Home of Governor Sarah Palin...

My day began with a school assembly at Finger Lake Elementary where my sister, Mary, is a teacher. It was wonderful to see Mary and to meet some of her students. Mary has a genuine heart for teaching children and it was a pleasure to be there. I enjoyed my time sharing information about P.A.C.E. journeys and answering questions, and was even surprised to see a friend that I have not seen in 26 years - since I graduated from high school. Erin Kittredge (who I knew as Erin Madison in high school) came to listen to my presentation. It was great to see her again after all of these years! Thanks for coming to see me, Erin! This was my last assembly until the trek is completed. I will then do 5 more assemblies before returning home to Missoula, Montana on May 20.

By the time I wrapped up the assembly, did a little visiting, and got "Bob" ready to roll, it was 11:15 a.m. - a much later start than I prefer for a day on the road. Today was a 26 mile day from Wasilla to Willow on the Parks Highway. The weather warmed up quickly and after two miles into the run I was already changing to shorts and a t-shirt. The temperature got up to 70 degrees and the sun shown brightly through the cloudless sky. Along the way today I had the privilege of receiving a phone call from Jody Erickson, a teacher at Warner Elementary School in Warner, South Dakota. Her students are participating in this year's P.A.C.E. Trek and I was put onto a speaker phone so that the kids could hear me. Each child got to ask one question and I enjoyed giving them more information about me, Bob, my running, and how/why I do what I do. Thank you for calling!

Today I finally saw a moose along the route! It was about 30 yards off of the road in some thick forest and I wasn't able to get a picture of it. Maybe I'll start seeing more wildlife as I move further north. I want to give a shout out to the gentleman in the brown Subaru who drove past me today (sitting in the front passenger seat) who yelled "Paul" as the car went by, and then gave me a big thumbs up by hanging his arm out of the side of the car. I appreciate the encouragement! Also, today was the day that Mount McKinley (also known as "Denali") came into view. It is the tallest mountain on the North American continent and often times it is obscured from view by clouds. However, today the sky was absolutely clear and it was awesome being able to run closer and closer to Mount McKinley and to have that magnificent view all day.

As the day progressed I could tell that my body was running low on carbohydrates and glycogen. Although I was able to do the 26-mile distance, it was not very comfortable. The bike path that I was on all day was very rocky and sand-covered in many places. The route had many hills and a headwind picked up at around mile 15. My energy level was down and it made for a longer day than I would have preferred. However, a shower, food and ice treatment to my legs and feet certainly helped. Actually, right after getting off the road today I put my feet into a cold river and just relaxed awhile. My mother, who is bound to become a professional photographer after this trek is over, took some pictures of me in the river.

Tonight we have the RV parked on the edge of a river and it is truly beautiful and peaceful. A good way to end the day! I've written this journal entry but have no way to post it to my web site because I do not have an Internet connection tonight. I knew that when I got into this part of Alaska that connecting to the Internet would likely be a problem. I believe the same will be true for tomorrow night when I'm in Cantwell. As soon as I can get this entry posted, I will. All is well and Bob and I will keep moving down the road.

Have you heard about Mount Redoubt?

So, why would I include information about a volcano (Mount Redoubt) on this day? I'm currently over 100 miles away from the volcano, which erupted several times in March and April. However, I think it's important for children to learn about this active volcano. Mount Redoubt is 10,197 feet in height and is erupting frequently, sending ash as high as 65,000 feet into the air. The latest information about the Redoubt volcano can be found at the Alaska Volcano Observatory web site. The volcano is a "stratovolcano", which is a tall, conical volcano with layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash. Stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions. The lava that flows from stratovolcanoes tends to be viscous; it cools and hardens before spreading far. Volcanic ash consists of tiny jagged pieces of rock and glass. Ash is hard, abrasive, mildly corrosive, conducts electricity when wet, and does not dissolve in water. It is spread over broad areas by wind. Now, you may know a little more about Mount Redoubt!

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