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, June 27, 2015

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Mile 510. Tortoise walked 21.6 miles this week, including being treated to this fine view at 6:44 am Friday the 26th. For more pictures, maps, and other details from six daily walks in La Verkin, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

15-174 Approaching A Milestone

Mile 496.5 It is hot these days. The picture was taken by Tortoise while watering the garden at 6:10 this morning, shortly before he headed out on this 3.6 mile walk:

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Mile 488. Tortoise walked 19.5 miles this week, enjoying pretty flowers and more on six daily walks in La Verkin, Hurricane, and St. George. For more pictures, maps, and other details, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 460. Tortoise drove in a caravan high up Kolob Terrace Road from the Cedar Canyon side, helping to shuttle participants in the La Verkin Stake pioneer handcart trek to the starting point. His walk today was to be an extra person to push a little harder on the handcarts when climbing hills such as the one at the beginning, shown above. Lou continued for about 2 1/2 miles, then when he reached the downhill section, he said goodbye to the handcart parties and returned to his car. It's a great way to help all of us, particularly our youth, appreciate our history and heritage!

For more pictures, a map, further details, and today's walking thought by James E. Faust, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 451. Sounds better than Fahrenheit 451. Tortoise walked a variation of an east La Verkin loop, adding a few more cul-de-sacs to get a little more distance and climbing in. Plus the sneak preview shown above of the terrain surrounding the planned extension of Main Street. The folks who move in will have nice views. For another picture, a map, along with further details and the day's walking thought by Joseph B. Wirthlin, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 445. Tortoise walked a loop to access Confluence Park from the Riverwoods entrance, avoiding crossing the SR-9 construction until past it to the north. Lou then climbed out of the park on the Confluence trail, recrossing SR-9 near the LaVerkin bridge and south of the heavy construction activity. For additional pictures, a map, along with further details and the day's walking thought by Gordon B. Hinckley, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

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Mile 440. A nice evening loop through the east side of La Verkin. For additional pictures, a map, along with additional details and the day's walking thought by Dennis B. Neuenschwander, 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, June 27, 2015

15-178

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

15-174 Approaching A Milestone

Saturday, June 20, 2015

15-171

Thursday, June 11, 2015

15-162

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

15-160

Saturday, June 6, 2015

15-157

Friday, June 5, 2015

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