The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise: 16-147

"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, May 26, 2016

16-147

Mile 410. Tortoise is on the road west now. His sweet lady is driving the Ragozzine van, and he is driving Darin's commuter car, affectionately dubbed The Tin Can, because of how Lou's behind feels after just a couple hours driving between rest breaks. Perhaps Tortoise is showing his age, just a little, ha! Most of today's walk was on the hotel treadmill in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, but there were also short rest break walks in Jacksonville and in Crestview, Florida. The day's walking thought was by Elaine Dalton ...

Cheerio!

Walk at Chief's house in Jacksonville

Walk around the gas station in Crestview, Florida

Today's walks totalled 2.23 miles, done in 47:33 minutes at an average pace of 21:19 minutes per mile. This route had an average tortoise rating of 6.0, earned by climbing 216 feet in the 2.23 mile uphill portion. Average elevation was 317.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

410.84 miles walked, compared with Lou's goal for this date of 401.27.

29,231 total feet climbed so far in 2016, compared to a year-to-date goal of 24,696. Lou hopes to climb more than the 61,316 feet he climbed in 2015 -- but in less time each day than his 1:07:04 hour average in 2015. So far in 2016 Tortoise's walks have averaged 56:04 minutes each.

His average pace so far in 2016 has been 17:12 minutes per mile, compared with his 18:25 minute per mile pace in 2015.

Lou has walked 327 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, 2015. Overall he has walked on 430 of the 439 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.95% consistency rating.

One step at a time can lead to great things!

And now for today's walking thought ...

"For me this sculpture of Kristina represents each one of you. Like Kristina, you are standing on the edge of many important decisions and making choices daily, some of them difficult, that will shape not only your future but also the destiny of generations. You too are facing gale-force winds of opposition, adversity, peer pressure, and moral pollution. And yet you are standing immovable and living the gospel in the face of these raging storms in our society. Like Kristina, you are led by the Holy Ghost. You are making correct decisions. You are loyal, and you are royal."

-- Elaine S. Dalton, "Be Not Moved!", April 2013 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 :-)

Thursday, May 26, 2016

16-147

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