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Mile 783.  Tortoise is not sure what image comes to your mind when you think of Las Vegas, but he is fairly confident that this picture of the bridge joining the Cedar Drainage trail with the Vegas Wash trail is not it.  Lou is glad to be of service in expanding your horizons!  It was a hot afternoon, even for late September, and Tortoise struggled to complete this walk.  He suggests bringing a full liter of water, having rationed a half liter and feeling the effects of it.  Lou did take lots of pictures and is confident you will enjoy them, so here they are ...

Cheerio!

Tortoise took full advantage of this shady trail junction on Bonanza Rd.
just west of Nellis Blvd., especially its drinking fountains, on his way back.
 Less than a quarter mile to go at that point, but most welcome!

The Vegas Wash trail ends here at Stewart, so Lou turned around and headed
back to the Cedar trail he discovered along the way.

These welcome trail markers are embedded in the pathway at every road
crossing and every 0.2 miles.  Thanks to Wells Fargo for sponsoring the trail.

Lou almost picked this view for the title picture, he liked it a lot.
So, dear reader, do you have a preference?

The west end of the trail at Pecos Rd.  The drainage goes underground from here.

Same location, took a second picture to show the contrast with the
mountains, trees, and the path.

It's always fun to see the colorful decoration that school children put up
at the beginning of some of these trails.

A better view of the mountains to the east

And Lou's high quality map.

Today's walk was 5.03 miles, with a 6.3 tortoise rating earned by climbing 51 feet in the 2.52 mile uphill portion at an average elevation of 1777.  Tortoise happily consented to give this walk the Benjamin Category Override to a 5 tortoise rating.  It's a very nice path that probably should be reserved for early morning or near dusk during most of the year because of the paving that radiates heat on the walkers.  The walk burned 748 calories in 1:39:50 hours.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2015:

783.21 miles walked, which is 78.16% of Lou's 2015 goal. On this day in 2014, Tortoise had walked 763.17 year-to-date miles.   

239:33:52 hours walked, which is 76.01% of the 2015 goal (which is to walk 1 hour a day on the 313 days other than Sunday in the year)

40,928 total feet climbed, compared with 36,105 feet on this day in 2014.  

117,416 calories burned.

73.80% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 119 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11. Overall he has walked on 222 of the 231 non-Sundays in 2015, a 96.10% consistency rating.  This compares with 218 days walked in the same period in 2014 (a 94.37% 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 by Jeffrey Holland:

"For one thing, we can, as King Benjamin taught, cease withholding our means because we see the poor as having brought their misery upon themselves.  Perhaps some have created their own difficulties, but don't the rest of us do exactly the same thing?  Isn't that why this compassionate ruler asks, 'Are we not all beggars?' (Mosiah 4:19) Don't we all cry out for help and hope and answers to prayers?  Don't we all beg forgiveness for mistakes we have made and troubles we have caused?  Don't we all implore that grace will compensate for our weaknesses, that mercy will triumph over justice at least in our case?  Little wonder that King Benjamin says we obtain a remission of our sins by pleading to God, who compassionately responds, but we retain a remission of our sins by compassionately responding to the poor who plead to us." (Mosiah 4:11-12,20,26)

-- Jeffrey Holland, "Are We Not All Beggars?, October 2014 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!