The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise: 13-327

"The Blog Almost Too Boring To Be The Most Boring Blog in America ... for Over 5 Years!"

until it got too many red cards from Wounded Duck and the Boredom Enforcement Committee ... now the tortoise's goal is to get to 10 red cards so he can get Big Dog to drive down and take a good long walk with the tortoise

P. S. This blog listens to its readers. We have the Benjamin Category Override for 5+ mile walks and now, it humbles Tortoise to say he has been named "Lou", by Doug Jr, in memory of Mr. Consistency himself, Lou Gehrig. Tortoise can hardly type the words to think he is in any way comparable to the noble Iron Horse. Thank you!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

13-327

Weigh-in this morning: 229.8. First time I've made it back to the "twenties" in at least that many years, now the challenge will be to stay there ... and better!

Another rainy day that struggled to get as warm as 43 degrees, and somewhat windy too. I had planned to walk some more of the Virgin River Trail after visiting Jacob's festival tree with Willyne, Grandmother Forsyth, Doug Jr., and his girl friend Stefanie, but it was too rainy for that. Rachel, you'll have to wait for another day to get more info on this trail than what I put out there yesterday ...

As I got back to Hurricane there was a brief break in the rain, so I thought I might get in 30 minutes before it resumed. I've been wanting to check out the 600 North trailhead, located 0.3 miles west of Valley Academy Charter School and the intersection with 870 West, so I decided to walk 15 minutes and then return on the same path, just to see what is there. I followed the trail with the arrow pointing ahead that you see in the sign here, but it is a very faint trail. In looking at maps (if you're interested, click here and pick the Babylon map) I think that actual trail to the West Cinder Knoll should be shown with an arrow diagonal left instead of straight up.

The trail I followed took me 1.65 miles roundtrip, with 75 feet climbed in 35:07 minutes, to a pretty overlook at the Virgin River and the colorful Babylon hills. I think you will enjoy the pictures and video that follow. Tortoise Rating on the return uphill portion was 5.2, HumanaFit gives a 0.62 mile segment with a 2% grade a category 5.

Please click below for a map and those pictures with video I just mentioned ... plus details of calories consumed and burned today.

Cheerio!

Create Maps or search from 80 million at Humana Fit

Close-up of Jacob & Hilary's tree, winner of the
prestigious Dad's Choice award. Joyeux Noel!

Crossing into the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, about to read the rules.
This is a protected habitat area. Take care.

The West Cinder Knoll trail sign off 600 North Street, 0.3 miles
west of its intersection with Hurricane's 870 West Street

Trail is faint from the very beginning. I slowed down to be careful where I went.

About 3/4 mile in, the trail is especially hard to find. The classic three
rocks stacked on top of each other as a trail marker was most welcome.

Almost immediately thereafter, there is this large stack of rocks
and the trail ends. It isn't West Cinder Knoll, but there are some
great views of the river ...

and the Babylon hills

Time to begin retracing my steps on the faint trail

and now the video to give you a summary of the whole thing in less than a minute.

Calorie Goal: 2,244 Calories Consumed: 1,684 Calories Burned: 258 Net Calories: 1,426

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Youngevity Ultimate Classic Dietary Supplement	1.00	40	0g	0mg	0mg	9g	9g	0g	0g
Youngevity Ultimate Osteo-fx	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Youngevity Oxy-Rich Toddy	1.00	23	0g	0mg	0mg	6g	6g	0g	0g
Youngevity Z Radical Fucoidani Zed	1.00	15	0g	0mg	0mg	15g	3g	0g	0g
Quaker Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Original	1.00	100	2g	0mg	75mg	19g	0g	3g	4g
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Cinnamon And Spice	1.00	170	2g	0mg	250mg	35g	15g	3g	4g
Renew Life Organic Triple Fiber	1.00	40	1g	0mg	0mg	5g	0g	4g	3g
Denny's Canteloupe Melon	2.00	64	0g	0mg	32mg	16g	14g	2g	2g
Projoba Pollen Burst	1.00	50	0g	0mg	0mg	15g	10g	0g	0g
Youngevity Renu IQ Adaptogenix	1.00	10	0g	0mg	0mg	3g	3g	0g	0g
Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat	2.00	240	0g	0mg	700mg	48g	14g	6g	10g
Great Value 97% Fat Free Baked Ham	3.00	90	3g	45mg	960mg	0g	0g	0g	15g
Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese	1.00	90	7g	20mg	125mg	0g	0g	0g	5g
Romaine Lettuce	2.00	10	0g	0mg	4mg	2g	0g	2g	0g
Lima Beans n Ham	1.50	252	6g	0mg	3mg	20g	2g	6g	6g
Wendy's Chilli (small)	1.00	190	6g	40mg	830mg	19g	6g	5g	14g
Quaker - Maple & Brown Sugar	1.00	160	2g	0mg	270mg	33g	13g	3g	4g
Quaker Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Original	1.00	100	2g	0mg	75mg	19g	0g	3g	4g
Renew Life Organic Triple Fiber	1.00	40	1g	0mg	0mg	5g	0g	4g	3g

Fitness	Minutes	Cals Burned
Walk: 3 mph (20 min/mi)	33.0	-258.0

Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		1,426	32g	105mg	3,324mg	269g	95g	41g	74g

1 comment:

RachelNovember 27, 2013 at 11:54 AM
220s friend!!! Congrats, its always exciting to hit a new weight bracket on the scale. love Jacobs tree, dougs special friend, and the scenery shared in the pictures
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Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Segments Hiked

Total lifetime PCT miles hiked: 205.0 out of the 2,650 total.

From 1966 to 1969 segment Tortoise hiked the portion of the PCT shared by the John Muir Trail, covering PCT miles 767.0 to 942.5 (175.5 miles). (While hiking the full 211 miles of the Muir Trail from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney)

Tortoise then embarked on a long career at a desk, interrupted momentarily for a day hike in 1988 up Mt. Baden-Powell as a Varsity Boy Scout coach with his team. That took him from PCT miles 374.0 to 377.9, roundtrip. (There was also a second trip from Onion Valley to Mt. Whitney with the Varsity Boy Scouts in 1989. He barely made it, crying with joy and appreciation when he did. That is a story all of its own).

He returned many years later with these walks. Please click on the date for a link to that day's blog post:

June 14, 2012, hiked PCT miles 565.0 to 566.6 (1.6 miles) on both sides of California Highway 58 at the Cameron Road exit.

October 20, 2012, hiked PCT miles 341 to 342 (1 miles) mostly on the east side of Interstate 15 but also under the storm runoff tunnel just south of the exit to California Highway 138 near Cajon Pass.

February 2013, continued in two segments to do miles 342 to 347 (5 miles).

August 13, 2013, hiked miles 374.2 to 376.6 roundtrip from Vincent Gap trailhead at milepost 74.7 on California highway 2.

February 17, 2015, hiked miles 452.9 to 450.4 roundtrip from Vasquez Rocks Picnic Area.

March 16, 2015, hiked miles 341.9 to 340.2 southbound from Cajon Pass Road, then returned. Partial redo of October 20, 2012 walk ... plus a little more.

April 3, 2015, hiked miles 1089.8 to 1091.9 roundtrip from Echo Summit trailhead to near Echo Lake.

May 12, 2016, hiked miles 206.8 to 204.3 southbound from the Snow Canyon Road gate at the bottom of Mt. San Jacinto, then returned.

August 17, 2016, hiked miles 209.5 to 206.8 southbound from the underpass at Interstate 10 Exit 110 to Snow Creek, then returned.

May 26, 2017, hiked miles 369.4 to 364.4 southbound from the Inspiration Point trailhead on California Highway 2, then returned.

The tortoise may eventually set some kind of record for the longest time to complete the PCT in microsegments. You never know, but we're already at 51 years and counting since his first segment from Onion Valley to Taboose Pass in July 1966 :-)