Twenty three days before Ray drops me off at the Mexican/California by the PCT Monument where JJ and Jeff will be waiting for me. 6pm is when we are supposed to meet up and set up our tents before dark. We’ll sleep out at the border and begin backpacking bright and early in the morning. (I’d like to get a picture of me and my tent by the border fence!)

I am the least trained before any previous backpacks. Walking around MHCC carrying a pack filled with 28 pounds is not really much training. Saturday I lead the hiking group on an 8 mile PCT hike north of the Whitewater River. Our group gains the PCT from the Mission Creek Preserve parking area. We have the gate code to drive within 2 miles of the PCT where we’ll park.

Sunday I also hope to get in a little longer hike, maybe going up Murray Hill.

But this morning I was just happy I made time to at least get out and move about. Driving into LA on Thursdays takes its toll.

The flowers are beautiful and in full glorious bloom in our neighborhood. I shot about 20 photos on the walk this morning but they were all boring, except this one I took of me using a dirty car’s right-side rear reflective area. It’s not often I miss an opportunity for a good reflection or shadow shot of me. The woman who walked by me as I was repeatedly trying to get this shot was kind enough to only smile and keep walking. So many people say, “What ARE you doing?”

Me and my backpack out for a walk this morning.

I can’t remember if I mentioned I have posted photos here I shot while Cynthia was delivering Noah. I remember not posting that the photos were up until I had asked Cynthia if it was ok that I posted them. I just can’t remember if I mentioned here that I had a Gallery titled Noah – 10 minutes old in the portfolio section of my site.

Noah and Cynthia following direction to look at me!

Baby Noah and Cynthia at the meeting last night.

6:30am Bump & Grind with Mary Kay and Jodie.

Hiking partners approaching the top of Bump & Grind early this morning.

2 seconds from the top.

Yeah! This is the top of the Bump & Grind. Pretty flat, isn't it.

Ray says that he can smell when my backpack is in the house. Ray really dislikes the smell of backpackers in the car when he picks us up at the trail headed for town and a shower. We backpackers can’t smell ourselves when we are trail dirty, but when I’m not on the trail and I’m clean, I can smell my backpack and all the contents/clothing that come out of the yucky pack. By the way, it’s suggested when we backpackers are hitching a ride to a trail town we attempt to clean up a bit for the poor driver that stops for us. I wonder how many other backpackers carry wet ones and little individually wrapped deodorant packets?

I have once before cleaned this 8 year old McHale pack. I wouldn’t carry another backpack because of the way this McHale carries weight. I just hope it holds up for another 20 years! It just might. But it definitely needed a good cleaning. I brought a brush and laundry detergent into the shower with me this morning. The pack may still look dirty but it no longer smells! There are two emblems sewn on the backpack, one is the McHale logo and the other………Is one of three of the most important items I own. The emblem sewn above the McHale emblem is the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) 2600 mile finisher emblem.

The second of the most important items I own is a plaque a very special friend (I never hear from anymore, and I don’t know why) had made for me after I thru-hiked the PCT in 2002. Under a photo of me on the plaque is written, “If you have a goal you want to accomplish….Just go do it!!!” uffda
And the third of the most important items I own was made for me by my best buddy, LR. I was on an Outward Bound in September, 1977 attempting to learn how to backpack. That’s where I met LR. One of the days during this Outward Bound we all had to do a mountain peak ascent. I got altitude sickness and had the worst time of my life, but made it. A couple weeks after the Outward Bound ended, LR sent me a wall hanging containing two photos of me, one photo where I am exhausted and passed out with my backpack resting next to me, shot after my very first mountain ascent, Mt. Henry in the Sierra. The inscription under the photos reads, ” You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.”

Pack drying, after a good scrub in the shower.

Most backpacker’s carry less weight than I do. It’s been said that the more fear one has, the heavier their pack will be. Well, my base backpack weight is still heavier than most other lightweight backpackers. My base weight, no matter how I try to lesson it, always remains about the same at 21 pounds. But…….my pack carries weight better and lighter than the ultralight backpackers’ packs do with their really light-frame-free backpacks.

Gear layed out that's going back in the backpack.

Boy, this blog was supposed to be about my backpack and gear. I just went down memory lane. Fond memories.

Looking at my upcoming months’ activities, I decided to begin in earnest, readying all I’ll need for the April backpack with JJ and Jeff.

While figuring out what I need, I work off an inventory of previous backpacking trips so I’m not reinventing the wheel each time. I emptied my backpack of much of what I usually use on trips and first took stock of the most important gear, making sure everything was in working order. I even opened and set up my Tarptent. The last thing I need is a tent that doesn’t go up and stay up. After an incident while cowboy camping (no tent) where a scorpion crawled across the groundcloth 3 inches from my hand (while journaling), I no longer cowboy camp.

I made good headway today. My backpack is mostly trip ready with everything I will need. Next is planning food for the 11 days. The lighter my food, the lighter my pack. Hence I started dehydrating. Today I made Kale I’ll sprinkle on meals I cook. Last month I made beef jerky and those breakfast banana thingies I posted a photo of on February 22nd. Next, I’ll start thinking of dinners. I’ll probably buy them from this company.

Ray didn’t know what Kale was. Here is the dictionary definition:
Main Entry: kale
Pronunciation: \?k?l\
Function: noun
Etymology: Scots, from Middle English (northern) cal, from Old English c?l — more at cole
Date: 14th century

1 a : cole b : a hardy cabbage (Brassica oleracea acephala) with curled often finely incised leaves that do not form a dense head; also : its leaves used as a vegetable.

Steamed Kale ready to be dehydrated.

3 hours later - dehydrated, crispy, Kale.

Tailwinds, how’s it looking? Not the kale:-)

It was raining this morning. I figured no one would show up for this morning’s MHCC Hiking Group hike, to do the 9 mile long and 2500 feet elevation gain/loss loop hike up Murray Hill. I was going though as I don’t have a lot of time to get in shape carrying my backpack. Today I upped the weight of the pack to 28 pounds.

But Steve and Heidi showed up and I was thrilled to have company. It was raining a little when we drove to the trail, but not much. At the top of Murray Hill, two hours after we started hiking, the rain came and we cut our break short because we got cold.

Moments after descending from the Peak, I remembered we hadn’t taken the traditional group photo. Shivering and wet, Steve and Heidi posed while I set the timer, in the rain, and we got our shot.

Me, Steve and Heidi posing for a self timed group shot.

This week’s photo assignment is stripes. Do you think this rainbow qualifies as a stripes submission? I don’t. But we were thrilled to see such a colorful rainbow from Murray Hill.

Just a little light show.

Up and out for a 6:30am Bump and Grind hike with Mary Kay. Home and out the door for a walk around the neighborhood with Ray. 7 miles today.

This photo was a lame attempt at shooting for this week’s online photo class assignment which is “Stripes”. I applied a filter to get the black and white look.

Posing for this week's class assignment, Stripes. (will not be submitting this photo for the class, but it's fun.)

I’m thinking I like my old compact camera – the Canon Powershot A650 more than the new Canon G11. I haven’t really spent time learning about the G11 but I’ve noticed more shutter lag than the Powershot. I also do not like a couple of other things:
1. The piggy backing dials are not easy to isolate and turn without sometimes turning the wrong dial. For someone with large fingers it would be really difficult.
2. This is probably my fault because of lack of understanding, but when I expose for the light sky, holding the shutter halfway down to re-frame the shot, the exposure changes to read the recomposed area.
3. The camera has a minimal right hand almost negligible nub hold, much smaller than what the Powershot A650 has, which makes it difficult to sustain a secure grip. The Canon G11 comes with a neck strap and I know why. I have almost dropped the camera many times. Not having a camera that I can quickly and securely hold is terrible for backpacking/hiking.

So, I think I’ll give Ray the G11 and continue using my tried and true Canon Powershot A650. I know the A650 so well too. I find it frustrating and time consuming using a new camera. I don’t like indecision. So now, I’m off the fence. I’m taking the Powershot A650 backpacking.

I am lucky and most grateful to be one of a wonderful family of women (and not all of them were present at Debbie’s Birthday Brunch last Saturday).

Debbie's family.

I’m going backpacking, I’m going backpacking!!! And I’m training for when I leave April 5th!

Did a great hike up Hwy 74 on the Cactus Trail with Bonnie and Heidi.

Heidi trying on my backpack during a break on our 8.5 mi hike today.

Bonnie, with Heidi and my reflection in her glasses.

I’d planned a short hike up Bump & Grind for the MHCC Hikers, just to get in some quick exercise, realizing we’d have rain today. Thursday and Friday I received canceling emails. At 7am this morning I received a “won’t be making it” phone call. I certainly understood. It was pouring earlier this morning.

But I’d made a decision I was hiking no matter what. This decision was reinforced yesterday when I also made a decision to give up a one bag a day habit of eating Trader Joe’s popcorn. When I stood on the scale and read my weight, I knew it was time for some changes.

I pulled into the normal MHCC hiking group meeting place just to make sure someone wasn’t planning on hiking that I didn’t know about. After 5 minutes, I was on my way to hike. Me and my I-Pod Touch loaded with Black Eyed Peas, Lady GaGa, etc.

I talk about the Bump & Grind hike so here is a cloudy, misting day photo essay of the area. The hike took me 2 hours today as I stopped lots to take photos.
Length is 4 miles (2 up and 2 down), elevation gain: 1000 feet.

Driving on Bob Hope to Bump & Grind.

View down on the Target shopping center after hiking for about 6 minutes.

Clouds gave way to shafts of sunlight.

Nearing the top (where hikers are standing).

At the top.

More hikers beginning their hike as I'm descending.

Found this message when we reached the top of the hill this morning. A backpacking friend calls this trail graffiti. But Stacy and I wanted to take our pictures with the I love you. I think Stacy is going to use another one of the seated poses I shot for her husband’s Valentine card.

Top of Bump & Grind

Stacy Jacobs.

Stacy thought we looked better sitting up.

I am the Saturday hike leader and was thrilled to see how many hikers came out to hike today. Where we hiked, Mission Creek Preserve, is about 45 minutes from where I live. You can see that when  hiking there you might feel you are  in the wilderness miles from home. From where we started hiking, it was only 1.9 miles to access the PCT north of the Whitewater Cyn area.

I’ve uploaded and captioned lots of photos from the hike. They are viewable here.

This is a 2 shot handheld pano of where we hiked. Snowy San Bernadino mountains are the back drop.

Mission Creek Preserve

11 hikers in all.