I wonder how many PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) backpackers read my blog.

Each year about 300 thru-hikers start out in late March through late April to backpack 2,660 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. This adventure can take about 4 to 5 months. I backpacked the PCT as a thru-hike in 2002. On this adventure of my life, I met some of the best friends I have today. Two friends (Yogi and Cupcake) and I, following the completion of our backpack, wanted to give a gift to the upcoming year thru-hikers. Our gift had to be light weight, useful and memorable. We came up with the idea of gifting a bandana. The first PCT Class bandana was gifted to the Class of 2003 thru-hikers. Since then, each year for 8 years now, we have continued the bandana gifting tradition. Follow this link to read the story of the bandanas, located on the ADZPCTKO backpacking site.

Gotttago, Cupcake and Yogi

This is the first year we have used a color (pink) that may cause some grumbling. We’ll see.

This year's PCT Class Bandana

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.

This morning.

San Jacinto's many looks.

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.

While at my sponsor’s Birthday Brunch on Saturday, one of the women went out to her car and brought in her dog.

In season.

Yesterday I used up some really ripe (brown skinned) bananas to make fruit leathers using the dehydrator. It is always a challenge finding sweet treats that don’t contain sugar. Here is the recipe I put together, using up what I had on hand. As you’ll see, I didn’t pay much attention to amounts as I used what I had on hand.
4 large very ripe bananas (the kind that you don’t want to eat because they are so brown.)
1/2 tsp bottled vanilla
oat bran (can’t remember how much, maybe a half a cup)
oatmeal (approximately 1/2 c., I think)
chopped fine walnuts and walnut meal (at the bottom of a container I use to hold walnuts)
raisins (don’t remember how many but maybe 1/2 c.)

Mash the bananas with all the rest of the ingredients.
Spread mixture on plastic dehydrator trays (I spray a little Olive Oil Pam on a paper towel and wipe each tray, hoping the mixture won’t stick too bad)
I spread and flatten the mixture as equally thin as I can get it, using the back of a spoon to flatten the 2 tablespoon drops of the mixture.

I set the dehydrator to 135.
I cook the mixture for 3 hours and then turn it over. (I use a pie server to turn the gooey mixture over and make sure to re-flatten the mixture so it drys all the way through.)
I cooked the turned mixture another 1.5 hours.

Here is what the end product looks like (not out of focus like they look in the photo though:-)

Banana leathers plus.

Ummmm good.

p.s. I will never be a food photographer. I finally gave up trying to get this photo looking good.

Yesterday was a long day. It was in fact a 24 hour long day.

I drove to Concord, California, a 5.5 hour drive with Milly who I’d picked up at 5:45am, to attend my sponsor Debbie’s 34th birthday brunch. There were about 36 of us in attendance, happy to be seeing each other again. As always the annual gathering was uniquely special, memorable and unifying.

I almost made it back home after leaving Concord at 6pm, and after dropping Milly off in Encino, but I was smart and instead pulled into a rest area at 1:30am, 36 miles short of Palm Springs. I was lucky to find an empty parking space where I became one of many, auto and truck drivers, reclined in our seats hoping to catch enough sleep to continue our journey. Two hours of fitfully napping, I pulled out of the rest area and headed home, still slapping my face to stay awake.

Me and my sponsor, Debbie.

Milly, Debbie's sponsor and Debbie.

Just another light show over the San Jacinto Range tonight.

Let there be light.

Each week I spend time in a bookstore reading what I always read – photography books.

Vince used to call where you spend money you don’t need to spend, leakage $$$. It’s emotional spending…..you know, if I buy ____ ___, I’ll feel better.

I’m sure glad I don’t spend $300 a month on books anymore. Right LR? You probably wish I were still into buying books rather than the expensive photo gear habit I have these days.

Tonight I used up the remaining Barnes & Nobel gift cards on the 2 photography books I bought and only had to pay an extra $21 out of pocket. Pretty good LR, right?

I’ve missed your comments LR and hope this blog will get your creative juices flowing. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tomorrow I leave to spend the night in LA. Ray will be home to hold down the fort. Saturday morning I pick up Milly and we drive to Oakland for my sponsor Debbie’s 34th Birthday Brunch. There will be 36 of us.

Debbie asks that we all have a photograph taken with her. We take a group photo also. Each year I am the dedicated photographer. Hopefully this year some of what I have learned in the last year will contribute to making us all look beautimous. I am bringing off camera flash lighting equipment and a rhttp://www.lindajeffers.com/blog/2010/02/packing-and-shooting/eflector. Whether I use this equipment, that I’m not too comfortable using, is another story. I do enjoy the opportunity to practice and am grateful I have subjects to practice on. Someone else asked me to photograph her with her sponsees, after my friend Carol D. referred me as someone who likes to shoot people. Thanks Carol.

This photo of me, no make-up, no hair “do” and lots of old lady neck wrinkling, was one of many shots taken today, practicing with off camera flash lighting. Now I’m off to watch more of Zach Arias’ One Light DVD.

Self timed portrait (?), trying to learn off camera lighting.

Well I’ve committed to JJ, I will be backpacking along the PCT from the Mexican/California border home early April.
This photo is for JJ, Jeff, me and maybe (hoping) my BFFBBP. (best friends forever best backpacking partner, xx/oo)
I ran outside with my camera to shoot this shot when I realized I really hadn’t shot a photo I could post here today, except for the photo above, which I wasn’t orignially going to post. I figure posting the photo above is good for my ego deflation, so up it went too. Hey, I’m not my looks anymore, I’m so much more. tee hee.

For those of you who know this stretch of mountain, left side of photo begins with Fobes Saddle (5980′), next Spitler Peak, Apache Peak (7567′) (where the fire was last year), Antsell Rock (7679′), South Peak (7884′), Red Tahquitz (8738′), and on the far right behind trees is San Jacinto Peak (10,804′). This year is a high snow year so I don’t know if the PCT thru-hikers will be roading walking to Idyllwild or not.

4 shot pano of the peaks backpackers hike by along the PCT.

While I’m away without!!!!!!!!!!! my computer, I hope to practice blogging from my phone with a photo or two.

Another attempt at the corners assignment.

Shooting corners

An after-sun-has-set daily view.

A nightly scene.

As I mention every chance I get, Carol Leigh is my online photography teacher and mentor. Today I got to talk to her and feel so much better about my day.
Two pearls of wisdom from Carol:
1. What is important is becoming, not being.
2. Look for the effect, not the technique.

I got lucky yesterday. Carol left an instructional comment regarding a photo I posted yesterday. Here is what she said: Linda, regarding your “Tranquil Morning” photo, what if you were to crop in from the left until just before you reach the first tree? But there’s more: What if you were to crop DOWN from the top so that we don’t see the top “horizon line?” NOW your photo is all about a small strip of truncated trees up top and their elongated reflections below. Forget the bird — he looks a tad overexposed anyway. Do I sound harsh? You know I don’t mean to. To me, the artistry in your photo lies in the trees and their reflections, nothing more is necessary. — Carol “feeling overly simplistic this morning” Leigh

Hopefully, I cropped this photo below per her suggestions. I like the photo so much better. Thank you Carol. And, thank you for making time to talk.

Cropped version per Carol Leigh's suggestion.

This week’s Photomotivation assignment is Corners, paying attention to light and color.
Here are 3 photos I took today and posted in Carol’s Photomotivation online class Yahoo group.

Assignment: Corners 1

Assignment: Corners 2

Assignment: Corners 3