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Mile 788.  Started with a steep climb and some great views at the east end of 1300 South in Hurricane, then looped up to the municipal airport and back.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Cheerio!

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Mile 615.  Lou finished his work day a little early at 4 pm, when he got his hair cut.  In between that and a 7 pm church meeting, he took advantage of the clear skies and free sauna weather and did a walk up the first mile and three-quarters of the Hurricane Cliffs trail loop towards Gould's Wash.  He had great fun with his camera, mostly pointing it in every direction from the top, and also enjoyed the walking thought by Julie Beck ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 569.  It was a two-walk day.  The first came before sunrise, which has been the standard experience this summer.  It was a little shorter than usual, because Lou had an appointment at Roadrunner to get his car oil changed at 7:30.  While the oil was being changed, Tortoise made a beeline west on Center Street and down to the bottom of Cactus Cliff Trail on his second walk.  He did this both to once again enjoy the view and to get in some quality hill climbing.  Got to keep the heart beating and the doctor happy!

Today's walking thought is brought to you by Henry Eyring ...

Cheerio!

16-170

Mile 477.  Tortoise is happy today.  He has family gathered to spend Father's Day weekend with him, always a fine treat!  Wounded Duck wanted to walk with Tortoise, and he loves trails that go uphill, so they headed up to the Overlook for some fine views and good company.  But ... how wounded does Mr. Duck look up there in that picture?  Sounds like he should be named the "formerly wounded Duck", but, he insists the wounded description is still valid. 

Smiles were had all around, and what else matters, really?  The day's walking thought was provided by Thomas Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 366.  The second day of Tortoise's business trip took him gradually east to Palm Desert.  His last stop of the day was to drive to the gate on the Snow Canyon Road that the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) shares for a little more than a mile.  This point is PCT mile 206.8.  Lou parked here and walked uphill into the San Jacinto wilderness.  The mountain itself towers 9,000 feet above the trail in this picture, something Fredricksen and Ledge will well remember.  Today's walk climbed 1,006 feet of elevation, the most for a Tortoise walk so far in 2016, but only a tiny portion of the mountain.  At PCT mile 204.3, light was fading quickly and it was time to turn around for today.  Hope you enjoy the pictures and the day's walking thought by Paul Johnson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 347.  Lou went to lunch with his mom to celebrate Mother's Day a day early, then took her on a drive to show her some of the places Tortoise walks, just because she wants to know what her son is doing.  Very nice.  Following this, Lou did a walk of the La Verkin Scenic Circle trail, this time starting at the La Verkin Creek trailhead in Confluence Park, heading from there to the La Verkin Overlook, then down the old road that used to go to Zion and through Wanlass Park and some La Verkin streets to return to his starting point.  There are lots of pictures here, so enjoy, mom!  Walking thought today is by Gerrit Gong ...

Cheerio!

16-34

Mile 80.  Tortoise enjoyed a nice view from the top of Skyline Drive (200 East) in St. George this evening on his way back down the steep hill.  Tonight's walking thought is by Arnulfo Valenzuela ...

Cheerio!

16-9

Mile 20.  Lou thinks this isn't a picture you'll see in St. George every day ...

Nor this one in La Verkin:

It's what you get after a week of clouds and moisture, and we are thankful for it!  Made for beautiful walking conditions, so Tortoise found him a nice steep hill to climb and went to work on it.  The day's walking thought is by Thomas Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 1,093.  Tortoise is catching up on posts from past days when walks happened but writing didn't.  This fun one is from Boxing Day, December 26, 2015 ... a cold windy day, so Lou started doing laps inside the house.  After 6 laps, Wounded Duck joined him, and after 20 it became even more fun when the grandchildren did too.  He did 73 laps before it was done.

The walking thought by Quentin Cook came earlier in the day while driving in the car.  Tortoise had too much fun with his compadres on foot to listen while walking this day.  Lots of fun pictures await you ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 993.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  Tortoise very much enjoyed the company of Wounded Duck on his traditional holiday morning walk, and asked him to choose today's title picture.  There are several nice ones to choose from on this fine day, between the walk down to the Virgin River and the climb to the ridge halfway to the La Verkin Overlook.  Today's walking thought is by James Hamula ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 971.  It was a clear, beautiful 64 degree afternoon.  There had been heavy wind in the morning, but none on the Hurricane hill after 2 pm.  It made for some really nice picture taking conditions when Lou climbed that hill and continued to the point shown above a half mile down the Gould Rim trail.  Hope you enjoy them, and the day's walking thought by Henry Eyring.  Tortoise suspects Bluebird might be smiling too ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 804.  Tortoise was blessed with family to visit him this weekend, and enjoyed time with them.  He did take a short walk near his home ... the picture above was his turnaround point ... twice, as he never let himself get too far away.  For more, please click below to continue reading ...

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Mile 755.  Tortoise got some beautiful river views as he walked through Confluence Park from the Cactus Cliff trailhead on west Center Street to the south trailhead of the Confluence Trail.  Please click above to watch the panorama, and click below to see Lou's other pictures, map, details, and the day's walking thought by Dallin Oaks ...

Cheerio!

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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!

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Mile 431.  Tortoise paused on his way home from taking dear Becca to the airport en route to her receiving excitement from Rachel and all the Jacksons .. and returning it to them!  An early June morning is a good time to enjoy the splendor and varied colors of the Red Cliffs, so Lou parked his car at the Grapevine Trailhead just off I-15 Exit 13, and began a loop walk on the dirt road that continues west when Washington Parkway turns to begin Buena Vista Park. 

His route continued along the Millcreek, Bone Wash, Sand Hill, and Grapevine trails back to his point of beginning.  For some nice pictures, a video of the panoramic view atop Sand Hill, a map, along with additional details and the day's walking thought by David B. Haight, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

15-134

Mile 373.  We've been praying for rain in this valley.  Pretty fervently.  We got it today, along with wind, thunder, lightning, ... and, as pictured above, pounding hail, at one point.  Just coming off bronchitis, Tortoise did not dare put on a coat and hat and venture out into the weather.  But Lou is also coming off 8 straight missed days while ill.  He is feeling this in his lungs and his legs as he tries to resume walking.

Tortoise is thankful to have moved on from Terreeeblay, his treadmill.  Lou much prefers the scenery and fresh air found outside.  But today would have been a good day to turn to Terreeeblay, had it been available.  Today, following an evening of helping Jacob & Hilary navigate the neighborhoods of South Central, participating in Special Needs Mutual, and doing a tax return with an out-of-town couple by Skype when they got home from work, Tortoise's answer was to walk laps in his house. 72 of them, starting at the top of the set of stairs near the entrance, through the dining room and kitchen, down the other set of stairs to the play room, into the living room and entry hall, then up the stairs to the point of beginning.

This walk was one of the hardest ones Tortoise can remember doing in some time.  He had initially hoped to do 100 laps, but wound up settling for the 72 that he completed in an hour.and small change.  To find out how far that was, and other potentially boring tidbits (what say ye, Boredom Committee?), please click below to continue reading.  You'll also get today's walking thought by D. Todd Christofferson (yes, Tortoise hooked up his earphones and listened as he did this walk).

Cheerio!

15-93

Mile 304.  After finishing his work in Gardnerville late this afternoon, Tortoise headed up Kingsbury Grade to Lake Tahoe, joined US Highway 50, and headed for where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the highway. Here he parked and treated himself to a beautiful 2 mile walk towards Echo Lake, then returned.  The uphill portion was 2.14 miles, with 546 feet climbed.  Average elevation was 7489 feet, and tortoise rating was 2.44.  For a map, plenty of pictures, and more, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 168.  Tortoise wanted a little extra hill climbing for his Saturday walk, so he headed up to the beginning of the Canal Trail in the Hurricane Cliffs Trail System.  For more pictures, details, and today's walking thought by Bonnie Parkin, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

15-34

Mile 98.  Tortoise discovered the North Etiwanda Preserve on a beautiful afternoon today.  It's easy to find, just take the Day Creek exit 61 off the 210 freeway and head uphill until it ends at Etiwanda Avenue.  Turn left and in a short distance Etiwanda Avenue ends in a gravel parking lot for the preserve.  There are several trails available here.  The main trail is a loop that Lou completed in 4.29 miles including a few picture-taking detours along the way and a nice steady hill to climb.  The good doctor would approve!

For more on this walk, including lots of pictures and today's walking thought by Bruce D. Porter, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 906. After a busy 4th Grade Utah Day with Ms. Beecher and Willyne, we headed on to Salt Lake for our nephew Kevin's marriage to Alli Meyer tomorrow morning.  After all of that, Tortoise went on a late evening walk in the Avenues neighborhood.  It was 2.18 miles on 11th Avenue from I Avenue to the overlook to Memory Park on B Avenue and back.  That was followed by a steep, heart pumping walk up I Avenue, and back.  There were 296 feet climbed in 1.09 miles along the way, giving that portion a 3.0 tortoise rating.  The rest of the path was flat or downhill.  Lou burned 336 calories doing this in 47:25 minutes.

Please click below for a map and more pictures, along with today's walking thought by M. Russell Ballard that includes, "I encourage you to take time each week to be by yourself, away from television and the crowd...take an honest look at your life." ...

Cheerio!