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!

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Daily Walk 643 - Middle Hurricane Hill Loop

This walk brings us to 529.01 miles walked (+19.16) and 51,847 feet climbed (+10,819) for 2017. For more pictures, a map, and the day's walking thought, please click below ...

Daily Walk 640 - Highway 2 Inspiration Point to Guffy Camp

A beautiful day to walk a little of the Pacific Crest Trail on my way home from a quick work trip to California. Miles 369.4 southbound to 364.4, then back. Met a lot of friendly people along the way! Totes, Walnut, and Pecan -- hope you have a wonderful experience on the trail this summer!

This brings me to 518.57 miles for 2017 (20.67 ahead of goal) with 51,014 feet climbed (10,950 more than goal). And 205.0 miles lifetime on the PCT. Just trying to stay alive and vibrant!

Cheerio!

Daily Walk 560 - La Verkin Hill Loop

186.56 miles walked in 2017 (7.32 above goal)

15,265 feet climbed (842 above goal)

Cheerio!

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

#DailyWalk 559 Confluence View Trail, Tortoise Track, and More!

This first batch of pictures for day 559, with a shoutout to our friends in Fresno, which at 500,000 population (1 million metro) is the largest city in America without an interstate highway. Doug and Doug have quality memories of the 41 freeway after midnight on the way to doing reunion research in Yosemite. Excellent magical mystery tour that was!

#DailyWalk 558 Dixie State University Nightcap Double Loop

This one started at 9:44 pm, so I picked a well lit place to do a 4.36 mile double loop of the Dixie State University campus. It included 218 feet of climbing in 1:16:25, for a tortoise rating of 5.3 and a pace of 17:32. Year-to-date miles are 177.33 (6.05 ahead of goal) and climbing totals 14,496 feet (714 ahead of goal).

The tortoise is smiling! Cheerio!

Saturday, January 28, 2017

17-28

17-27

It's that time of year for working late and then walking, so we have the 10pm indoor special again. For pictures I will refer you to Wednesday (34 of those laps), followed by Monday (135 times). This worked out to 4.24 miles for day 538. Ytd miles 91.61 (+0.58), time 1:18:06, pace 18:25, climb 597, tortoise rating 3.4, ytd climb 7988 (+616). 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 :-)