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Mile 656.  Tortoise walked back to work today, after getting some bonus exercise clearing weeds from where he is standing up as far as ... where you can see the weeds he didn't complete yet.  Walking thought was by Thomas Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 643.  After the day's work was complete, Tortoise started for home on a longer, alternate route because the Blue Cut fire closed down a major stretch of Interstate 15 yesterday.  The alternate put Lou on Interstate 10, so he made the best of it by getting off at Exit 110 near Cabazon where the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) passes underneath the busy freeway at mile 209.5 of the trail's journey from Mexico to Canada.  Tortoise parked his car on the ample dirt shoulder of the frontage road near the freeway exit, and started walking south on the trail to the secluded village of Snow Creek, where he started his last PCT walk on May 12.  Come enjoy the pictures he took along the way there and back, as well as the walking thought by David Evans ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 632.  Let's walk back to work in the relative cool of the morning!  Here's a view at the 3 mile mark looking at the remaining walk down Hurricane's 400 South Street and the hill to climb beyond that.  Tortoise enjoyed himself!  Today's thought is by Russell Ballard ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 627.  It was beautiful, clear, and 98 degrees sunny at 7 pm this evening.  Wounded Duck was en route from the land northward for a visit and due to arrive at 8:30.  Tortoise sent him a text and set off for home for the first time from his new Hurricane workplace, to enjoy the beauty and to see if he could make it in time to greet Duck upon his arrival.  The picture above shows the view after the first mile.  Walking thought was by Tom Perry ...

Cheerio!

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Chapter 2

Mile 401.  After his aforementioned break at the Maverik at 3400 West State in Hurricane, it was a new day for Tortoise.  What better thing for him to do than to carry on ... so that is what he did.  His objective was to get to St. George Shuttle for its 4 am departure to Las Vegas.  He was equipped with two packs, one a day pack, the other a sling over the shoulder

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Chapter 1

Mile 391.  Tortoise's walk this evening took him from his home to this fine establishment pictured above, where he took off the 2 small packs he was carrying, and  happily enjoyed a bottle of cold water and a Clif bar after a longer than normal walk.  This is a one time trek, because even though he was on his way to see his sweet lady, she was less than pleased with the time of day involved.  Very sorry, dear.  It made sense to Lou, but he won't do it again.  For the rest of the story, please check back tomorrow for Chapter 2.

(Is this the shortest chapter you've seen, or what?)  

There's a thought to go with this walk, by Bruce Porter ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 243.  Tortoise finished work for the day about 6 pm, and headed to where Brookhurst meets Pacific Coast Highway and started walking the Huntington Beach Bike Trail.  Hands down, this is the busiest trail Lou has walked.  Maximum speed limit for bikes is 10 miles per hour, dropping to 5 when walkers are present, which appears to be always.  Beach bikes with large tires were the order of the day, as were skateboarders, runners ... and people just plain hanging out.  It's a fun place to be!

There's many pictures for your viewing pleasure.  Following them, and the numbers of the day, Thomas Monson provides a story and an accompanying thought ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 999.  Tortoise got up early and did a Black Friday special, leaving others to shop while he enjoyed walking the Mayor's Loop clockwise in St. George, beginning and ending at the Crosby Family Confluence Park near the Dixie Center.  Lou has done the full Mayor's loop once before, on January 4, 2014.  That time he did it in the counterclockwise direction.  It is interesting looking at the different point of view on this trail, depending on which direction it is walked.  The view shown above is as the trail approaches the Riverside Trailhead, one of four places that you can park your car and access the trail.

When Tortoise completed this walk, he went to Archie Gubler Park in Santa Clara to watch his grandson play soccer and enjoyed the enthusiasm, skill, and sportsmanship he saw there!  Later he did another three quarters of a mile around the block near his home to complete his 999th mile for the year and leave a single mile to do tomorrow to pass 1000.  There are many nice pictures today, along with the walking thought by Thomas S. Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 982.  Does this look like Thanksgiving week to you?  Tortoise was out walking in shirtsleeves this afternoon.  There is supposed to be cold rain the next two days, so Lou will enjoy this while he can!  Today's walking thought is by Carol McConkie ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 966.  It was a tougher than usual day for Tortoise, so when all was said and done at about a quarter to eight, Lou set out on a longer than usual loop of LaVerkin to blow off steam.  And he did feel better when he was done.  Tonight's walking thought is by Thomas S. Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 884.  Country road, take me home ... the long way.  Tortoise decided to go farther south in Hurricane than he had ventured before, basically a loop walk passing by the Intermediate School.  For more pictures, a map with a hill climbing chart, other details, and the day's walking thought by Randall Bennett, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 783.  Tortoise is not sure what image comes to your mind when you think of Las Vegas, but he is fairly confident that this picture of the bridge joining the Cedar Drainage trail with the Vegas Wash trail is not it.  Lou is glad to be of service in expanding your horizons!  It was a hot afternoon, even for late September, and Tortoise struggled to complete this walk.  He suggests bringing a full liter of water, having rationed a half liter and feeling the effects of it.  Lou did take lots of pictures and is confident you will enjoy them, so here they are ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 418.  Tortoise previously walked The Strand in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, then discovered it was part of the Marvin Braude Trail that follows the coastline as far north as Santa Monica, so he started making his way that direction.   Today he was closer to Torrance, so it was a good day to find the beginning point of the trail adjacent to Miramar Park, pictured above with the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.  From there, Lou walked through the Redondo Beach Pier up to the starting point of The Strand before returning.

For more pictures, a map, and the day's walking thought by Dallin Oaks , please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 412.  Tortoise headed over to continue walking the San Gabriel River Trail on his way between appointments, this time covering from trail mile 23 to 20.75 in both directions plus connections off trail to a parking place.  This trail segment is near two heavily traveled freeways, Interstate 605 and State Route 60, but what Lou saw along the way was the Whittier Narrows Nature Reserve, a dam, lots of foliage, and the Pico Rivera Golf Course.  The Golf Course has a welcoming sign on the trail offering free water along with various menu items.

For more pictures, a map, and today's walking thought by Stephen West and dedicated by Tortoise to ... The Ledge, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

15-59

Mile 192.  Late Saturday afternoon walk along the San Gabriel River trail during a brief interlude in a stormy day.  It really felt good!  There is a plentiful array of pictures awaiting you when you click below to continue reading, along with a map, other details, and today's walking thought by Thomas S. Monson ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 93.  Walked the final 3.16 miles of the Pacific Electric Trail (at least for now) from Tokay in Fontana to Maple on the Rialto border, then retraced my steps. It was a 10k walk, and a little extra, if you prefer metric measurements.  This completes Tortoise's walk of the entire trail from the Claremont-Montclair line to the Fontana-Rialto line, done both directions for a round trip distance of 36 miles. 

For more on this walk, including plentiful pictures and today's walking thought by Janette Hales Beckham, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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I got my kicks on Route 66 last night after finishing my appointments for the day and doing initiatories at the temple.  You didn't know the Los Angeles Temple was originally on Route 66 before it was renumbered as the famous (in our family) California highway 2?  Amazing what you useless but fun trivia you will learn on the terreeeblay blog.  I did a loop. (starting past the junior high that I walked to, as an 8th grader to attend summer school, because I wanted to.  OK tell me I'm crazy, I can handle it ...) Then followed the path I used to walk to get there for roughly half way, then returned back past my high school and along Santa Monica Blvd ("Route 66")., that road Sheryl Crow made famous.  5.02 miles with 234 feet climbed in 1:42:14 hours.  Tortoise rating would be 6.0 because of the low elevation, but it earned its Benjamin category override to 5 based on the five mile distance and the fact I pulled a muscle halfway through and had no choice but to finish.  (I'm going to be fine).

There's plenty of pictures with the map if you click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Now there is a high quality school mascot!

I drove to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas this morning to take Sarah, Chloe, Abigail, and Nathan to their flight home to Florida and Willyne to hers to Boston to begin her odyssey west with Becca to Roosevelt.  When each of them got boarded on their flights I watched and waved until their planes were tiny dots in the sky and then reluctantly headed to the car.  I think it took me all of 3.2 seconds to miss them.

Tortoise especially appreciates his walks at times like these, so he headed over to the Pecos-McLeod Trailhead where the Flamingo Arroyo Trail begins an 8.6 mile path along the path of a wash that has been turned into a storm control ditch.  I followed it until I reached the US 95 trail (which literally goes along the side of this busy freeway for around 3 miles.  When I reached Twain, I switched to city sidewalks to return to my starting point.  I passed the school pictured above when I had about a mile left to drive to the trailhead from the airport, and of course, had to stop!

The walk totalled 5.03 miles with 141 feet climbed in 1:42:33 hours.  Tortoise rating was 5.9, but the distance qualifies us for our sixth Benjamin Category Override to an even 5.0 rating.  It was 97 degrees and humid (just rain already!) so I will agree with the override.  :-)  Please click below for a map and more pictures ...

Cheerio!

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Business is done for this trip.  Headed back home to Utah today.  On the way to the airport, I continued my walk up the path where the Strand in Manhattan Beach and the Marvin Braude Bike Path that goes from Santa Monica to Torrance are side by side, respectively loaded with pedestrians and bicyclists.  I went from 34th Street in Hermosa Beach the short distance to Manhattan Beach, all the way through that community to where the Strand ends at the El Segundo city line.  I'd like to do the whole 23 miles in segments, but the next segment is marked for bicycles only, so I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to walk on the sand next to the path or some variation on that theme.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Today I walked 5.2 miles round trip with 104 feet climbed in 1:31:10 hours.  I babied the battery and it made it the whole walk this time!  Tortoise rating was 6.6, but for the third straight day the 5 mile distance gave us the 5th Benjamin category override to an even 5.0 Tortoise rating. (and third day in a row!) Calories burned:  808.  For a map and more, please click below to continue reading ...

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After my last client meeting today in southern California's Inland Empire, I headed to the Pacific Electric trail crossing of Euclid Avenue in Upland and started walking to the beginning of the trail at Claremont Avenue. Totals for today were 6.83 miles with 86 feet climbed in 2:03:04 hours.  Tortoise rating:  6.4, but being over five miles gives us our fourth Benjamin category override to 5.0.  Calories burned:  1,063.  There's a map and more waiting for you if you click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!