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Mile 826.  Lou continued his walk along the Virgin River Trail, this time beginning at the Hell Hole trailhead near the intersection of Telegraph and Washington Parkway in Washington, Utah.  He walked down to the river, then upstream to its end near where Country Lane meets Washington Dam Road. We are at consecutive walking day 451.   Today's 4.31 mile walk was done in 1:27:07 hours, for a pace of 20:13 minutes per mile.  Lou climbed 228 feet, today's tortoise rating was 5.2.  Today's weigh-in:  215.8, a 2.3 pound decrease compared with Lou's last weigh-in on October 12.  More pictures await below ...

Cheerio! 

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Mile 681.  It was 101 degrees at quitting time today, warm enough that Tortoise wanted to find a walking place that was a little shaded and mostly flat.  He chose the Virgin River trailhead at the Sullivan Soccer Park on Washington Fields Road as his starting point.  Lou walked round trip from there to the new "Hell Hole" trailhead.  He got his hill in all at once in a 12% grade near that new trailhead.  It actually isn't new, but the sign is.  

It was a nice walk, you'll enjoy the pictures and Thomas Monson's walking thought ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 667.  Here's a view on the continuation of the Highland Trail on the Washington Black Ridge past the neighborhood park.  Lou succeeded in completing the walk he cut short on August 10, although there were still interesting looking clouds moving his way that brought rain and lightning a little later.  The trail shown above continues until it reaches the Coral Canyon Trail near the water tank visible on the adjacent Interstate 15.  Tortoise then completed the look by taking the Western Ledge Trail to its end and then following Coral Canyon neighborhood sidewalks back to his waiting car.  He's included a map along with more pictures and the walking thought by Elaine Dalton ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 618.  After work, Tortoise found himself in Washington City running errands.  There had been a downpour in the afternoon, and looked like there would be more, so Lou found himself high ground to walk on rather than the river trail that was calling his name.  He took the "Mt. Everest/Cardiac Arrest" trail starting on Coral Canyon Dr. just off Telegraph.  The trail quickly climbs to the top of the ridge, after which Tortoise continued on the paved Highland trail which becomes an unpaved trail past the park.  When he had walked a little over a mile, the clouds became more intense and lightning in the distance pronounced.  Lou cut his planned walk short and hastily retraced his steps without getting wet and was thankful for safe passage!  Today's thought was by Todd Christofferson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 310.  Today brought another answer to prayers for rain, so when Tortoise finished some errands in St. George, he picked a time when the rain let up, and a place he could retreat from quickly.  Lou started his walk at the Sullivan Soccer Park in Washington and took the Virgin River Trail upstream from there.   The walking thought was by Dieter Uchtdorf ...

Cheerio!

16-13

Mile 28.  Tortoise had a late afternoon errand to do in Washington today, after which he parked at the trailhead just south of the intersection of Telegraph and Washington Parkway, and walked down, down, down to the Cottonwood Wash trail.  He walked up the length of that trail, about a mile, and then retraced his steps.  This produced a walk with many ups and downs, with grades reaching 9%.  Sounds good to Lou!  The day's walking thought is by L. Tom Perry ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 926.  It's back up to 70 degrees this afternoon.  At least for today, tomorrow the forecast is rain and low 50s.  So Tortoise went for some therapy by walking along the Virgin River after doing some business nearby.  Lou has a few more pictures, and there is a walking thought by Claudio Costa waiting for you when you click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 864.  Tortoise tried out a loop made up of multiple trails in the Highlands neighborhood of Coral Canyon this afternoon.  It started with a steep climb from the lower portion of Coral Canyon to the ridge, then followed with a loop that included both sides of Telegraph Road.  So, Lou got picture happy in every direction along the way.  Come see ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 852.  On this fine day, Tortoise went to a continuing education seminar in St. George, and was hosting a youth gathering at his home, at his usual walking time, to watch a live "Face to Face" internet broadcast with The Piano Guys.  What a treat!  So, Lou went on a rare and glorious midweek midafternoon walk when the seminar ended.  He started at the Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park in Washington and headed southwest on the Virgin River trail until its break at Riverside Drive.  He continued on Riverside Drive to Waterfront Drive, which is the picture you see above, shortly before the Virgin River trail resumes.  Tortoise got pictures of the trailhead, then looped back to Riverside Drive and returned to his starting point.

This was another day that Lou had a hard time choosing the lead picture, so you'll want to continue reading to see those, plus the day's walking thought by Robert Hales, and a couple Piano Guys tunes.  (It was hard to choose those too, but Tortoise thinks his choices will bring a smile to your face) ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 772.  Lou got to start walking a little earlier today, about 5:15 pm, starting at Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park.  He followed the Virgin River trail upstream, past the ongoing construction of some of the nicest soccer fields he's seen anywhere, past the boardwalk, a little over a mile to the junction with the Cottonwood Wash trail.  Tortoise continued another mile up the Cottonwood Wash trail before retracing his steps.  Lou got picture happy today, there are pictures of the river, pictures of lava flows, pictures of deer, pictures of the new soccer fields ... there's something for everyone when you click below and continue reading ...

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 156.  Tortoise split today's walk into two segments.  The first was early in the morning along the Marvin Braude Trail near the Los Angeles airport, the second was near sunset up the Mount Everest Trail in Washington, Utah.  For more pictures and details, along with today's walking thought by Carlos Asay, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

15-40

Mile 120.  Great picture of my nephew Sam riding well in front of Steve and I.  Marnie and the girls were with us as well.  A beautiful day to enjoy walking together!  We walked a couple miles along the Virgin River Trail up from Washington's Sullivan Soccer park, then returned.  For more on this, and today's walking thought by Lynn Mickelsen, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

15-17

Mile 51.  Tortoise's basic walking goals for 2015 are to walk two or more miles on 95% of the 313 days in the year that aren't Sundays, and to add an extra mile to last year's goal.  So Lou is trying to walk at least 1,002 miles in 2015, which should require an average of an hour a day.  Guess it's Tortoise's version of Play60 ... we're all kids in the end, right?

Another goal Tortoise has is to push himself a little extra at least one day a month.  This is all about getting the heart rate up and keeping Dr. Carter pleased with his progress.  Lou is starting in January with a goal to do a 3+ mile walk that includes at least a mile walking uphill on something with a tortoise rating of 4.0 or better.  This would mean a grade of 4-6% depending on the elevation of the walk. Each month through August he hopes to gradually add both additional grade and distance, then back off a little as sunlight and weather continue their seasonal cycles.

The plan was to do that today and invite some family to join him.  For this walk, Tortoise was joined by his brother Steve, along with his wife Marnie and three of their children, Hillary, Sam, and Sydney.

For the rest of the story about this walk on the Cottonwood Wash Trail in Washington, Utah, including more pictures and today's walking thought by J. Ballard Washburn, please click below ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 1,016. Tortoise is home from Florida, and back to the cold. It made for a pretty picture along the Mill Creek trail, a section of the Virgin River Trail straddling St. George and Washington. For more pictures, today's walking thought by David Burton, and more, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 969.  Washington's Sienna Hills Park was Tortoise's lunch walk starting point today. The Washington city trail map shows the trail from this park merges with the Washington Parkway Trail and then enters the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, ending shortly thereafter at the Grapevine Trail.  Lou pictured the trail going along side the Parkway and over Interstate 15 on the Parkway's bridge at Exit 13.

Please click below for pictures galore, a map, the rest of the story of where the trail really goes (it's a walker's delight), and today's walking thought by Jeanne Inouye, including this sneak preview:   "If there were not more to do than we are individually capable of doing, we wouldn’t have to make choices and we would never realize what we value most."

Cheerio!

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Mile 965.  Tortoise had a post-birthday lunch with his brother Steve, then walked a new section of the Virgin River Trail with him.  Learned that if the daily special at Mt. St. Helen's doesn't excite you that the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich is always a solid choice there.  That was a nice surprise in Washington County.

Please click below for more pictures, a map,  and today's walking thought by Aileen Clyde that includes:  "Love is not just good, it is essential to life." 

Cheerio!

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Mile 934.  Tortoise walked 2.73 miles after work along the Virgin River Trail in Washington upstream from the Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park, then back.  There were 48 feet climbed in 1.37 miles along the way, giving that portion a 5.9 tortoise rating.  The rest of the path was flat or downhill.  Lou burned 443 calories in 42:49 minutes doing this.

Please click below for a map, more pictures, and today's walking thought by Lowell Wood ...

Cheerio!

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Tortoise got done with business in St. George, and being a Saturday afternoon, set out for a little bit longer walk and a little exploring.  Back on October 1, Lou checked out the Virgin River Trail upstream from the Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park, and got stopped by the finishing touches of bridge construction.  He headed back today, and was rewarded with a beautiful trail.  Shown above is the junction of the Cottonwood Wash Trail headed left from the Virgin River Trail going straight ahead.  Looks like a bicyclist's dream, and makes for nice walking as well!  Please click below for a map, more pictures, and details of this 5.08 mile walk along with today's walking thought by Robert Hales, "I became overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude for the goodness of God."

Cheerio!

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It was a two walk day for Tortoise today.  He had a little time after work and before dinner and evening appointments, so he headed to the Sullivan Virgin River Soccer Park (where they now have a sign showing where three beautiful soccer fields will be constructed, so progress is being made) to see how far the Virgin River Trail goes ...

The answer is in the picture above.  About three quarters of a mile of freshly paved trail upstream from the soccer park, a beautiful wood bridge is being constructed.  More trail can be seen beyond the bridge, which will be exciting to go walk once the construction is done ... probably any day now as they were putting the finishing touches on the bridge today.

For maps, pictures, and details of both walks, along with today's walking thought by Rulon Craven, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!