Climate Ride 2008 - Recap

Dear Climate Ride Riders, Staff and Sponsors,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I truly did not know what to expect on this ride. A few nice photos, yes. A couple of sleepless nights, sure. Did I expect to make friends, maybe. But did I count on being in awe of each and everyone of you for the commitment and love you have for each other and the environment, no. These past few days I have done nothing but catch up on errands, old projects (too many to count--especially the wedding albums I need to finish) and of course sleep, but every time I begin to edit your photos I continue to live in the glory that is Brita Climate Ride 2008. And I wanted to let you all know that I've already asked Caeli & Geraldine if I could come back next year.

So don't be a stranger, find me on Facebook, visit my blog, and feel free to leave some comments on your pictures here. If we don't see each other soon, I have no doubt we'll see each other again: maybe on top of some hill with me taking your picture and you cursing me under your breath (or aloud for those who felt so inclined--lol). So a toast - to Climate Ride 2008. I look forward to joining you all next year--this time with a camera and a bike.

Sincerely,

KIP


P.S. As a little treat/teaser, below you'll find a little slideshow from the ride. Feel free to e-mail it to friends and family.

And a special shout out to everyone behind the scenes and a few of my favorite cohorts in this expedition:

Gregg Bleakney - Photographer
The Crew at GoodFocus - Documentary/filming crew
The Lovely Ladies of Brita - Who kept us all hydrated.
Backroads - Who kept us all on time, relatively speaking
Trees on Fire - For rocking us out @ Georgetown...sorry if we seemed tired (but you still rocked)
and
Printing Responsibly - I didn't know there was such a great alternative and I will definitely be using you guys for my business.

Thanks guys, they couldn't have done it without you.

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there within me lay an invincible summer.”
- Albert Camus

Climate Ride 2008 - Day 5 - Baltimore, MD to Washington, DC

You can smell the barn. Yesterday was unbelievable. Great ride. Good food. A pool party. Bonfire. What else do you need? Perhaps a shower or a mattress--but that's coming soon enough. Today we're on my turf. For most of today's ride will be on the very streets, roads and trails that I train on everyday. Excited? You bet--especially for photos.

Climate Ride 2008 - Day 4 - Holtwood, PA to Baltimore, MD

Last night was amazing, Zip Lines, Cycling, Beer and good conversation plus and hell of a lot of T-Shirts. (check out the T-shirts post). And now we're off for probably the toughest day of the ride. Not because of the distance and not because of the hills, but it's a combination of the two, plus the whole peloton is extremely tired. They're getting stronger, but have had less sleep over the past few days than they are used to. And today, many got up long before we took off to partake in the live news feed to promote the ride. Needless to say, it was an exciting start to a long day.

Early morning call.

Leaving St. Andrews Bible Camp





The Tofurky Tatoo. HOT!

Construction on the Bridge.













One of our fearless leaders: Caeli Quinn.

Climate Ride 2008 - Day 3 - Valley Forge, PA to Holtwood, PA

Yesterday was something else, but more importantly it was a learning experience. How do you capture 125 riders over the course of an entire day, tell their story and attempt to have the surroundings be topical and present in the photos? Gregg and I did OK on Day 2, but without a mass start in the morning (all riders leave whenever they are ready) it provides an additional obstacle to hurdle. First things first, you get up early and get to work early.

Marc Ledoux: Master Mechanic
(he knows a little about getting up early: 125 bikes - wow!)

Valley Forge Foundation, PA

Marc looks good in every picture I take of him.

Save the Polar Ice Caps...Save the Polar Bears!











Beautiful Mennonite Country

But very hilly.

Trasher Picker Upper
(each rider who biked with the globe picked up trash all along the way and put it in the back)

I waited all day for this shot.

A Bike Friday Bike: Fits in a suitcase!
(check them out!)





On top of another hill - the riders hated when I did this. "Why can't you get me on a downhill?"
(Because you're going to fast and I'll only get one shot - plus, you just look cooler.)