Bicyclists who launch a long-distance bike tour to draw attention to a cause usually do so in the spring to take advantage of the summer bicycling season.
Not Don Ross. The 66-year-old Alaskan took off from Fairbanks on his cross-country “Ride for the Planet” bike tour on Oct. 3.
He figures that he'll draw more recognition about the problems of global warming if he makes his ride in the winter.
Unfortunately, I didn't get wind of Ross's bike travels until he had passed through Alaska, crossed the Canadian border, spent a few days in Bellingham, Washington, and headed south through Portland to Eugene.
Earth Day
Riding a Giant bicycle and pulling a loaded BOB trailer, Ross plans to continue to San Francisco before striking east to Washington DC for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22.
You can follow his travels on the Ride for the Planet blog. The updates are conversation between Ross and the blog's host, which he met in Alberta.
Moral obligation
Ross explains his goals at the blog and with several newspaper reporters along the route. He spoke to the Bellingham Herald:
One of his main goals with the ride is to “impress upon the government the importance of reining in greenhouse gases” and reducing the output of carbon dioxide. He said he hopes this is a goal that can be accomplished in the next decade and not 20 years from now.
“We have a moral obligation to take care of this problem, so our children don't have to worry about it,” he said.
During his trip, Ross said what scared him most was what he described as the nearly endless sight of dead trees from Alaska to Canada. The trees were infested with bark beetles, he said. Normally, cold temperatures kill off the insects, but the warming of the climate has enabled the beetles to survive.
“I'd see whole hillsides of dead trees,” Ross said. “That's pretty alarming.”
Lodging
Before leaving on his cross-country bicycle trip, Ross was a bush pilot flying people and cargo in and out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
If you spot an older guy tooling along on a mountain bike and pulling a trailer this winter, you should strike up a conversation with him. Apparently he's a great story-teller.
He could also use lodging along his route. Don Laird, the host of the blog, says Ross has funded the entire trip so far out of his own pocket. Laird is trying to line up some sponsorships and would appreciate any contacts.
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