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Mile 766.  Tortoise arrived a little early to meet with his friends at 3gr.la, which gave him the opportunity to go for a little walk in Koreatown.  Walking thought was by Randall Bennett ...

Cheerio!

16-273

Mile 764.  Tortoise ventured east down the State Street hill from his Hurricane office this afternoon, then looped around using 1760 West and Rlington Parkway to return to work.  Walking thought was by Kazuhito Yamashita ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 760.  The T-Bone Trail is a beautiful, hilly, two mile trail that goes north from the Red Hills Desert Garden in St. George.  Lou took lots of pictures as he walked it this afternoon, and hopes you will enjoy them!  Walking thought was provided by Matthew Richardson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 756.   It's great to live in LaVerkin!  Lou walked to the end of Center Street, then took the Cactus Cliff Trail down to the bottom of the hill, and back, all while the oil was being changed in his fine jalopy.  Where else can you get a view like this in such a short jaunt.  Thanks, Roadrunner!

Walking thought this morning was by Dallin Oaks ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 753.  Lou started his week with a simple walk across LaVerkin to the bottom of the hill in the Riverwoods neighborhood, then stopped at the store for a few items on the way back.  Walking thought was by Russell Nelson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 749.  Lou's project of the evening was to help publicize the upcoming Family Roots Expo to be held in the Dixie Center October 28-29 by putting up posters in various locations where he had permission to do so.  This activity left him in Springdale in early evening, always a fun place to walk!  Thought was provided by Thomas Monson ...

Cheerio!

16-267

Mile 747.  Tortoise is now getting in to a routine of quicker walks between 2 and 3 miles to beat the rains and earlier darkness.  He did pick up a couple of the La Verkin hills while doing so today.  Walking thought was by Russell Ballard ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 745.  More creativity from Tortoise this evening as the welcome rains continue.  He was at the west chapel to help with the special needs activity program, after which, in a pause in the rain, he did laps around sidewalks around outside of the building.  Turned out to be a pretty place to walk!  Thought was provided by Elaine Dalton ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 742.  Lou had his semiannual visit with his oncologist today.  He was humorously told the MI-5 would be pleased, as his PSA held steady at 0.07.  Tortoise continues to be amazed that blood tests can be precise enough to detect 0.07 cells per million.  When he started down this road, post-surgery, the best report he could ever get was "less than 0.1" -- the additional digit of accuracy came in later years.

He is simply happy to have the level, whatever it is, stay the same and not increase.  And he feels good!  Now to find out what his heart doctor will have to say on October 10 ...

Wait a minute!  All you wanted to know was what is that dark picture doing here, and where did Tortoise walk today?  Well ... there was quite a rainstorm in tortoiseland today, so the walk was interesting to say the least.  Lou started by doing laps in his house up and down the stairs in the pattern established a year ago May just coming off bronchitis on day 3 of the current walking streak.

He only made it 4 laps before his sweet lady suggested taking the walk outside and under the overhanging roof.  The view you see above is of that.  After more laps of that, the rain paused long enough for Lou to walk to the school and back.  Just as he returned the rain resumed.  Tortoise finished this walk with more tiny laps under the overhang in his back yard.  

Walking thought was by Tad Callister ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 740.  Tortoise snapped this picture of the sunset as he was headed home.  His walk came later, in the dark, up and down the hills of La Verkin, so ... enjoy the sunset for today!  Walking thought was by Robert Hales ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 737.  The most exciting part of this evening's walk was the beautiful sunset.  It was designed to be quick and hilly -- three laps down the hill to River Road and back up.  Walking thought tonight was by Henry Eyring ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 733.  Tortoise went exploring today.  He has taken the old road out of La Verkin before headed towards Virgin and Zion Park, but has never gotten past the La Verkin Overlook Road.  This sunny Saturday he parked just off the highway so he didn't have to walk on it, and headed up the hill past the Overlook Road for an additional mile, enjoying the views all the way!  The day's thought was provided by Thomas Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 729.  The latest work deadline is past.  Tortoise celebrated by exploring the Pioneer Rim trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.  It's one of the very nice things about living in the southwestern corner of Utah -- it is a very short drive in any direction from work to a nature preserve, scenic trails, good exercise, and an escape from the stress of the day.

This particular trail is not well marked, so Lou had to work extra hard to look ahead to the next trail marker or cairn to stay on course.  When he got done, he felt like he had walked more like 6 miles than 4.  It's all good, though!  The day's walking thought was provided by Henry Eyring ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 725.  Given that this was to be a mean, nasty deadline day, Tortoise got in his walk first thing.  This made sure he would in fact take a walk today.  The route today was his classic double hill loop near his home.  Walking thought was by Dieter Uchtdorf ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 723.  Closing in on yet another tax filing deadline, Tortoise snuck in a minimum two mile walk climbing part way up this hill.  It was quick and exhilarating!  Thought of the day was by Christopher Waddell ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 721.  Lou decided to drive the mile from his office to the Crosby Family Confluence Park trailhead after work and walk up the hill across the river on the Virgin River South trail.  He loves this trail and would walk it even more if it had more hills.  This section does!  

The day's walking thought was by Keith McMullin ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 717.  This evening's walk took Tortoise down into Confluence Park at its State Street trailhead and back out on the Cactus Cliff Trail, then across town on Center Street before looping back to its place of origin.  For a map and more, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 714.  Today's highlight was the La Verkin Family Discovery Day.   A few hundred people came by and enjoyed historical displays and got to play with the computers and enjoy learning about their families.  There are more pictures here of some of that. 

When everything was cleaned up and put away, Lou was a tired tortoise, but he still got in a two mile, relatively flat walk.  Nothing for the 52 Hike Challenge this day, but a quality walk all the same.  Thought was provided by Tom Perry ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 712.  'Twas the night before Family Discovery Day and all through the church house there were people busily setting up their most interesting displays.  Pictures of those tomorrow!  In the meantime, Lou snuck in a walk doing laps around the grounds during a break.  He just might have been one of those people busily setting up before and after the break, ha!  The fresh air felt good!  Todd Christofferson provided the walking thought of the evening ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 708.  It was a late one tonight, starting a little after 9 and heading north after the special needs activity program called it a wrap.  This path included a jog over to the neighborhood overlooking the north end of Confluence Park (very dark this time of day).  It also featured a drop down into the Riverwoods neighborhood, specifically so as to climb the hill back out.  Tortoise does love his hills. 

This met Lou's over 5k (3.1 mile) criteria for the 52 Hike Challenge, this one is number 2.  Walking thought this evening was by LeGrand Curtis ...

Cheerio!

16-251

Mile 705.  Since he walked the Owen's Loop Trail on August 24, with its terrific views from an observation point like setting, Tortoise has been excited to try the City Creek Trail nearby.  From the maps, it looks like a good way to walk through the country cars drive through on Red Hills Parkway without being right next to the cars -- at least for one direction of a loop.  

It is that, and more.  It turns out to be a popular training ground for cross country runners with its up and down meandering path, which consumes mileage without actually going very far.  Lou generally differs from most hikers with regards to switchbacks.  He would prefer to walk farther if it keeps slopes to below, say, 10%.  As you will see a little later on the trail map, the City Creek Trail takes switchbacks to an extreme.  A couple times the trail actually goes up and down in a segment more than if it took the direct route instead of a long switchback.  This left Tortoise amused.  He still enjoyed this walk though.

Some might think it late in the year to be attempting this, but Lou has just discovered the 52 Hike Challenge, and he is intrigued enough to try to finish it in 2016, with a personal criteria of at least 5k (3.1 miles) in order for a given day's effort to qualify.  Today's adventure is #hike1.  This should be fun!

The day's walking thought was by Carl Cook ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 701.  Tonight was an opportunity for one of Lou's favorites:  a shaded walk through part of Confluence Park.  There's a map, a picture revealing the reappearance of "Grandpa's Island" in the Virgin River just before the confluence, and the day's walking thought by Ian Ardern for your reading pleasure this evening ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 697.  Tortoise went exploring new places to walk this evening.  He started just across the highway from his office, walking up 2600 West as far as 600 North, then turning left down the hill to the Peregrine Pointe neighborhood that is a work in process.  From this turnaround point, Lou returned, following slightly different roads.  He was accompanied by the thoughts of Neil Andersen ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 694.  Look at that orderly line of ducks!  They waddled right past Tortoise in that line; the fact that he was standing right there did not bother them in the least.  What a joy!

The day's walking thought was by David Bednar ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 690.  Floryne is in the midst of walking 80 miles between now and her 80th birthday a few months from now.  Her planned adventure today was to purposely park a mile or so away from Peach Days, then walk in to see the exhibits and hug her great-grandchildren.  Tortoise started out from his office a half hour or so ahead of that with the idea of meeting her at her starting point and walking the last stretch with her.  This plan went well until shelter needed to be sought under a tree from a sudden downpour.  Willyne wound up providing a ride from that point.  It was nice while it lasted!  The walking thought along the highway was provided by Dieter Uchtdorf and might have some interest to Darin and other astronomers (or thinkers in general) who happen upon it ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 688.  Lou enjoyed last night's walk enough to do it again today, but just enough earlier to see things a little better along the way.  The Boredom Committee will have fun distinguishing the minor differences in the two walks.  Perhaps Tortoise is in danger of receiving a green card.  He is quaking in his boots on that one, ha!  Today's walking thought was provided by Boyd Packer ...

Cheerio!