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- - - - DAY 18 - THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008 - - - -

  Today's Distance: 34 Miles
  Today's Route: Elliston to Helmville, MT
  Today's Weather: 70 degrees and sunny
  Current Elevation: 4,308 Feet (751' Less Than Yesterday)
  Total Distance Traveled: 505 Miles
  Total Distance Remaining: 115 Miles

Paul's Thoughts For Today:

This was the kind of day that I've been hoping would come along. It was sunny, 70 degrees, and very little winds. The 34 miles from Elliston to Helmville was fairly flat with only some rollercoaster hills here and there. I was a little tired to start out with, likely due to yesterday's trek over the Continental Divide in a rainstorm. So, I took it as easy as I could and just enjoyed the day. The landscape is truly getting greener and it is much more pleasing to the eye than the barren, brown landscape of eastern Montana that I went through. Along the way today Skip Hayes stopped and gave me a Mountain Dew to enjoy in the warming temperatures. I stayed with Skip two years ago when I ran across America and stayed in Helmville. He, and Dave Cochran, reside at the "Cochran Ranch" and were willing to take me in once again. So, that was my destination today. Upon arriving at the ranch I learned that Skip had a family emergency arise prior to my arrival and he had to travel to Hamilton, Montana. I certainly hope that all will be okay.

Dave Cochran made me a wonderful dinner of steak, salad, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob. I also had 4 glasses of Gatorade. An ice cream cake topped off the dinner. I made a few phone calls and then decided to take some time to download the pictures and videos onto my computer that I've taken over the past couple of days. I hope to be able to upload some of that content tomorrow evening from the Paws Up Resort. I should arrive there by 5:00pm tomorrow, and the weather forecast is for sunny skies and very warm temperatures (up to 80 degrees tomorrow!). I just hope the winds don't blow too hard. The sunny, warm temperatures are certainly nice... but the wind is my biggest foe in this endeavor.

I'm beginning to receive reports from teams that have completed the P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 challenge! For instance, Fellowsville School in Fellowsville, West Virginia had a team of only 51 members, and they ran twice as many miles as I have! Very impressive. Also, Northside Elementary in Ann Arbor, Michigan has reported that they completed all 620 miles of the trek, and Amelia Earhart Intermediate School in Okinawa, Japan also completed the journey. I also have to mention that the 37-member team at Roosevelt School in Red Lodge, Montana finished the run/walk across Montana, as did the Meadow Hill School 7th Graders and the Cold Springs Elementary teams in my hometown of Missoula, Montana. The teams from Wells Road Intermediate School in Granby, Connecticut conquered the distance, as well as Littleville Elementary in Huntington, Massachusetts.

So, who finished P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 first? Well, based upon the date/time stamp of information received from participating teams, it appears that Fellowsville Elementary School of Fellowsville, West Virginia finished first overall (a team of 51 members). They submitted their information about completing the virtual trek across Montana on Tuesday, May 6th. Their team went 691 Miles! Congratulations!!

I have now completed 505 miles of the journey in 16 days on the road and have 115 miles remaining. I'm 81% done and am averaging 31 miles per day. Tomorrow I will go to Greenough, Montana and the next day (Saturday) I'll arrive in Missoula. As I mentioned in Tuesday's journal entry, I'll be arriving in Missoula at 5:30pm on Saturday, May 17, at Russell Elementary School - which is next to the YMCA. I invite anyone to attend who would like to say hi and see "Bob" and I come into Missoula one last time. On Sunday I'll trek to Lolo Hot Springs and spend the evening there, and will complete the trek across Montana at 10:00am on Monday morning, May 19, at the top of Lolo Pass at the Idaho border. If you would like to be at the finish line, you are certainly welcome to come!

Time for some rest. My journey is nearing the end and I'm so glad that there are many teams still walking and running to complete their trek. I'll provide more information soon about other teams that have finished the journey. Thanks for stopping by this Helmville milepost!

Today's Montana "Did You Know?"...
The world’s greatest temperature change in 24 hours occurred in Loma, Montana on January 15, 1972, when the temperature rose 103 degrees (from 54 degrees below zero to 49 degrees above zero).

Today's Native Americans "Did You Know?"...
An American Indian infant (between birth and one year) is called a papoose. A papoose spent most of his or her days snugly wrapped in a kind of cradle made of skins or bark and a wooden frame that hung on the mother's back. This sturdy frame also allowed a mother to lean her papoose against a tree or rock within sight as she worked.

Today's Fitness "Did You Know?"...
The American Heart Association conducted a study on children's eating habits. Children who ate out four or more times weekly (not counting the school cafeteria) had higher blood pressure; lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (the so-called good cholesterol); smaller and thus more dangerous particles of low-density lipoprotein (the bad cholesterol); and, lower insulin sensitivity - which is an early warning sign of diabetes. Also, the restaurant eaters drank considerably more soda or other sugared drinks than the eat-at-home groups. They also tended to be less active, spending nearly one hour more per day watching television or engaging in other sedentary activities than the eat-at-home groups.

Your Turn! Share Your Thoughts With Paul...
Click here to sign the official P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 guestbook!

Thanks for stopping by this milepost update. Run back here tomorrow!

Keeping on PACE,

Along The Way...

Today's course brought me through AVON, Montana. Avon was named after a local Welshman, and means 'river' in Welsh. Avon is located next to the Little Blackfoot River. The first post office was established in 1884 with William Cramer as postmaster. Avon was a supply point where sheep and cattle ranchers joined with prospectors and miners. Today, it's home to about 130 people and has a cafe and a little store.

Paul's Current Position In Montana