Lazarow World-Hike-About: 49.07 California: San Ramon: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.

LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT

San Ramon: At first, I thought it needed explanation. Not true. Top Left: "You're kidding me. After hiking 4 miles from the base below, you still want to climb up there...and snakes...?" The stance revealed it all. The rest is self-explanatory, too. (Not part of the formal trail either).

'LAZAROW WORLD HIKE-ABOUT: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HIKE-ABOUT?'

Hike-about is an adventure that commenced June 2010. After storing our household movables, ridding ourselves of a house but retaining our 'home' together, we set off with the purpose of hiking in different parts of the world, not forgetting the home country, the USA.

Our primary focus is hiking to mountain peaks but any challenging hike will do just fine. Extended stays enable us to enjoy and experience living in various places amongst differing cultures. Hike-about has evolved into a way of life. It's also a process of discovery, both the world and ourselves.

We work and live 'on the road' but return to the city in which our grandchildren reside, every couple of months. This provides us the wonderful opportunity to be with them as well as a child or two, even three and of course, friends.

By the end of 2023, the blog contained over 1,560 hikes (less than that actually undertaken), each a set of pictures with stories and anecdotes from the trails. An index to the right allows the viewer to identify earlier experiences.

Finally, we are often asked about the journey's end. Our reply, as accurate as we can state, is: "When we are either forced to cease through health issues or the enjoyment level no longer reaches our aspirations, we will hang up the boots."

"A Life Experience As No Other: Dare to Seize the Day Together", published by Fulton Books, depicts our life on the road and mountains until the beginning of 2017. It has developed 'exponentially' since then.

Jenni and Jeffrey Lazarow

Whereas we continue to update the blog regularly, we circulate email notifications infrequently.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

49.07 California: San Ramon: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.

We planned to arrive in San Ramon, a city we might have heard of but never knew anything of. Our research of its hiking opportunities proved exciting and worth trying our feet and other body parts on its slopes. After visiting children and a grandson in Oakland for a few days, we diverted to this city that had remained off our radar. Thus far, we have been pleasantly surprised by both the built-up areas and of course, hiking opportunities. It proves the point over-and-over again: While we love the national and large state parks including the many special regions of opportunities, there are so many out-of-the-way features elsewhere, too. This is another of them.

The rolling fields are lovely but more steep than merely 'rolling'.

"Hands on hips might work with me, but not that fella, Sweetheart."

Faced with various options, the 'bangbroek' (an Afrikaans word), sidesteps the path. Was trying to explain to 'bangbroek' that the fella's history with women goes back thousands of years. Apparently, she didn't buy it.

Meantime, back at the ranch, I gave up singing "I Talk to the Trees" and switched, hopefully, to a more understanding and sympathetic audience. Fortunately, there was no bull today...for a change.

The slopes were steep.

"I may have the phone with me but I'm not calling Uber. Forget it!"

Eventually, she makes her way up a particularly steep section to reach our destination peak. She didn't even offer a tip.

One of the views from the peak, in icy winds.

After a steep climb, she's sitting on principle, she tells me. Tried to explain it's actually the surveyor's mark. I hate it when the snakes set her off in a mood. This issue with Eve and the serpent was never resolved ideally. (Mount Diablo in background-see below.)