The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise: 02/01/2013

"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!

Thursday, February 28, 2013

13-59

Walked 0.75 miles in 15 minutes today, including 480 feet of climbing ... 60 flights of stairs.

Ate 1630 calories today, 15,388 in the past 7 days. Please click here to read

Today's final word ...

13-58

Minimum walk 0.5 miles with 20 feet of stairs climbed in 10 minutes.

Today's last word ...

From reading in 2 Nephi 26, John 4, D&C 20:1-36,68-69,75-79

"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of thiswater shall thirst again:

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shallnever ^athirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him awell of water ^bspringing up into ^ceverlasting life."

-- John 4:13-14

The sacrament prayers are verses 77 and 79 of D&C 20. I love reading these words slowly.

Cheerio!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

13-57

Minimum walk 0.5 miles with 20 feet of stairs climbed in 10 minutes.

Click here for today's final word ...

13-54

On my way home from a California business trip, I paused to walk 5.00 miles this afternoon round trip on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from its crossing of Swarthout Canyon Road at PCT mile 347.2 southbound to mile 344.7, with 684 feet climbed in the uphill section, in 1:56:35 hour. Peak heart rate: 159, with an average of 131. Tortoise rating: 3.4.

Here's a map and some more pictures for your enjoyment, along with food details, and today's final word ...

13-53

This intersection on my way back from Subway is dedicated to my niece in Texas
who is way more diligent in walking and running than the tortoise :-)

Walked 1.39 miles at lunchtime with Terreeeblay - went 40:33 minutes at 15% incline, climbing 1091 feet. Heart peaked at 160 and averaged 135.

Cool down walk was 5 blocks round trip (call it a half mile), fairly flat, to Subway and back for lunch. . Tortoise rating: 6.6.

Beach volleyball anyone? I paused a moment to enjoy the view after finishing a tax appointment nearby.

13-44

Walked to Valley Academy and back, 1.3 miles, 129 feet climbed and descended, in 24:50. Tortoise Rating: 4.6. I have gotten in some other good walks with pictures, including one with Ledge last week he would love for me to post, but I am extra slow this time of year and am doing well to get in any kind of walk. Sorry the posts are getting sporadic, but tortoise is hanging in there.

Eating today: 2,424 calories; last 7 days 15,007 (average 2,144 per day). Goal to lose 1 pound per week: 2,345.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

13-37

Walked 2.2 miles with Doug Jr. down the Confluence View Trail to the Virgin River in 1 hour 5 minutes this afternoon. Dropped and then reclimbed 250 feet. Tortoise rating: 3.9. Good times, good views, and fun finding a new trail segment through the tall grass. Click here to see some more pictures!

13-36

Walked with Willyne 1.96 miles in 42:14 to the third driveway of Wanlass Park and back. I was glad for my hat, scarf, and gloves in the brisk air, and for the chance to be with my sweetie.

Today's final word ...

From reading in Luke 23, 2 Nephi 20, D & C 5, 10

"And behold, whosoever ^abelieveth on my words, them will I ^bvisit with the ^cmanifestation of my ^dSpirit; and they shall be ^eborn of me, even of water and of the Spirit—"

-- D & C 5:16

Cheerio!

Friday, February 1, 2013

13-32

Today's final word ...

From reading in Luke 21, 2 Nephi 17, and the February 2013 First Presidency Message ...

"And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two ^amites.

"And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

"For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

-- Luke 21:2-4

An important reminder that we are each asked to give our time, talents, and all the Lord has blessed us with to Him ... which seems like the supreme sacrifice until we remember King Benjamin's teaching: Whenever we give something to the Lord, He immediately repays us with blessings, leaving us still in His debt ...

“Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”

-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, First Presidency Message, February 2013, in the Ensign magazine, quoting St. Francis of Assisi, in William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd, Share Jesus without Fear (1999), 22

^{My challenge to myself is to read this three times ... then repeat ... and internalize!}

^Cheerio!

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 :-)

The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise