Dilkon to Ganado - May 6

We woke to more wind and rode out of Dilkon around 9 after playing with the horses, talking to Art about the tepee and saying goodbye to Leon and his daughter.  There's a good chance we will meet again at the Stanford Pow Wow or some other event when he and his family come to the Bay Area.

The riding today was fantastic. Strong tailwinds pushed us through incredibly beautiful, wide open and vulnerable looking landscape.  Wind turbines pumping water for livestock, double wide trailers with and without power, hogans, horses, cattle and sheep were about the only signs of humans we saw.  Drivers passing us in both directions were friendly and courteous as we whizzed along averaging almost 20 miles per hour without much effort on our parts.  About three miles from our destination, we stopped at a gas station for ice cream and phone calls.  When we got back on our bikes, the winds had increased and were now coming from the side.  Heading out of town we were almost immediately blown all over the road.  Without any discussion, we got off of our bikes, called Sean and loaded up.  We did 55 miles in less than three hours and used hardly any battery power.  Once again, the wind was our friend and our enemy as it both pushed us towards our destination and pushed us into traffic.

Arriving in Ganado, we stopped at the Hubbell Trading Post where Teresa walked into the shop and right up to me and said, "Are you Oliver?"  I answered in the affirmative and asked her how she knew.  "Oh, she replied, "You look like a Californian."  We went on to spend a delightful hour with her on her 7 acre farm where we learned about the irrigation project newly put in by the Navajo Nation.  The sad part is that there are now hundreds of acres with access to water but very few farmers.  One of the goals of the project is to reinvigorate the traditional farming ways of the Navajos, but there just aren't enough people willing or able to farm.

After Teresa left, we spent the afternoon pretending to be farmers, turning off an irrigation valve that started flooding the fields and watching prairie dogs play in the fields.

During dinner, Derek and his family showed up.  They are completely delightful.  His two daughters (10 and 6) are both enrolled in a Navajo immersion school where they are learning both the language and the culture.  They greeted us in Navajo, were both wearing moccasins and constantly asked Derek for the Navajo word they were trying to remember.  Their little two year old brother loved the van and was bouncing around like a ping pong ball.  They stayed for about an hour before heading home and giving us directions on how to find them tomorrow.

I spent a lot of time on the bicycle today trying to think of what I will say on Saturday at the gathering that Derek has arranged in Window Rock.  The challenge I have is to try to talk about sustainability from the glaringly obvious non-technological angle.   Over the last couple of days, the Navajo's we have spoken with and the land we have seen has opened my eyes to daunting task of creating a sustainable future that depends on all humans learning to treat the planet as a colleague and fellow humans as part of the same tribe.  Technical solutions without a spiritual evolution that celebrates sustainability will not get this planet to a place where our children and grandchildren look forward to a brighter future on a healing planet. 

Landscape, livestock and lovely conditions

Pit toilet at Teresa's Farm

A delightful spot to camp and hang out for the afternoon

Deon and Leon - Flagstaff to Dilkon

Leaving the Grand Canyon Trust we were graced with the company of Deon, a 26 year old Navajo employee of the Trust who agreed to ride with us to the Leupp (pronounced Loop) Family Farm to share with us the story of the farm.  

We had tailwinds and downhill most of the way so we all were treated to a delightful 40 mile ride.  Whenever we stopped, Deon would answer our questions and tell us the history of the region.  Deon learned Navajo as his first language from his grandparents and they also instilled in him a strong commitment to the Navajo ways.  The connection to the land, the support of family and community and the generous spirit that he so willingly shared with us.

When we got to the Farm, it was hard to tell it apart from the surrounding barren landscape.  Deon said that the first time he saw the farm it was the same season, right before planting time.  As we learned about the project, the farm became a vibrant community project with grandparents and children working and playing together, with traditional crops being prepared for the Farmer's Market, with a new solar system providing the pumping power needed to irrigate and with students visiting from across the nation to learn about traditional farming practices and the ways of Navajo communities.

Catherine, Sean and I were very impressed with Deon's ability to live in the "White Man's World" while continuing to deepen his commitment to learning and sharing the Navajo Ways.  Deon will hopefully become one of the few incredibly important links between cultures whose lives are dedicated to bringing different worlds together for the benefit of both.  Sustainability is as much about having an open spirit to the world as it is about increasing efficiency and high tech solutions.

Moving on, we again were forced to portage another 30 mile stretch.  Our friend and enemy the wind had picked up to the point where a huge dust storm was blowing across our route.  Since we had a place to stay and were expected, we drove the sand covered road to Dilkon where we found Leon's house atop a small knoll surrounded by buttes, mesas and dust.  We had met Leon the day before we headed up to the Grand Canyon and he invited us to spend the night at his place.

He greeted us with his 2 year old daughter in his arms and we went into his double wide home surrounded by horses, a tepee and lots of hauling equipment and trucks.  There is no water or electricity here so everything has to be hauled in, including lots of water for the horses.  Leon is a traditional dancer who makes all of his own costumes and graciously dressed Sean up in one of his "simpler" outfits.  His work is incredibly athletic and now in his early thirties, his body is beginning to cause him a lot of pain.  We also enjoyed the company of his father in law Art and Art's son Arti who are devoted to raising quarter horses the natural way.  They work together with the horses.  They don't use words like 'breaking' or 'training'  but rather words like 'working together'.  The results are incredibly noticeable.  The horses are calm, curious and very friendly.  As I write this, Sean is stroking the neck of their young orphan horse whose mother died during the winter so Art and Arti are mothering the colt through this hard time.  

There is less knowledge here about the history of the Navajo's but there is a constant reference to the way it was before, when grandparents lived longer, more water flowed from springs and when the winds weren't so strong and the sand wasn't so deep.  The planet is changing and the Navajo's know it both from their personal experience and from the prophecies of their culture. 

Leon has another home in Phoenix where his wife and son go to school.  Leon prefers it up here even without the 'benefits' of modern civilization.

The two men I spent time with today offered an openness that makes me feel the magic of this land and the people.  I am reminded again that the solutions we need to evolve as a species cannot rely on technical fixes.  Probably more important is for humans to become more  generous and more forgiving if we hope to survive together on this speck of dust we call home.  

Dave giving riding instructions to Deon before heading back to California

Leaving Flagstaff behind

Just across the border into the Navajo Nation

No reservations about being in Navajo Country

Leupp Family Farm - A bit desolate

Deon explains it to us

Dust storm that closed the Interstate just south of here - Yea Portage Power!

This is all beaded!

WOW!!

Porcupine quill headdress - Soft quills

Leon shows another headdress

Is Sean having a good time, or what?

Ready for a night on the town

Yea, well, we're just hanging out

Morning on the compound

Leon's father in law Art standing in front of the tepee he made.

New Video: Paul Gipe and Wind Energy in Bakersfield

Paul Gipe has written extensively about renewable energy for both the popular and trade press. Starting in 2004 Paul launched a campaign to bring electricity feed laws back to North America. The campaign has grown into a continent-wide grassroots movement that has put renewable energy feed-in tariffs on the political agenda in Canada and the US. His website is at www.wind-works.org

The Green Riders broke their journey in Bakersfield CA to discuss wind energy with Paul Gipe. This video is part one of that discussion.

Direct link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teQoOVSUkQI

While you are on YouTube, be sure to subscribe to receive new videos from The Green Riders journey.

Flagstaff shines bright May 4

Staying at the Grand Canyon Trust has been delightful.  Not only are the accommodations wonderful but the people who work here are interesting, smart and extremely committed to building a sustainable future.
Catherine and I had a great conversation with Roger Clark about the work the Grand Canyon Trust is doing and I took notes so that I could report on what we learned this morning from Roger.
The Grand Canyon Trust is celebrating its 25th year.  The idea for the Trust was born on a river trip down the Colorado by Martin Litton (a Palo Alto resident) and the group that he was with.
In 1991 the pollution from the upstream coal fired power plant engaged the Trust in advocacy work that went beyond the walls of the Grand Canyon.
Today, the coal fired power plants need to be retired or retrofitted to meet new standards and the Trust is advocating for the closure of the plants.  The problem is that the Navajo's and the Hopi's depend on the income from the coal companies.  24 million dollars a year goes to the Navajos and 12 million goes to the Hopis.  These are huge numbers for the tribes and they can't afford to walk away from that revenue.  Roger and Tony are working hard to bring renewable energy projects to reservation in a way that will create new business opportunities and keep the dollars generated on the Native lands.  It's a complicated and challenging assignment and the folks here are instrumental in making it happen.
We also talked about the impact of different forms of electricity generation and the subject of water came up.  The Navajo Generating Facility (just upstream from the Grand Canyon) uses 30,000 acre feet of water a year.  That's three times as much as the whole city of Flagstaff!  Wind and solar use virtually no water.
We finished our conversation talking about uranium mining and how it is polluting both the Grand Canyon and the Native lands.  Also, the profits generated from the mining are not staying in the local communities or even in this country!  So the Trust is fighting Uranium mining as well.

Sean and I cruised around the town and the campus trying to drum up radio station interest in our meeting with the mayor.  We didn't have any luck but we had a great tour of the area on our bikes and talked to lots of fine folks.
We met Mike Horan, (the supplier of our Golden Motor USA battery packs) and one of his dealers who drove up from Scottsdale to meet us.  He was very happy to hear that the batteries are holding up so well and we learned a lot about his work with Golden Motors and how they are continuing to improve their products and expand their market presence around the globe.  Sean is very ready to build up an electric bike using their components and he knows exactly which frame he wants to use.   I can't wait to see what he comes up with.  They brought two really fun electric bikes with them and bought us lunch at a burger place that serves grass fed beef.  It was the best burger I've ever had and the owner used to work at the Trust!  Small world.
After lunch Sean went and got the van with our "road show" in it and we set up just as Mayor Sara Prosler showed up.  She is completely delightful and after a little bit of insecurity about riding the bikes, she got up her nerve and rode around the block.  It only took one turn and she was hooked.  She probably road and talked with us for half an hour and she completely understands the value of the electric bike, especially the fun factor.  We will post a video soon that shows her delight and insight.

Back at the Trust offices, we played around with the bikes some more and talked with Tony and Roger about their work and our ride.  What a delightful fun day "off".

Roger Clark taking the Surley for a spin

Catherine admiring the Trust's solar panels on Trackers.  Ooooh!

Sean in love with the Golden Motors cruiser with the 48 volt power pack.  Front wheel "peel-outs"!

Me and the Mayor - Check out our petition table, solar panel and bike up on the stand.

Catherine and the Mayor

Tony likes electric bikes . . .

. . . a lot!

Our neighbor from Palo Alto, John Urquhart just happened to be passing by!

Grand Canyon to Flagstaff

Woke to a really cold morning and dashed off to the lodge for breakfast.  Sean wanted pancakes.
After doing the ritual computer work, we walked out to the rim for a morning look and farewell.  It was a crystal clear morning and since it was still pretty early, there were almost no people out.  There was a school group that we passed on the trail who were all walking with their eyes closed holding on to each others shoulders until they reached the rim and were allowed to open their eyes.  A moment most of them will always remember.
We unloaded our bikes about 20 miles outside of Flagstaff and rode into town to make our 2 o'clock meeting with the folks at Southwest WindPower.  On the way, we stopped by The Grand Canyon Trust where we met some of the kind staff people I have been talking with over the last several months.  They invited us to stay in their beautiful office which is a converted homestead farmhouse with solar panels and all sorts of energy efficiency features incorporated into the remodel.
We learned that our contact Derrick Terry in Window Rock has been very busy putting together a big event for next Saturday where a lot of Navajo sustainability people will show up as well as some of the staff from here.  We are completely flabbergasted by how motivated people are to help spread the sustainability message.  As The Green Riders, I feel like we are unleashing an opportunity for local communities to stand up and shout about the good they are doing and how much more needs to be done.
We rode down to SouthWest WindPower and met with Miriam Robbins, the marketing director.  She gave us a great tour and spoke passionately about the need for alternatives when it comes to energy production.  It was refreshing to hear her talk about the renewables as a family and consumers get to pick the renewable sibling that best suits their resource.  If sun is in your air, go with solar.  If it's wind, choose a turbine.
Even though Paul Gipe doesn't think small scale solar and wind contribute enough, quickly enough, he also said we need it all. So small scale distributed energy has its place.  The value it gives to the user as a doorway into becoming engaged in building a sustainable future can be way more significant than the actual watts being produced by their home renewable energy  system.
Tonight we are settled into the very nice offices with lots of computer access, wonderful maps and posters and even a firehouse next door!
Tomorrow is a big day.  Our first real event where we will set up our roadshow and see what happens!!

Last Rays

Coming into Flagstaff - Note the solar array on the house

Tony Skrelunas trying the wheels

Just about says it all

A beautiful site

Miriam Robbins gives us a hands on tour

May 2 - Wind, Clouds, Snow and a Really Big Ditch

Woke to another cold windy morning and watched a coyote cruise the campground in search of food.  After some bicycle maintenance, mostly adjusting loose cables to improve our shifting, we headed down the road dressed in our warmest gear.

I had a conversation in Seligman with a couple of old brothers who kind of looked at us funny and weren't at all surprised when they found out we were from California.  After talking for a while I asked them about Global Warming.  They were quick to deny that humans have any role in it.  I asked about their kids and grandkids and the response I got was something like, "We suffered to get where we are so why shouldn't our kids?"  Talking about Global Warming is not the road I want to go down but going after sustainability, renewable resources  and saving some planet for our kids seems to resonate with most people.  I think it's a sad fact that Global Warming has become a political issue that divides.

I am not writing much about the bicycles themselves mostly because they are so trouble free.  Our batteries are charging fine.  We haven't met a hill we can't climb.  There are a few small problems related to the incredible amount of rattling that these poor bikes get but so far all has gone very well.  In addition we are using a lot less battery power than we anticipated.  We brought 4 packs for each bike and most days we have finished easily just using 2.  The Surley does use more battery power because it is heavier, has rolling resistance from the hub motor and cuts a larger wind profile that takes more energy to overcome.

I heard from MIke, our host in Tehachapi last night and he asked that his EV club's website be mentioned in our blog.  Any EV fans interested in what's going on in Kern County, have a look.  Mike is the President and he is a total gem.  www.KernEV.org

As soon as we hit Route 66, the tailwind blessed us with a 26 mile ride where I used less than 3 amps of power.  Catherine used about an amp more and Dave on the Surley used about 4 amps.  For those not into electric bicycle power consumption, we were getting completely amazing mileage.  Along with the fabulous tailwind, we got cloud formations that were jaw-dropping beautiful.  On the bikes we were able to enjoy them as they traveled across the sky, occasionally sprinkling us with snowflakes.

When Route 66 joined the interstate, we decided to load up the bikes and take a detour to that Big Ditch they have here call The Grand Canyon.

Thanks to the weather, there are very few people here, (it's supposed to drop to 24 degrees tonight) and the views were incredible this afternoon.  One minute snow and white out conditions, the next minute sun, incredibly clear air and beautiful shadows cast randomly across the vast canyon.

We walked into a museum right on the edge of the canyon and enjoyed the theatrics of a veteran ranger who explained the geology of the canyon with such animation and skill that he received applause when he finished.  His love for the canyon and his enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge make him the model teacher.  I could have listened to him for hours.

Green Riders not looking very green . . . brrrr!

Sean and Catherine over the Canyon

Ahh  Gash!

Getting up there

For Sean's parents

Catherine loving the van

A little morning Maintenance

Too Hot

Bad hair day - again

 

Route 66 - Motorhead Paradise

Another early start and got into Kingman around 10.  As we drove into town, there were signs announcing road closures because of a "fun run".  I was looking for lots of Spandex, but instead we found ourselves walking our bikes through a huge collection of very shiny classic cars, hot rods and all sorts of very serious motorheads.  We did generate a little interest in our bikes but they weren't shiny enough and don't make enough noise.
After shopping for groceries and fuses for the chargers, we headed into another headwind up Route 66. To our amazement, literally hundreds of classic cars passed us heading into Kingman.  Turns out the "Fun Run" is a huge annual event that attracts over 800 participants!   We saw some pretty wild vehicles and people were lined up along the roadside, in the middle of nowhere.  We talked to some very friendly Arizonians who agreed with us that we have to get off of fossil fuels as tons and tons of fossil fuel  powered steel went flashing by us.
We ran into our first guy on a bike touring for 4 months alone.  He was delightful and liked how color coordinated we were.  He was losing his sense of time but keeping close track of how many calories he needed to buy and eat to cover his mileage. (250 calories per ten miles is what Willy figured.) He also had a bear canister strapped to his front rack where he kept all of his food.
In Peach Springs we stopped with the intention of overnighting but there was no campground and the hotel prices were too high.

We pushed ahead to Grand /Canyon Caverns where we are now set up in a very nice campground with internet that reaches out to our site!  Very nice.

At least they admit it!

Motorhead mania in Kingman, AZ

1952 motorized Schwinn Whizzer - A classic

Feeling a little out of place

The place to be in Kingman today

Willy and his Bear Cannister/Fairing