Rancho San Antonio Hike

Monday: (04/05) Granola and banana for breakfast. I headed off early to meet some fellow hikers at Rancho San Antonio County Park for a hike. This is my first hike with some of the folks I used to hike with in over a year. Many of us are now fully vaccinated for Covid 19 and waited the two weeks post shots. Nice 10.5 mile hike with Alex, Bianca, Danny, and Tara. Nice weather was partially cloudy and breezy. After the hike I stopped by the Lucky Chinese Bistro for lunch. Back home I showered and napped. Art and I are planning to hike the Ohlone Wilderness Trail next week. Art confirmed he got our camping permits for the hike. Later, I headed off for some shopping. I stopped at REI for a couple of backpacker meals. I’ve never used them before, even on my PCT hike so I thought I’d try some. I also stopped at Walmart for some other food items for the hike. Tuna salad envelopes and string cheese. I’ll use those for lunch with tortillas. Breakfast will be granola and bacon jerky. I also visited Lowe’s and bought some plywood for Ernie’s ramp. WOW, plywood prices have jumped during Covid. Now ¾” plywood is $60, was $24 before. Dawn made a fish raisin tomato stew over rice for dinner.

Tuesday: (04/06) I made ham and eggs with leftover potatoes for breakfast. I started fabrication the cross support pieces in the morning. I also had to check on the construction project down the street several times because they were placing gravel on the basement slab with a 130’ conveyor boom struck. Next phase after this gravel placement will be rebar and concrete. I had leftover Chinese food for lunch. Lou and Dawn went out to lunch in Menlo Park. I welded in the cross supports later. I also made a run to ACE hardware for some galvanizing paint. I had a ham and cheese sandwich for dinner.

Wednesday: (04/07) Granola for breakfast. I attended my usual Wednesday AlphaSoftware webinar. I also spent some time working on my pack load for next week's hike. Cottage cheese and fruit for lunch. I welded legs on the ramp and levelling bolts on the ramp and platform then painted them with a galvanizing compound. An artichoke for an afternoon snack. After a shower I tinkered in the mancave until dinner. Lou and Dawn made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

Thursday: (04/08) Granola for breakfast. I spent the morning cutting the plywood for the ramp and porch floors for Ernie’ ramp. I made a run to ACE Hardware for some screws, longer bolts and glue. A nice torta from Los Altos Taqueria for lunch. Leftover corned beef and cabbage for dinner.

Friday: (04/09) Granola for breakfast. I removed the platform and ramp plywood and set them up on sawhorses for Lou to paint. A tuna green salad for lunch. I worked on the taxes all day. Lou and Dawn also worked at weeding the front yard a little. Corned beef sandwich for dinner.

Saturday: (04/10) Lou made strawberry waffles with bacon for breakfast. I spent the day preparing my pack for Monday’s hike. I carefully weighed each item and added them to a spreadsheet. There was still a 5 lbs error. The sheet says it weighs 31 lbs., my scale, the same one I weighed the items with, says it weighs 35.5 lbs. It’s still way less than my PCT pack load of 65 lbs. Lunch at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City. We dined on their outside tables. Chili size for diner.

Sunday: (04/11) Leftovers for breakfast. Mine was vegetable soup. I spent the morning updating our tax return. Lou reviewed it then I eFiled the returns about 1530. An expensive year. I had a trail snack tuna salad with crackers for lunch. Lou painted Ernie’s ramp boards with anti-slip paint from West Marine. After they dried somewhat we placed them back on the ramp supports. They’ll dry a few more days then I’ll put them in place. Nothing more needs to be done except worry that I have everything is ready for my hike tomorrow. Dawn made macaroni and cheese with sausages for dinner. After dinner, I gave myself a hair and beard cut. I don’t want to chew on my mustache on the hike.