ODing on the Fair
 
Yesterday Greta and I went for an OD run out to Reed Lakes from Hatcher’s pass, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a solid hike or nice OD.  The footing is a little bit hairy at times, but the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.  I am not sure that I have ever seen a lake quite that cerulean blue in person before, and there are a couple of waterfalls that certainly caught my attention.  We started from the pavement at Hatcher’s Pass road and ran out Archangel Road (pictured) to the trailhead, ending up with almost exactly three hours to the end of the trail and back.  
After the run, we went straight to the Fair.  The Alaska State Fair is quite a spectacle, and I definitely did not want to miss it this year.  I thought it was an ingenious plan to combine an adventurous and new OD location with a trip to the Fair in Palmer, and while the logistics were excellent, it was a big day.  Walking around for four hours eating junk food can make you start to wilt a little bit even without running for three beforehand.
Some highlights from the Fair:
 
1.                                                                                  2.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Monday, August 31, 2009
1. Size Matters:  Size prize winners.  Note the 12lb puffball mushroom.
 
2. Super Slide (Using the last two ride tickets on a kiddie ride, picture courtesy of Greta Anderson going shoulder to shoulder with all the overly excited parents)
 
3. Sweet Shades: notice the bionic man, I have never seen those oakley glasses on a real person before...
 
4. An automatic milker: did you know that milk comes out of cows at 100º F?
 
5. St. Bernards pulling a cart.  There were also Collies that pulled a cart, and I wonder how they got them to do that.  Collies strike me as a breed that would look at you and say ‘get this thing off me!’