Running To The Sky...

Yesterday sure was a windy 37-mile day. Have you seen the short music slideshow from that day? If not,
you can click here to view it! However, be sure to also watch today's music slideshow featuring pictures of my trek from Valdez to the top of Thompson Pass. Click here to see it.

When my parents and I were planning the route and schedule for P.A.C.E. Trek 2009 I decided that I wanted to do a 33-mile day from the town of Valdez (which is at sea level) to the summit of Thompson Pass (which is at 2,678 feet). The challenging section is from mile 22 to mile 26 where there's a total gain of 2,000 feet in elevation. My mother said that it would be like running to the sky, and she was right. But, I'm jumping ahead. Let me tell you about how the day began. The temperature was about 38 degrees as I left the motel that I stayed in last evening. Some clouds had settled in by the mountains and made the first few miles a little difficult for capturing in pictures the true ruggedness and height of the mountains that surround Valdez. The mountains are simply awesome. As I approached the 10-mile point of my day, the skies began to clear and I actually saw an avalanche. You should watch the videos that I recorded, which are in the column to the right. Remember, the videos I make from the road with my tiny video camera are in AVI format and if you use Windows Media Player you'll want to go to the menu and select "Tools", then "Options", then "File Types" and make sure that the AVI format option is checked. You'll then be able to watch the videos without any problems. Remember, they take a couple of minutes to fully load into your media player. They're not streaming videos. So, be a little patient as the videos load.

The Thompson Pass Challenge:

Taking on a 33 mile day over STEEP Thompson Pass after logging 74 miles this weekend was certainly a challenge. However, it's those kinds of challenges that I really enjoy - although they can certainly be exhausting and sometimes painful. As I write this my feet are shoved into two ice bags for daily cold treatment - which helps reduce inflammation and joint pain. I started up the pass at around mile 23 of the day and it was at least a 9% grade (reminding me of what it was like to go over the 9% grades of the Appalachian Mountains during my run across America three years ago). "Bob" did great... but then again I did all of the work! The higher I got, the colder it got. When I was at the bottom of the pass it was about 55 degrees. At the top of the pass it was freezing. However, the view was amazing and the snow was very deep. Want to see how deep? Click here to see 18-feet of snow just next to the road!

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System:

Valdez (where I began running today) is the terminus - or end point - of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (which carries oil from way up north in Alaska to the southern location of Valdez). It was great being able to see the pipeline and I'll be seeing it again when I'm up in the Fairbanks, Arctic Circle, and Delta Junction portions of the run later. However, I wanted you to learn a little about it so I've made it today's "Nugget of Knowledge" which you can read near the bottom of this page.

Another Music Slideshow... I Couldn't Resist!

I can't make a music slideshow everyday, but today I couldn't resist putting one together with some of today's sights. By the way, for the past P.A.C.E. journeys I've taken all of my own pictures. However, since my parents are checking in on me periodically during the day in a RV, my mother is taking some wonderful pictures and I've been including some of those on this site as well as in my slideshows. I'm still taking my own pictures too. However, by combining my pictures with those of my mother I can share more about what I'm experiencing. Thanks Mom!

My Dad... An Amazing Man, And My Driver:

My father is 75 years old and is one of the toughest guys I know. He built his own home in his 70s... all by himself. How many people do you know that can build their own home at that age? Likely, not many. My father always has wise words of wisdom and encourages me. For this trek, he's also the one who is transporting me to different parts of Alaska so that I can run throughout the state and share this land with you. I appreciate his hours behind the wheel and he, and my mom, are truly amazing. Alaska is the largest state in the U.S.A. and is very remote - with countless miles of wilderness. I would have never been able to take on this challenge of running Alaska if it were not for my parents giving several weeks of their time and effort. Yep, I'm a pretty lucky guy to have such a mom and dad.

Questions From Kids:

Each day I receive questions from kids about a variety of things. For instance, I've been asked: Do you shower at the end of the day? Do you get lonely on the road? How can you go that far every day? And, many other questions. Tomorrow is a transport day (no running), so I'll take that opportunity to briefly answer some of the questions that kids are asking me. So, be sure to stop by tomorrow's journal page to see what information I share.

A Special Thank You:

I haven't had much cell phone reception for the past several days, and I haven't been able to speak with my family much... which is always a disappointment. By the time I wrapped up today's trek at the top of the summit and travelled back into cell phone reception, my sons were already asleep (I'm two hours behind them). So, I wasn't able to speak with them, or my daughters. However, I should be able to tomorrow. I just wanted to send a special thank you to my son, Kyler, for sending me an encouraging note through my Guestbook today. After the tough day I had on the road, it truly made me smile to read his encouragement note. Thanks Kyler! I love you too.

Information About Thompson Pass:

Thompson Pass (elevation 2,678 feet) is approximately 27 miles northeast of Valdez, Alaska and during the winter months the snow build up can be overwhelming. An annual average of snowfall received during the winter months at Thompson Pass, Alaska is around 550 inches (which is about 46 feet) with the months of November, December and February usually leaving the worst snowy conditions. Thompson Pass holds some impressive records for the most snowfall in the state of Alaska. Check this out:

The deepest single snowfall ever recorded in Alaska: 62 inches at Thompson Pass on December 7, 1955.

Most snowfall in a season: 974.5 inches (which is just over 81 feet), at Thompson Pass during the winter of 1952-1953.

Most monthly snowfall: 297.9 inches (which is nearly 25 feet), at Thompson Pass in February 1953.

Most snowfall in 24 hours: 62 inches (which is just over 5 feet) at Thompson Pass in December 1955.

Click here to view a chart of Paul's elevation gain today!

That's all from this Alaska milepost! Thanks for stopping by and be sure to run back here tomorrow.