The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise

"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!

Friday, May 17, 2013

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It was Fireworks Friday at Angels Stadium

I had 2 available hours after my last appointment today for a walk before meeting with Ted Rieck to go to the Angels game. Walk was good, relaxing at the game with Ted was good, Angels ... well ... they produced 3 hits and no runs, so I'll stick with the other two good items and leave it at that.

I was hoping to climb 1000 feet in the hour I had before needing to retrace my steps. As on several walks, my Garmin device showed more miles (4.3) than the Garmin software showed when I uploaded it (3.6). Either way it was a vigorous walk (rated 0.4 tortoises) with 1150 feet climbed with a pretty steady 10-12% grade in 2:00:24 hours. Heart beat peaked at 150 and averaged 125. Please click here for pictures, a map, and more:

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/dougbeechersr/2-miles-up-icehouse-canyon/#.UaGKLMq8aho

For a couple more pictures from the game, click here:

View from our seats, 5 rows from the field near the right field foul pole.

Walked right by the broadcasters on the way in and out. Fun seeing it up close.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

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Walked a 7 tortoise path 0.5 miles in 10 minutes. Read Mosiah 3. Got to see Darin again as he passed through town to ordain his brother Michael an Elder ... and the family gathered at Cafe Rio for lunch. You make time together any chance you get, especially when one comes for 24 hours from far, far away!

Cheerio!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

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Walked a 7 tortoise path 0.5 miles in 10 minutes. Read Mosiah 2. Love King Benjamin! Where can we clone him?

Cheerio!

Saturday, May 4, 2013

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My walk today was in three segments supporting me checking out a path new to me. First segment was leading to the path, second is in the following Garmin adventure (click here for details and lots of pictures):

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/dougbeechersr/alewife-greenway-to-mystic-river-paths/#.UYWCocrJV_Q

The final segment was a shorter, uphill stretch returning back to my starting point. Total was 6.4 miles, with 397 feet climbed in 2 hours 5 minutes. Overall path rating 5.8 tortoises. Average heart rate was 105 with a peak of 132. Feeling great!

Cheerio!

13-123

Sightseeing day today. Took the T into Boston and walked between sights, lots of fun ... walked on a 7 tortoise path 3 miles in an hour in the process. Enjoy the pictures, some have captions, some speak for themselves! ...

Rachel, Sweetheart, and Becca ... my 3 fabulous travelling companions!

Becca got to check a couple items off her go-to list today :-)

Fun decor and tasty ... good choice, Becca!

These last three were taken at Wilson Farms after the walk and on our way home ... I like them so I added them in here in honor of Benjamin ...

Cheerio!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

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I finished my round trip of the Minuteman Trail today. 14.2 miles in 4 hours 48 minutes on a 5.9 tortoise path ... enjoy the pictures:

http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/dougbeechersr/minuteman-trail-lexingtontown-ctr-to-bedford-stn-back-to-arlington-lake-st/#.UYafssrJV_Q

Moleskin saved my feet. I developed a large blister on the ball of my left foot yesterday. When I went to bed it hurt enough I was seriously considering a rest day today. Sleep and moleskin are wonderful things ... here's to the tortoise's idea of a rest day :-)

Here are some bonus pictures from me ending my walk by surprising Becca and walking to her school. It was a treat to see her world ... it is great!

After school we went to a nearby park with a great view

Here we are :-)

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

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So Rachel and I had 50 minutes before she had to pick up Maggie from school. I was going to start today's walk, and she came with me for the first 25 minutes, then retraced her steps. I kept going from there to one end of this trail at the Alewife station at the end of Boston's red line subway near the Cambridge-Arlington town line. On the way, we passed this fabulous statue of Uncle Sam. Turns out he is a real person, I hadn't realized that. I knew this would be a good walk ...

So then I started up the path just because I was enjoying it so much. I wound up near the town center of Lexington ... the colonial style Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts combo shop had some nice tables where I could wait for Rachel, who was nice enough to drive out and pick me up.

Totals: 8.7 miles with 336 feet climbed in 2 hours 48 minutes on a 5.9 tortoise path. I have a Garmin adventure here if you'd like lots more pictures and details: http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/dougbeechersr/minuteman-trail-arlington-town-ctr-to-alewife-t-station-to-lexington-town-ctr/#.UYRlc8rJV_Q

Cheerio!

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 :-)