Bus, Train, Foot

Friday, September 25 – to NYC…

 

 

We actually made it out the door, in the car, down the road, and to the bus depot according to schedule… We made in on the bus, and into NYC according to schedule!  WE got of the bus, got our bearings and started our journey afoot heading down 6th Ave at 34th St.  Complete with backpacking packs, lunch, and two bikes (1 in a bike box…) we were on our way to another wonderful adventure!  Patricia pushed her bike, while carrying the front of mine as I carried the back.  Can you just imagine how

Bryant Park, NYC

we looked on the streets of NYC?  This fiasco didn’t last too long however, maybe 10 blocks.  We stopped in Bryant Park so that I could assemble my bike.  Pushing must be easier than carrying this akward box!  We got kicked off the grass, because bikes (even non mobile ones) are not allowed on the grass!! 

We continued our journey on toward the Central Park Zoo… 5th Ave at 63rd St.  We got to the zoo at about 3:00pm to find out that we didn;t have the key to the bike lock… So we parked ourselves on the bench to wait.  We met Dean, from Boyton Beach, FL who just finished a bicyle trek from Key West to Maine in April.  Dean decided to sit and wait with us, so then there were 3.  And then 4… And then the tandem crew…  and we waited. 

At 5:30 we were finally able to register our bikes and get all squared away.  It was so nice to catch up with riders from last year’s ride and to meet some new, soon to be, friends.

Miss Penguin goes to the Zoo!

The Kick-Off event featured a few very interesting speakers and the sea-lion feeding.  A couple of my friends from high school stopped in to visit with me.  After the kick off event we met up with those same friends for dinner at

Joe’s Shanghai, where we ate soup dumpling things… Apparently they are famous.  I think I prefer them withouth the sauce…

After dinner we caught the train down to the ground zero area to get some shut eye. 

It was a long day, but definitely a good one.  My feet hurt from hiking all over the streets of NYC, with a super-heavy pack and a bike.  My arms hurt from carrying the bike box, my back hurt from the pack and the bus ride.  I was super tired and would feel fabulous to get some much needed sleep.  I was very excited for Sauturday to come and my next adventure!

Speakers: 

Per Stig Moller, Foreign Minister of Denmark

Dr. James Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, renowned climatologist, Time Magazine top 100 influential people, and winner of the 2009 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal, the highest honor of the American Meteorological Society.

Rob Rose, Wildlife Conservation Society

sea lions

A few days to go…

Picked up the bike from Trek yesterday… All boxed up and ready to go…  They completely broke down my bike.  Deflated the tires, took it off the fork, took the front brake wires off the front… I’m wondering how the @#%% I’m supposed to put it all back together!  I’m sure at this point it is too late to make an appointment with the bike shop in NYC to reassemble it, and I don’t want to tack on yet another expense…

Anyway, going over the packing list and will start (and hopefully finish) the exciting endeavor of packing.  Making the final  travel arrangements, car pool, bus, cab, maps, etc.  Patricia and I plan to leave Thursday after work.  And so the count down, and the journey begins!

There will be coverage from the road if you’d like to follow the journey: www.climateridelive.org.  This site will share the collection of photos, tweets, and blog postings from Climate Riders.

I’ll also be blogging each night, with pictures and video…

Stay tuned!

 

 

Count Down…

Monday-3 days to start traveling, 5 days to start riding…

Got my bike tuned up Friday.  It cost about double what I thought it would…  Did a nice 30 mile ride Saturday, found some new trails, and geneuinely just enjoyed being outside with the scenery all around me.  The bike felt great!  It makes a huge difference having back brakes again.

Last night I bought a camcorder.  I’m hoping to be able to record some of the experience (and share it).  Brian has taken on the task of figuring out how to mount to my bike…

Today is Bike Box Day!  I am taking my bike (I feel like I should give the bike a name at this point… any suggestions?) to get packed up.  Last year Brian and I, mostly Brian, struggled through getting the bike packed.  This year I’m just going to have the pros do it, less aggravation.  The question is – regular bike box or extra durable, $25 more bike box…

Decisions, Decisions…

It is crunch time and I’m trying to make my final arrangements for Climate Ride.  I’m biting my nails here.  Am I going to raise enough money to make this trip?  As much as I don’t want to, it looks like I may need to drive my car up to DC.  I am still going to check for last minute deals on Amtrak though. 

The bike needs to be tuned, my back brakes look atrocious, and there is no way that they will make it 5 days on crazy downhill grades.  The bike also will need to be packed up, hopefully I can do that Monday or Tuesday.  And then there is still the issue of the bike computer… I can’t get it to work!   The sensors have to be 5mm apart or less.  5mm, yeah right!  I don’t think that there is any thing on my bike less than 1in apart…

Brita Climate Ride 2009

Day by Day Information

Friday, September 25, 2009

Join Climate Riders for registration/bike drop-off, and a fun kick-off event at the Central Park Zoo. This great event space is located on the lower east side of Central Park at 830 5th Avenue. See www.centralparkzoo.com for more information and details on how to get there.

5:30pm – 8pm       Bicycle drop-off and registration (If you arrive later than 7:15, you may miss some or all of the speakers.) 

5:30pm – 7:30pm      Meet and mingle with fellow Climate Riders, visit the polar bears!

7:30 – 8:15pm  Welcome Remarks from Climate Ride, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Dr. James Hansen, renowned climatologist, professor, and head of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

8:30pm  Kick-off event ends, we’ll see you in the morning!

Day 1, Saturday, 9/26: 55 miles to Princeton, NJ

*All times subject to adjustment  **Speaking events subject to change

7am – 8:15am   Return to Central Park Zoo.  Drop off luggage. Fill water bottles, pack snacks, safety talk. 

8:30am  Ride officially begins! Ride from Central Park Zoo to Pier 11.

10:00am   Board SeaStreak ferry to Atlantic Highlands, NJ

10:15am  Ferry departs for New Jersey

11am    Disembark ferry

11am Picnic Lunch provided by Brita Climate Ride at gazebo in Atlantic Highlands

12pm  Begin pedaling to Princeton!  

~2pm   Water Stop half-way, in Englishtown

4 – 5:30pm  Arrive in Princeton 

6pm – 7pm   Dinner at YMCA, locally catered

7:30pm  Dr. Ben Strauss, Director of Climate Central at Princeton, and founding board member of Grist.com to address Climate Riders at McCosh Hall on Princeton campus. Open to the public; maximum capacity 300.

Overnight Camping at YMCA in soccer field.  YMCA: 59 Robeson Place, Princeton, NJ.

Day 2, Sunday, 9/27, 66 miles to Phoenixville, PA

7am – 8am  Breakfast at YMCA, locally catered

8am   Route opens

8am – 9am  Begin riding

~10am Water Stop in Lambertville, NJ: a quaint riverfront town, 6 miles north of where Washington crossed the Delaware River

~noon Lunch Stop – On your own in Doylestown, PA: a vibrant and classic community.  

~2pm  Water Stop at Jeffersonville Church in Norristown, PA

5:30 – 6:30pm  Dinner at YMCA, locally catered 

7pm  Alison Gannett, Founder Save Our Snow Foundation and US Champion Freeskier and Germany Trade & Invest to discuss the transition of East Germany to a “green economy”.  Open to the public.

Overnight  Camping at YMCA in camp area. YMCA: 400 E. Pothouse Rd, Phoenixville, PA

Day 3, Monday, 9/28, 65 miles to the Susquehanna River, PA

6:30 – 7:30am    Breakfast at YMCA, locally catered

7:30am   Route opens

7:30 – 8:30am  Begin riding

~10 am  Water Stop at the Bakery in St. Peters Village, PA

~12 pm  Lunch Stop – On your own in New Holland, PA

~2pm  Midday Stop at Strasburg Country Store & Creamery 

5:30 – 6:30pm     Dinner at Camp Andrews 

7pm Colin Beaven (aka No Impact Man) to address Climate Riders.  Open to public.

8pm  Optional viewing of the award-winning No Impact Man film

Day 4, Tuesday, 9/29, 56 miles to Reisterstown, MD

6:30 – 7:30am    Breakfast in main dining hall

7:30am   Route opens

7:30 – 8:30am  Begin riding

~10 am  Water Stop at Halsey’s Store in Pylesville, MD

~noon  Lunch Stop at Corbett Farm: provided by Brita Climate Ride

5:30 – 6:30pm     Dinner in dining room at Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center

7pm Mike Tidwell, inspiring activist, writer, filmmaker, and President of Chesapeake Climate Action Network to address Climate Riders. 

Friis Arne Petersen, Ambassador of Denmark, host of the COP15 Climate Conference. Open to the public. 

Overnight   Lodging at Pearlstone, 5425 Mt. Gilead Rd, Reisterstown, MD

Day 5, Wednesday, 9/30, 66 miles to the Capitol!

6:30am – 7:30am  Breakfast in dining room at Pearlstone

7:30am  Route opens

7:30 – 8:30am  Begin riding

~10am  Water Stop at Kendall Hardware in Clarksville, MD

12pm  Lunch Stop – On Your Own in Silver Spring, MD. Begin Capital Crescent Trail.

2:00pm  Latest time riders can depart Silver Spring

3:00pm  Gather at Thompson Boat Center. 

3:15pm All riders depart from Thompson Boat Center together. The final stretch!

3:45 pm  Arrive at the Capitol

4 –5 pm  Press event on West Lawn in front of the Capitol. Invite everyone you know to join!

Bracken Hendricks, of the transition team of President Obama, an architect of clean-energy portions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and fellow at The Center for American Progress

Betsy Taylor, founder and President of the Center for a New American Dream, co-founder and now President of the Board of Directors of the 1Sky Education Fund

4:30 – 7pm Final gathering at Garfield Park in DC. Showers at Results Gym. Pack and ship bikes.

Photo By Kip Pierson 

http://kippierson.com/