11:50pm and home from another Thursday in Sherman Oaks.

Photo of Ray on our drive home tonight taken with my cell phone.

Thursdays are always long. On Thursdays we drive in to the San Fernando Valley to meet up with our sponsees and attend our Thursday night Just the Black Print meeting.

Most Thursdays we usually drive in to LA around noon and return home 12 hours later. Ray had a dentist appointment with an oral surgeon in Encino at 2:30pm. Today we drove in at 10am. This earlier departure gave me just enough time to stop first at the REI in Rancho Cucamonga to shop for the Osprey EXOS backpack I've been wanting to buy. I tried the backpack on and liked it. I'm not sure there is enough cubic inch capacity for all I normally carry in my McHale backpack. But Ray bought the Osprey for me for as an anniversary present. Our 19th wedding anniversary is May 31st. If I find I can't get all my gear inside, I'll return it. But I'm excited because the difference I'll save in weight between my normal backpack and this new one is 2 pounds. Each year I say I'm going to carry lighter and each year the fear of not having what I think I might need (like way too much food), drives my pack weight up.

I'm anxious to try this pack out and see how it feels. On the way into LA I mentioned that I would like to make up the section of hiking I missed in 2007 from the I-10 to Big Bear (54 miles.) I went on a tour bus with this thinking and now I may join Be Hope and backpack this section to Big Bear with him. I left a message on Be Hope's cell phone today saying I would like to join him for a few days if that is ok. Be Hope is the PCT backpacker I dropped off in Anza a couple of days ago saying I'd pick him up when he reached the I-10 freeway. I had no plans to hike with him, only to assist him with his food resupply.

Anyway, Be Hope called and left a message from the trail tonight saying he was on Fuller Ridge in the San Jacinto Mountains. It appears he might be further along than we anticipated. Maybe he will arrive at the I-10 freeway under-pass Friday night. I'm supposed to meet him Saturday at noon. Now that I have it in my head that I want to join him on his hike I'm hoping he arrives on Friday so we have more time to hike the miles to Big Bear. I have to be off the trail Monday night. Ray said that he'd pick me up. I have to be off the trail on Monday so I'm ready to drive into the Baby Meeting in LA on Tuesday with others.

Like I really need to add one more thing in my day. Aren't tour bus rides fun?

To be continued......