I did 12 miles to South Fork CG where my permit was for. MM 2592. While the permit is supposed to be to protect from over use,I was the only camper there. The North Cascades NP also requires food be hung. I normally sleep with my pack. I did hang it here and at sometime something gnawed through one of my pack belt pouches. Probable s nasty chipmunk. Could have happened while I was next to it at dinner, in the air, or as I filled the pack in the morning? Stopped early at 1610. It was only 5 miles to be out of the park and not need a permit nor to hang food but again, why rush?

One of the neater bridges.

Deep valleys.

PCT Hike, MM 2561 - 2580, Stehekin

Tuesday: (09/02) Up at 0630, on trail 0730. While I saw lots of stars last night on one of my night time excursions, it was overcast in the morning. However there was no condensation,the tent was dry inside and out. Nice! Might have been the breeze all night I was camped near the top of the mountain. Nice trail all the way down today, almost. The trail had more brush for the last 5 miles and it started to rain at 1500 making a wet end of hike. After I crossed the Agnes River about 1330, I decided to try and do the full 19 miles to Stehekin by 1815 to catch the last shuttle buss. Stehekin is 11 miles from the trail. I then had 11 miles to go in less than 5 hours. I haven't done a consistent 2 mph yet on this hike. I decided to try not using my trekking poles and was able to do it twice as fast as my normal speed My ankles and no need held up. I was at the shuttle stop by 1715. It turned out to be a good idea because of the rain. I had wanted to stay at the Ranch but it was full so I stayed at the lodge the only room available. Of course it was the best room and cost more. I dropped my stuff off in the room and hurried to the restaurant because it was past 1915 and the restaurant closed at 2000. Miss CFS special for dinner with a gargen salad from the garden up the road. Stehekin only has 65 residents with no cell, one pay phone that doesn't work well no Tv , and no Internet. Quaint. After dinner I cleaned up. MM 2580 here. It's 80 miles to the border then 9 more to Manning Park, BC where I exit the trail.w I was passed by 5 hikers today. Met cool Ranch and his girl about 5 miles before Stehekin. they work at the Lodge but hiked the PCT in 2012.

Wednesday: (09/03) Breakfast at the Lodge when it opened at 0700. A quick shop trip at the store when it opened at 0800 for gas and such. Then laundry time. Next stop was the Post Office on the way back to my room. I dropped things off at the room and caught the 1115 bus to the bakery. lunch was rhubarb pie ala mode with a slice of veggie pizza and a Danish/fruit tart for desert. I then walked back the 2 miles to the lodge stopping to visit the local produce gardener. On the way back, just before the lodge, a mother bear and her two cubs were looking around and blocking my return. A ranger stopped by and started throwing rocks to drive the bears away. I reviewed my supplies and dropped some extra stuff in the hiker box at the store. I visited the visit or Center and got a camping permit for a campground about 12 miles up trail. This is the only place along the PCT where the PCT permit doesn't suffice. By catching the first bus of the day at 0800 to get a ride the 11 miles back to the trail I should be on the trail by 0930. Dinner at the lodge, roast pork with some of their homemade ice cream for desert, bacon and apricot. Yum!


A little ranger herding bears.

A big ranger relieved the little one.

The Stehekin Bakery

The Stehekin garden.

PCT Hike, MM 2548 - 2561, Cloudy Pass

Monday: (09/01) Up 0620, on trail 0825. It was 1.5 miles more to cross the bridge across the Suiattle River then back upstream along the other side of the river then the 7.5 mile climb. I camped 1/2 mile past the crest at MM2561. Note, now only 99 miles to Canada. Three others hikers started up the hill with me but they were soon out of sight. I saw no one else all day until just as I arrived at my campsite. No rain but cool all day and cold in the evening. Now 19 miles downhill to Stehekin


I like mushrooms.


A mountain framed with trees and clouds.