Bacon and Bikin

Ok, maybe my theme of global warming and biking is getting a bit bland. but heh, good adventures and good info, right?
this weeks adventure was the Colorado Trail - from Molas to Durango. My boyfriend, Jason, had wanted to do the trip with his guy friends from Austin, Texas, but I could not be left out of this adventure and invited myself along. I touted myself as being able to plan the shuttle, driver and food, so that seemed to quell the girl issue and make me a wanted asset.

The boyz came up to CB on late late late saturday night, and we proceeded right onto 403-401-upper loop the next day for a bit of altitude training and wildflower sightseeing. Next day, we hammered out Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadmans-Doctors Park from town. The next day consisted of furious packing, driving, and food shopping, and voila, we were transported to Little Molas Lake for an evening of camping before the ride. The first day is only 22 miles, but probably the hardest mileage one may ever do - so high, and lots of climbing, and fabulously ridable. The flowers were in their high season splendor, and the views, well, so hard to describe. Ride time was about 3 hrs or so, but we spent about 5 hrs on the trail. Next day was Bolam Lake to Kennebec Pass - about 33 miles, including the famous Indian Trail Ridge hike-a-bike section along the tops of the ridge. We were chased by a storm, of course, so not much food was eaten as we rode for about 5 hrs and were on the trail for just a bit more than that. Rain hit at the lake, but we had descended that crazy rocky ridge, which Brett Vohn actually rode. yeh ha.
Kennebec brought us some rain, but also a spectacular sunset with some pad thai and brownies. Kennebec to Durango is a rippin fun ride, with 25 miles of single track and finally some good downhill rewards. lots of crashes and mechanicals, but we arrived safely at the Junction Creek Campground for a night of celebration and way strong margaritas.

Back here at work, jammin out to make up for lost time, while planning my fall work trips in Austria and The Czech Republic, with hopefully a quick bike tour to spain. The Global Warming/Pakistan adventure is shaping up well for next June, as Patagonia has signed on board as a sponsor.

Our ORE board meeting went well - as global warming is shaping up as a hot topic. Crested Butte Mountain Resort is making some huge turnarounds with resource efficiency and wind recs, and we have raised money to send Tim Mueller, the president to the Global Warming conference in Aspen this fall. My other board meeting with the Equilibrium Fund was most exciting - my first meeting as a new board member. The EF works with indigenous women in Latin America for food and economic stability and leadership training, while the awesome byproduct is saving rainforest.

Saving $ in a Healthy Home and Reducing Global Warming

Some quick tips to save money and Carbon Dioxide!

Windpower – Sign up for Windpower! 200 KWH of green power will save 1,200 lbs of coal, and 2,400 lbs of Carbon Dioxide.

Lighting: Replace bulbs with compact fluorescents. Not only will save 1300 lbs of carbon per bulb, but they will save you $38 - $232 over the life of just one bulb, depending on how much you use the bulb. 6 packs available at the ORE office for $10, or at the Home Depot. Quality bulbs will have Energy Star logo, instant-on (non-flickering), and a warm soft light.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: do a carbon calculation on your home and travel. Offset your carbon through my non-profit ORE – pay per ton of carbon, and ORE will offset that Carbon up to 4X the original amount through local projects such as solar panels on schools.

Solar Hot Water: Federal Tax Credit available for 30% of the system or $2,000, with a fast payback. Solar PV/electric also has tax credit, but payback is still around 40 years.

Energy Audit -Get an energy audit from E-Star or your local utility company will tell you how to save money on your heating bill with low cost good payback investments. For older windows, consider interior storm windows http://www.magnetite.com/faq.html instead of new windows or shrink to fit plastic, for a fast payback on your investment and a classy look.

How to compare labels and buy energy efficient appliances and heating systems: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/homes/applnces.html

List of most energy efficient home appliances:
http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide
make sure your new appliances are Energy Star complaints, if possible in the top 1/3.

New Homes – get a blower door test from your local utility company or E-Star auditor before insulating to check for hidden airleakage. Use Building America’s Very Cold Climate Building guide to reduce your energy bills, build a home that will last longer, and be free of mold/moisture problems: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/38309.pdf . Federal tax credits available for builders.

Windows - Claim a tax credit on Energy Efficient windows: http://www.efficientwindows.org/. Check window energy efficiency by make, model and manufacturer tested independently of the manufacturer by the National Fenestration Ratings Council: http://cpd.nfrc.org/pubsearch/psMain.asp. If you do not have time to compare specifics, choose the lowest U value and infiltration rate possible and make sure they are Energy Star compliant.

Insulation: Use formaldehyde-free Johns Manville Fiberglass, or non-toxic Cotton available locally - davepenney@earthlink.net, non-toxic sprayed cellulose, or soy based lower toxicity spray foams. Strive for R26 walls and R49 roofs to save on utilities. Federal Tax Credit.

Framing/Sheathing: use non-toxic adhesives –such as - OSI brand SF550, or in stock at www.buildingforheatlth.com. Formaldehyde-free plywood available at Houston Lumber – stronger, more moisture resistant and 50 year warranty. Detail at - http://www.huberwood.com/builders/dsp_home.cfm?doc_id=210

Flooring – Avoid carpet where possible available alternatives to carpet include - dyed/stained concrete, bamboo, natural linoleum, and tiles made from recycled materials. If you must have carpet - order lower-toxicity carpet at www.planetearth.com.

Paint – use non-VOC paints. Stains – look for product without “This product known to cause cancer in the state of California” on the label.

Crested Butte Classic

Back to the bike this weekend. The infamous no entry, no prizes, and no map 100 mile underground race took place on Saturday under sunny skies. Regardless of its low-keyness, this race is held in high regard and considered one of the toughest 100 milers due to the large amount of single track and high altitude. I felt like shit for the first 9 hours, with one superman slip-n-slide crash into a kid pool sized mud puddle and one hard crash into the rocks starting off my day on Deer Creek. Despite nausea and the crashes, i was still passing girls and hanging right behind the leader Katie Erikkson. Things continued to get worse, as my stomach got worse and i had to keep slowing down to avoid puking. My fast transistion put me in the lead going into 403-401, but i was passed as Katie zoomed by, illegally paced by Don Cook, which was a bummer. My final lap on the Dyke trail was a bit demoralizing as Dave Weins had already finished as the men's winner. Off I went, and discovered a big mistake i had made by filling up my hydration pack at a friends hose in town. Turns out the hose was new, and my water only tasted of vinyl chloride. if my nausea could have taken it, my enviro self could not, as I know how deadly the toxin is. I flagged down a passing jeep and begged for some water and dumped mine out. I lost some valuable time, as Katie had just passed me again, but I couldn't go three more hours without drinking. At Irwin, my stomach finally exploded in rejection to the carb/protein drink/food I had been eating all day and i blew chunks several times while still riding! Finally i felt good for the first time all day! I switched to eating just Cliff Blocks, and an hour later, started to feel really great. My legs kicked in after that and i powered up from HorseRanch park and into another headwind down Kebler. I finished in second place, in 11 hours 42 minutes. Some of the organizers wanted to disqualify Katie, so I don't know if I will be officially considered second or first. My boyfriend, Jason, has gotten heat stroke and was a home in a ball, and I was too worried about him to really care.

By the way, one person wrote about which ski areas have closed in Europe due to Glacier recession -
These are the summer resorts I am listing as closed or recently closed:
Solden – Renttenbach and Tiefenbach, Austria
Alp d’Huez, France
Les Diablerets, Switzerland
Alagna, italy
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Verbier, Switzerland
Marmolada, Italy

cheers, and don't forget to ride your bike instead of your car whenever you can to do your part to prevent more global warming.

global warming and closing ski areas

I spent this entire rainy weekend researching global warming. Here is some of the information I compiled.....

Seven resorts in Europe have closed glacial summer skiing in just the last two years- and blame global warming. The latest UN report on climate change warns that within 50 years over 200 ski resorts may have to close due to climate change. Another European report predicts a 2-4 degree temperature rise by 2080 causing reliable snow to rise 3,280 feet. This worst-case scenario could mean no snow and no snowmaking for 1,700 of Europe’s 4,000 ski areas. In the US, current carbon dioxide emission trends along with the subsequent global warming is forecasting closure of ski areas under 5,000 feet. Even the banking industry is jumping on this trend; some banks now refuse to finance ski resorts at elevations below 4,256 feet.

We all joke that Crested Butte could use a little warming up. As wonderful as that sounds, what could global warming mean for the entire snowsports industry in the US? The potential shut down of ski areas under 5,000 feet would keep thousands, if not millions of people in the United States and abroad from learning how to ski, which would result in an incredible decline in ski area tourists to Crested Butte. It is a real threat to our environment and our economy here in Colorado, and a big concern for more than 11.5 million U.S. skiers and snowboarders. It’s also a bottom line issue for the $3 billion US ski area industry, and tens of thousands of employees who count on dependable winters for a living.

Nineteen of the 20 hottest years on record have occurred since 1980; the top 10 since 1990. Worldwide average temperatures warmed a full degree over the 20th Century. If things don’t change, scientists warn we could see average temperature increases of 3 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. That is faster than anything the world has ever seen in terms of temperature change in 650,000 years. Most scientists agree pollution is to blame for global warming. They say the biggest culprit is carbon dioxide, which comes from fossil fuels like coal and oil. If these emissions aren’t cut soon, we can expect major headaches. 982 scientists and reports agree that global warming is an issue. That consensus of scientists keeps getting stronger: from the National Academy of Sciences report to President Bush in 2001 to a declaration last December by the American Geophysical Union.

Troublesome to skiers and boarders is the fact that biggest impacts are likely to be felt where it matters most for winter sports: at higher elevations, and northern latitudes. The predictions on our current C02 trend are as follows: Fewer ski days, less snow, closing ski areas below 5,000 feet in the US, entire regions where people no longer learn to ski, more expensive snowmaking for areas still cold enough to make snow, and no snowmaking at all due to warm temperatures for others.

log on next week for what you can do to save the earth. alison

160 miles

Hard for me to get in the patriotic mood this year with all the political bullshit going on right now, but our parade was sure fun. i particularly enjoyed the float with our mayor, Alan Bernholtz, and the Monkey's downhill mountain bike team. They set up a dirt jump off the cab of a truck over a gas-ignited fire pit. My sister and her 5 month old twins were in town, which gave me a welcome relief from my annual participation in the parade water war, as I was assisting in feeding, burping, and bouncing. This year the fire trucks tapped into coal creek, enabling endless 200 foot spouts of deadly water set against seemingly pathetic water balloons, squirt guns, and even the 5 gallon buckets.

Before the fourth, I was able to join my buddies Dave and Missy for the West Elk Scenic Byway loop on bikes. The 160 mile long loop was on my to-do list for the summer, but i was unsure if my ass was ready for that amount of time in the saddle. I had only been on a few road bike rides this season, but they were going and I was up for an adventure. We started at 6:30 am in the rain, going over 30 miles of dirt road - Kebler pass towards Erikson Springs. I punctured and tore my road tire around mile 26 and we were able to patch it with a Clif Block wrapper. Two Forks bakery in Paonia provided some quick fuel of cinnamon rolls and breadsticks stuffed with spinach, mushroom and gorgonzola, then we were off again. The weather cooperated as we cruised towards Crawford for more fuel and water, plus stocking up for the next 80 miles without services. The climb to the black canyon was marred by a electrical storm. We took a break to let the storm pass to the East, and were able to cruise the scenic road above the National Monument on wet roads, yet dry but cloudy skys. The final 20 miles into Gunnison proved to be the hardest of the day, with a 30 mile an hour headwind, and sideways rain and hail near Elk Creek. I was still feeling sporty as we road into Gunnison, dodging huge tree damage spewed all over highway 50. Stuffing more food down our throats at the Steaming Bean, with Dave loading up on a triple quad americano, we settled into the final 30 mile climb up valley towards home. I hit the wall about 20 miles from town, still able to ride, but feeling quite lifeless. Needless to say, time crawled by despite Dave's drafting games, yet, like all epics, it was suddenly over and I was rejoicing on my couch once again. 10 days to go for the 100 mile Crested Butte Classic - an underground single track mtb race. I'm looking forward to that one being over already!