The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise: 15-236

"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!

Monday, August 24, 2015

15-236

Mile 673. While doing some late afternoon errands, Tortoise thought of a short 2 mile walk he could fit in that would give him plenty of climbing. More than he realized, down then back up a total of 350 feet, for an average grade of 6.5% in the uphill mile. For a map, another picture and details, and the day's walking thought by M. Russell Ballard, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

The starting/ending point is just off of Telegraph Rd at its junction with Washington Parkway. Those purple sections of the gradient graph below the map tells the story.

This was a 2.04 mile walk, with a 2.9 tortoise rating earned by climbing 350 feet in the 1.02 mile uphill portion at an average elevation of 2842. The walk burned 299 calories in 35:22 minutes. It felt like a lot more.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2015:

673.83 miles walked, which is 67.24% of Lou's 2015 goal. On this day in 2014, Tortoise had walked 670.55 year-to-date miles.

206:18:38 hours walked, which is 65.91% of the 2015 goal (which is to walk 1 hour a day on the 313 days other than Sunday in the year)

33,948 total feet climbed, compared with 31,659 feet on this day in 2014.

101,089 calories burned

64.54% of the year has passed

Lou has walked 90 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11. Overall he has walked on 193 of the 202 non-Sundays in 2015, a 95.54% consistency rating. This compares with 190 days walked after 202 non-Sundays in 2014 (a 94.06% consistency rating).

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of distance and time walked than of the year. This tells Tortoise that he is on track. Yes, this is more numbers than you are likely interested in, all Tortoise can say is he's really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because he doesn't do them every, every day. (If you doubt this, compare Tortoise's 2013 walking record with 2014 ... for him, it is what it takes to be consistent. And Tortoise feels much more vibrant when he is consistent. He hopes you find what works for you)

And now for today's walking thought:

"Now, brethren, I testify to you that the Lord Jesus Christ can help us fix anything that needs fixing in our lives through His atoning sacrifice."

-- M. Russell Ballard, "The Greatest Generation of Young Adults", April 2015 LDS General Conference.

The tortoise is smiling!

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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 :-)

Monday, August 24, 2015

15-236

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