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It's Peach Days in the Hurricane Valley this weekend, and one of the activities Tortoise chose was to join the 32 people you see above on the "Moderate" Hurricane Canal Trail walk.  We starting at 6:30 this morning.  The moderate walk started and ended at the trailhead about a half mile up state highway 59 adjacent to the telephone and radio towers.  The strenuous walk was a couple miles farther, started at the trailhead near the Virgin Dam, and ended at the same trailhead we used.  Tortoise had appointments at work and so needed to be done walking by 9 am.  He chose the moderate walk, but with 623 feet of climbing in steep conditions with loose rocks, some might consider this route strenuous as well.  Tortoise found the views to be well worth it, when you check out the pictures below, he hopes you will agree.

Total distance walked was 3.58 miles.  Yes that is 3 days in a row with exactly the same distance on completely different paths.  Between walking carefully with his famous "gaheep poles" and frequent photography stops, this walk took 2:01:30 hours.  Tortoise rating was 2.7; calories burned were 691.  In addition to the aforementioned pictures, by clicking below to continue reading there is also a map, video, and a thought from those who so kindly toiled to build this canal so we could have water today and live in this valley.  Tortoise thanks each of you who did this hard labor again and again!

Cheerio!

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Early morning views of Hurricane

and LaVerkin

as we gather for instructions and prepare

to begin our walk.

Soon we see parts of a wagon used in the canal construction

Same spot with a little broader view of the surroundings.

Continuing down to the canal.

We will now walk along the canal for about the next mile

LaVerkin residents will recognize this view 

I'm really glad I had my walking sticks to
help me come down this steep, rocky slope

There will be lots of views behind us that I can't resist

The line in the mountain ahead is the canal.  A very steady 2%
slope to let the water flow well.  Amazing they could get it that
straight in such rocky conditions.

Getting ready to walk through the tunnel.  Learning some history
from our tour guide.  Nice!

I took a picture for some folks, they returned the favor

Proof!  There's light at the end of the tunnel.

Leaving the canal and heading up, up, up!

When we get to the top, we are greeted with this
warning signs for folks headed the other way.
I'm REALLY glad I'm not going down what I
just walked up!

Trail junction if you're going the other way.  Rim Trail stays high.
Canal trail heads down, down, down, to the canal.

Nice view of the Pine Valley mountains and the LaVerkin overlook

Looks like I'm on top of the world ...

The John Gubler Observation Point gives an especially nice view of LaVerkin

There's a lot of wind in the soundtrack, but the views in this video are nice.  Enjoy!

If you wanted to read the sign in the video, here's your chance to see why
Panorama Point is so great!

And we've made it back to our starting point!

2014 Stats:

691.52 miles walked, which is 69.08% of my 2014 goal.

218:49:57 hours walked, which is 69.91% of my 2014 goal

32,699 total feet climbed 

110,456 calories burned
66.45% of the year has passed

I've walked 17 consecutive non-Sundays since my last missed day on August 11, and overall have walked on 196 of the 208 non-Sundays thus far in 2014, a 94.23% consistency rating.

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of distance and time walked than of the year. This tells me I am on track. I'm sure this is more numbers than you are interested in, all I can say is I'm really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because I don't do them every, every day.

Here's today's thought, taken in appreciation for those who worked so hard to build the Hurricane and the LaVerkin canals, and to Bruce W. Church for his account of the story ...

"For nearly 40 years the communities that lined the banks of the Virgin River and its tributaries grew. The original settling families increased in number while the river during spring and summer floods tore at its banks, diminishing the amount of irrigable land. The families became concerned that there would not be enough land to sustain their families and certainly not enough to divide land so sons could remain at home and have adequate land to raise families on. And indeed some families moved as a result.

"During this time the arid but fertile land on the LaVerkin & Hurricane benches were looked on with desire for expansion, only if there could be water to irrigate with. There was already considerable use of the benches for natural pasture. Because of interest several surveys were made after the settlement of St. George to evaluate the possibility of building a canal.

"Sometime during the 1860s Erastus Snow and John M. Macfarlane, pioneer surveyor conducted a survey to determine the feasibility of bringing water out of the Virgin River to the bench. Macfarlane decided at the time it was not feasible and no project was started

"Later, in 1874 President Young visited the area with his son John W. Young.  Young had the idea that water could be brought over the hills and put on the Hurricane Bench. At Big Wash, the lowest point over which the water could be taken, the rest being down hill, Young used a leveling instrument to sight up river toward Rockville. He did not like his observation and stated that the water would have to be taken out of the river above Rockville. Its impracticable, Im going home, was his reaction, and true to his word, went home. This ended the second feasibility study of getting water to the Hurricane Bench.

"Interest continued in getting water onto the Hurricane Bench. Meetings between John Steele of Toquerville and James Jepson of Virgin sparked renewed interest. Steele met Jepson with his spirit leveler at a place Jepson had picked out for a dam site between Virgin and Hurricane at the end of a deep box canyon. They concluded the location merited consideration

"On August 25, 1893 the report by the county surveyor, Isaac Macfarlane was heard. The stockholders learned that the proposed length of the canal would be about 7 miles long and irrigate about 2,000 acres of land. To divert the water from the river into the canal a dam 15 feet high would be necessary.

"The work was not only difficult, as all work was done with pick, shovel, hand held drills, wheelbarrow and pry bar, but access was difficult. There was no road into the canyon and everything needed at the dam site and for considerable distance down the canyon had to be carried from the top down into the canyon, across the river to where the canal began. Food, tools, bedding and in fact all supplies used that first year had to be carried down on the backs of the men who worked there. The workers camped in the open the first year in very primitive living quarters. Their first shelters were wagon covers anchored to rocks and pegged down to the ground. This provided a lean to for beds. Cooking was done over an open fire. The workers worked all day on the canal then gathered driftwood to make the cooking fires and for warmth. This was the hardest winter, as later a road up the north side of the river was built allowing wagon boxes to be used for shelter. This road also greatly assisted in the transportation of supplies into the canyon.

"The canal slowly took form as the years passed, but when the work approached the last mile (near the hot springs) in the canyon, and by far the most difficult, the problems encountered became so severe that the work was almost stalemated.

"[It was near the hot springs that the only serious accident occurred on the project. The workmen were rolling rocks down from above to make a fill and one struck John Isom in the head and killed him instantly.]

"This winter of 1901/1902 was a critical point. During the winter only 7 or 8 men continued to work on the canal. The stockholders had previously considered appealing to the Mormon Church for help, but now found it a necessity. In January of 1902 the Board decided to send a personal envoy to see President Joseph F. Smith to obtain an appropriation to assist the company. On January 20, 1902 James Jepson left for Salt Lake City (by train from Lund, Utah) carrying a history and letter of appeal signed by Bishops of the Wards interested in the project. 

"This appeal was successful and the Church agreed to buy $5,000.00 worth of stock in the Company.

This injection of capital into the venture was just what the project needed. The work moved forward rapidly and water flowed through the canal to the Hurricane Bench for the first time on August 6, 1904 nearly 11 years after the project began."

If you'd like to read the full story, you can find it here:  http://www.southernutahhistory.com/history

The tortoise is smiling!