Around The Lake Today

It was a nice warm day, although a bit windy at first.  I felt a little sluggish but had a good run around Colleen Lake.  On the far side I was stopped by the North Slope Borough Security car with red lights flashing. They felt that it was too dangerous for me to be running there because there was heavy equipment on the road!  How ridiculous!  I run on the leftmost side of the road about 6 inches from the road edge, wearing a bright neon yellow jacket, facing traffic.  And although there are trucks along the road, there is never anything close to what could be defined as heavy traffic.  It's a gravel road with a very slow speed limit.  It is also a public road.  There are no rules anywhere that I am aware of in the state of Alaska that prohibit pedestrians from walking or running along the side of a public road, unless it is expressly prohibited and signed appropriately.  There are a few freeways that have such signs, prohibiting bicyclists and pedestrians, but there is always an alternate route available.  Here in Deadhorse there are no such restrictions and certainly no alternate paths.  On the oil field side of the security gates, there are rules because that is private company property.  But the roads here in Deadhorse are public with no such restrictions.  They didn't tell me that I was forbidden to run there so I just continued on my way as usual.  I really didn't appreciate being hassled by them though. I have every right to run or walk along that road.  At least they didn't try to give me a speeding ticket!