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!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

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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 187. Arrived in southern California to welcome rain today, which clogged the freeways sufficiently that Google Maps directed Tortoise to city streets part of the way. That routing took Lou by this throwback burger sign that kind of summed up the whole day. He did get a walk in near his hotel later on, for more on that and today's walking thought by James Faust, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 185. Tortoise found him a challenging hill to climb less than 10 minutes from his office after work. The hill rewarded Lou with some terrific scenic views, please click below to enjoy several more pictures, along with a map and details and the day's walking thought by Joe J. Christensen ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 181. Tortoise sends greetings from rugged Beaver Dam, Arizona, where he stopped for a loop walk 8 miles before reaching his appointments in Mesquite. For several more pictures you will enjoy, along with some that the Boredom Committee is considering issuing a warning about for excessive display of sagebrush, plus other factoids and today's walking thought by Bruce Hafen, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 176. Did a lunch loop after a work meeting. Made a loop from the Riverside Drive trailhead just west of River Road, going up the Virgin River Trail to the Middleton Wash Trail back up to Riverside Drive, then got a hill in by climbing Foremaster using the sidewalk, then down to River Road and back to the starting point. For more pictures, details, and today's walking thought by Neal Maxwell, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 172. This is the sight Tortoise was greeted to early this morning. Spring trying to manifest itself early while Winter makes a valiant effort to carry on. Beautiful. By early evening, Tortoise found himself in St. George, by which time Winter had made a full retreat and Lou had a delightful walk along the Virgin River Trail from the Riverside Drive trailhead. For pictures of that, more details, and a Virginia Pearce walking thought dedicated to Becca, 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!

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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 :-)

The Life And Times Of Lou, The Smiling Tortoise

Saturday, February 28, 2015

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Friday, February 27, 2015

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Thursday, February 26, 2015

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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

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Monday, February 23, 2015

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Saturday, February 21, 2015

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