The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise: 16-2

"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, January 2, 2016

16-2

Mile 5. Tortoise did what he suspects will become a regular walk of this year, see how far up the hill he can get from his office in roughly 20 minutes, then retrace his steps. There may not be pictures every time, but hey, if you blink twice you might miss the latest house to be built along the way ...

Walking thought is by Thomas Monson ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 2.49 miles and had a 4.7 tortoise rating earned by climbing 177 feet in the 1.25 mile uphill portion. Average elevation was 3285. This walk burned 384 calories in 41:04 minutes, a pace of 16:30 minutes per mile.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

5.50 miles walked which is 0.81% of Lou's 2016 goal of 683 miles. His goal for this date is 4.35 total miles.

1:36:54 hours walked which is 0.77% of the 2016 goal (which is to walk 40 minutes a day on the 314 days other than Sunday in the year).

358 total feet climbed in 2016, compared with his goal of 244 feet.

831 calories burned.

0.64% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 203 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 306 of the 315 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.14% consistency rating.

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of both distance and of time walked than of the year. This tells Tortoise that he is on track.

And now for today's walking thought ...

"Courage comes in many forms. Wrote the Christian author Charles Swindoll: 'Courage is not limited to the battlefield ... or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are inner tests, like remaining faithful when no one's looking, ... like standing alone when you're misunderstood.' I would add that this inner courage also includes doing the right thing even though we may be afraid, defending our beliefs at the risk of being ridiculed, and maintaining those beliefs even when threatened with a loss of friends or of social status. He who stands steadfastly for that which is right must risk becoming at times disapproved and unpopular."

-- Thomas S. Monson, "Be Strong and of a Good Courage", April 2014 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 :-)

Saturday, January 2, 2016

16-2

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