Linda's on trail contact info and adventure links.

Hi,

This will be my last entry on this blog until I return from my backpack. Future blogs will be made to my journal.

The time has come to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes. So, instead, I’m writing this email and sending it out a bit early (so I won’t get too emotional).

I am leaving town on April 25th and will be away until I return the beginning of July. I’m going backpacking on the Continental Divide Trail. The CDT runs through
4 states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. I’ll be backpacking the state of New Mexico northbound, starting in the bootheel of NM, at a southern trail starting point called Crazy Cook Monument.

I will be hiking with a trail friend named LaZorra. We will begin our northbound hike on April 30th. Just before LaZorra leaves the trail to return to work, another friend, TrailDad (Roy Robinson), will join me around May 26th for the remaining 5 weeks of my backpack.

TrailDad and I will head into southern Colorado, if snow levels aren’t too high. Another option would be to skip up to southern Wyoming and hike the Great Divide Basin.

My Website
I have a website called Gottago’s Adventure Site. Check it out. You’ll find previous backpacking trips/journals and of course my current hiking trip itinerary, journal, mail drop list, trail links and guestbook (which I hope you sign).

Direct trail journal link
I always keep a journal when I long distance backpack. My journal is linked on my website from another site where the journal is posted or you follow my journal from the direct link on trailjournals.com - www.trailjournals.com/gottago.

Contacting me
Email: I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me a line and keep me up to date with what is going on with you or just to say HI using this email address: gottago at pocketmail.com (I will only be able to receive and send email when I’m in a town, approximately every 5 to 6 days).
Letter: please place the following on the envelope:
In lower left corner:
Hold for PCT Hiker: Linda Jeffers
ETA: (put day, month and year here)
Phone: I’ll have my cell phone. (Keep in mind, I’m exhausted when I arrive in town and most of my time is spent eating, doing laundry, sleeping and getting my next trail segment food needs ready.)

Thank you for following along with me on my unfolding journey of life.

Love and will miss you,
Linda

A good bye gift package from The Virtues

Thank YOU Alima, Tom, Emily, Jessie, Catie and Henry.

Katie's boyfriend, Rick

I had the pleasure of hiking the Bump & Grind the last two mornings at 6am with Katie and her boyfriend, Rick. I've heard a lot about Rick, but had never met him until we hiked yesterday and today. He's down here visiting Katie for a week or so.

Having some new "blood" on our morning hikes made for interesting conversations. I really like Rick a lot and have enjoyed our hikes.

Just when I didn't know what I was going to post today.......

Just in from my friend Carol.
http://www.blueribbonmovie.com/

Living Desert hike today.

I don't have time to hike but if I don't, I'll be sorry.
Great views of the remaining snow on San Jacinto and San Gorgonia Peaks. I've seen photos of the snow and deadfall the PCT thru hikers have had to deal with up on SJ.

This sign put my mind to rest. I've been worrying in Mama was still going to watch over Baby.

I saw about 6 of these guys.

Suzanne Finney, PCT Class of 2008

If you want to follow a PCT hiker this year, Suzanne is a great writer. Below is where she posts her trail journals. A direct link to her trailjournal account is www.trailjournals.com/suzannefinney. I've had some email correspondence with Suzanne and one phone call. She is a very special lady.

This linked journal page below, from her PCT 08 journal, is a special page for me. She lists "Internal Rules" for her herself while she hikes this year.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=212973

Baby is gone and out on her own.

Earlier in the day I could tell Baby was practicing and getting close to flying off.

Today is the first day she really practiced flapping her wings.

Mama is in Baby's nest looking up at Baby on the condo stucco wall.

Mama was freaking out. Mama repeatedly tried to get Baby off the wall. Mama got on Baby's back and pecked Baby and then tried prying Baby off the wall with her feet.

Mama also feed Baby while Baby was on the wall. Baby must have been exhausted.

Ray spotted Baby as Baby left her nest. He said,"Baby is on the condo wall." I went for my camera. I spent the next 1.5 hours taking photos. I shot some movie too. Tired and off the bed now. But I someday hope to put together a photo essay of Baby and Mama.

Baby flew up on the roof of the Condo and Mama followed her. 37 days from egg to flight.

Bye bye Babette. (See Emily, I still call Baby Babette even though Ray didn't want me too.)

Baby is getting rambunctious.

Baby is out growing her nest. Mom has built up one side of the nest recently.

Baby has a pattern I've discovered. I've watched her so much that I know when Mama is coming to feed her. I go out and stand very, very quietly 3 feet away and shoot photos as Mama is landing.

Ray gets mad at me for going outside so much. He thinks I'm going to scare Baby into flying off before Baby is ready to fly. I think Baby is going to fly within the next few days. Baby flapped her wings today to keep herself from losing her balance now that she courageously stands perched on the top side of the nest.

Mama comes to the rescue now that Baby is so cocky. Mama is very strict and I get a kick out of catching her beat Baby down in her nest anyway she can.

Mama comes at the same time everyday to shade Baby from the hot sun. Then I get to photograph Mama's beautifully colored back feathers. Baby has some green in her back now too.

And there are fewer and fewer times when Baby sits still with Mama. Ray and I are going to be very sad to see our Baby fly away.


Any bets on which date she'll take flight?
If Baby doesn't fly away soon, I'll never get ready for this trip.

More PCT early thru hiker sightings.

Katy and Leah proudly displaying their new Class of 2008 PCT bandanas. Katy and Leah started April 1st at the border.

Jan, Katy and Leah

Zeke, Jan, Leah and Katy at the famous Paradise Cafe, one mile west of where the PCT crosses Hwy 74.

Baby has lots of feathers.

Baby is habituated to me. I am an ever present presence. I talk to Baby. Baby knows my voice, my camera lens in its face and Baby feels safe but somewhat confused by me.
Baby has feathers which means it isn't going to be long now, maybe a week, before Baby takes flight.
I can't imagine how two babies could fit in this small nest.

I must have clicked off 100 photos today. Everytime I passed the glass window, Baby or Mama were doing something so cool it had to be photographed. I spent many hours today distracted and very interested by new behaviors.

Mama lands midday to shade Baby from the hot sun that shines directly on Baby around 1pm. Mama spreads her tail feathers and wings very wide to shield Baby from the direct heat of the sun.

I will eventually upload a lot more of the photos I've taken to Flickr.com but I haven't the time now. I'll post when I've uploaded photos to Flickr. I hope to do a photo essay of Baby from beginning to end too. But not until I return from my trip.

Mating bugs

Ths sun had been up for 20 minutes this morning when I spotted these two bugs at it while on a bump & grind hike with Katie.


Off to LA in a couple of hours. Can't wait to see many of you tonight!

ADZPCTKOP and Baby

Many of you have heard me talk about the PCT Class bandanas I make up every year. You've also heard me mention the ADZPCTKOP hiking weekend I attend before the current year PCT hikers hit the trail.
Well, click on this link below to see a photo of me in action on the ADZ website and learn more how the tradition of gifting the Class bandanas began.
http://siechert.org/adz/pct_bandana.htm

P.S. Baby is doing ok, I think. I'll take another photo soon and post it for you to see how Baby has grown in size and how many feathers she has now.

I read more about baby hummingbirds. Ray and I thought Mama was neglecting Baby at night by not sleeping in the nest any longer. But what I learned is that a certain point in Baby's development Baby begins to be able to generate her own body warmth and no long needs Mama to sit on top of her.

I also read that the baby's self defense is that she knows not to peep and make noise for Mom. That's why Baby is so unanimated! Duh.

Joyful Jim's good news.

Check out JJ's April 8th journal entry!

Way to go JJ! Get to work cleaning up all those loose ends on your hike preparations.

Love,

Gottago

My Friend JJ.

My friend JJ (Joyful Jim) is thru hiking the PCT this year. Initially he was going to start the PCT April 14th. But something happened to his knee. Time and the healing process will only tell when JJ will be able to begin his thru hike.

Maybe you will join me in sending good healing vibes to JJ and his knee so he can recover soon and fullfill his dream to hike the PCT this year.

Gottago and JJ, July 2004, sharing a great meal in Santa Monica while commiserating after having just gotten off two different trails that year.

PCT thru hiker sighting

Katie and I went out for a training hike on the PCT this morning at 8:50am. We headed south on the PCT from Hwy 74 (Palms to Pines). About 15 minutes into our hike, we ran into Paul Smith my first thru hiker sighting!!! He had his ULA pack off and was heading into the bushes.

I'd put some PCT Class of 2008 bandanas in my backpack hoping I'd start running into PCT hikers. To get Paul's attention I said, "Are you a thru hiker? And will you be going to ADZ?" Because he answered no to going to ADZ I handed him his orange bandana.

Paul said it had taken him 9 or 10 days to get to where we found him just shy of Hwy 74. He mentioned he'd hiked 18 miles the day before. He talked about the nasty wind he'd encountered many days on the trail since he started. After his tent stakes blew out and his tent collapsed, he set up the tent again putting large rocks on the stakes. At 4am after the tent blew down again, he packed up and started hiking. Oh, he also mentioned how the elevation gain up to Mt Laguna had kicked his butt.

He talked about Pete Fish's trail crew working south of Table Mountain, maybe by Sandy Jeep Road. Later, I did notice what great shape the trail was in from Hwy 74 to Table Mountain's shoulder (a distance of 4.8 miles).

The flowers were out in full bloom. The were lots of blue and purple flowers I don't normally see. I'm not great with flower names but I think the blue was Baby Blue Eyes and the purple - Penstemon. Still in bloom were many other wildflowers too. The air was cool at 4900 feet. A nice change from the desert floor. By 11:15, after a snack break at Table Mountain's shoulder, Katie and I turned around and headed back to the PCT trailhead parking lot enjoying the perfect hiking temperature now in the low 70's full sun and a little breeze.

In previous years, just south of the PCT gate at Hwy 74 (by a hundred yards or so), I'd noticed a water cache. This year, there was no water.

Also, the small sign directing hikers to the Paradise Cafe was not up. This small side trail to the cafe is located on the left 100 yards before reaching Hwy 74.

I checked out the PCT trailhead monument north of Hwy 74. There was an igloo marked for PCT hikers and filled with about 5 empty water bottles. No register. Paul Smith had said he'd noticed 5 other hikers were ahead of him who noticed had signed the register back by the last water source (sandy jeep road?).

Paul Smith - PCT Class of 2008
Began his hike March 29th.

Day 14 and what is this black form where baby's wing should be?

Ray won't let me call the baby hummingbird Babette.

I've been noticing Baby doesn't ever really stand up and flap or use its wings. The mass or black form that is visible in this photo has me concerned. Ray says, "I'm crazy." But I think maybe Baby is deformed. Would that be horrible? How the hell will it ever be able to fly if it only has one wing? What is Mama going to do with Baby if she doesn't fly? What ARE WE going to do with Baby if she doesn't fly?

I'm glad I won't be around to have to witness this if it happens.

Mama didn't sleep in her nest last night. I think Mama is too young to be a good Mama.

And where the hell is the egg? One day it is just missing. I looked on the ground and saw no evidence of a shell knocked out of the nest. Mama couldn't pick the egg up in her beak. So.........I think Ray plucked the egg out of the nest. I can't believe Ray anymore when it comes to animals. Remember when he didn't tell me about Babette and all the feathers he found? I think Ray did something with the egg because he was afraid Baby was going to fall out of the nest while getting on top of the egg.

What do you think?

P.S. I just told Ray what I wrote in this blog. He swears he didn't take the egg out. I believe him.

Yesterday was day 11.

First 9+ mile hike and first hike with NEW pack. (Yes, LR, a new pack!)

I've not been training like I have in the past before a hike. Today's hike was a 2100 foot climb up local Murry Hill. Temperature was thankfully no higher than 82. I carried about 25 pounds of weight in the new Osprey backpack I bought at A16 in LA before the Baby Meeting. The hike was hard for me but I did it and without injury.

I always use my McHale backpack on hikes but was curious to see if my back pain would be less carrying the Osprey. I was surprised to find I liked the feel of how the Osprey carried the weight. I've always believed a McHale pack was the only pack for me because the pack transfers weight to my hips so well. I can't have any weight on my shoulders or I really hurt. The Osprey kept the weight off my shoulders and felt quite comfortable. So I'll try the Osprey again and with more weight in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking the Osprey works better in how I seem to have more space to pack up my goods inside. I attached the tent on the outside of the pack where one end slides into a side pocket. Keeping a wet tent on the outside makes sense. I can set up my tent without having to open up and go through gear in my pack if it is raining. I also like that the lower zippered portion of the pack has a very easily accessible and roomy sleeping bag compartment, separated from upper backpack gear by a fabric shelf.

Mt San Gorgonio north of the I-10 Freeway (Almost a 1000 feet higher than San Jacinto.)

New pack.

First day of the pro/am at the Kraft Nabisco Tournament here at MHCC.

Morgan Pressel

Lorena Ochoa - the #1 top ranked woman golfer in the world.

Today while out on a walk carrying my backpack with Ray, we ran into Lorena Ochoa on the 4th tee box of the Palmer Course. I could not resist asking her if she'd mind Ray taking a photo of her with me. She's so nice with everyone. She agreed. Had this been during tournament play on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, I would never have bothered her.

Then Ray and I spotted Morgan Pressel. I patiently waited for Morgan and her amateurs to finish on the green and then asked Morgan for a photo. I've never been able to ask for an autograph or photo in the past.

Didn't Ray take a couple of great photos? He's good!