Gentle Landing

Hello Friends and Family,

Thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, supporting, and to Justin and Garrett for posting.

So, if you remember about a week and a half ago I traveled to visit and document RidgeCrest Farm that is an off-grid fledgling community working towards being largely self-sufficient with large vegetable gardens that run in terraces along the mountain side, ponds for growing rice, solar and wind power and blueberries for sale to the public.  I had the chance to witness many of these systems in action, however the storming on top of the mountain was so unrelenting that I didn't end up taking many pictures.  Below is a photo of my friend Cayce who I met at the farm.  He and I worked amidst the winds, snow, hail, rain and everything else nature through at us while helping at the farm.  In the end, we ended up helping refurbish a stone house that to our delight we used to dry ourselves and our things that were perpetually becoming sopping wet.

Cayce in stone house with freshly scrubbed floors and walls, and a refinished fireplace.  In contrast to the wailing storms outside, the tiny house was warm and dry!

I spent a week at RidgeCrest and then took my first opportunity to descend from the mountain top, which led me back to Santa Cruz.  I spent one hour on CouchSurfing.org at the local library, and then within 20 minutes of being at the Farmer's Market, the first person I spoke with offered me a place to sleep for the night.  Thank You Isaac for the warm welcome!  Sometimes speaking to people is just more effective than computer communication.

As it turned out Isaac lives at the SuperFoods Co-operative, which is one of the many Co-ops in Santa Cruz focussing on alternative communal living.  Naturally, I was stoked.

Isaac gave directions to the Co-op, and said to look out for the bus.

"For the benefit of all beings, this bus runs on free recycled vegetable oil." The bus parked at the SuperFoods Co-op.

What a beautiful bus to discover.  This paint-job depicts a village scene with hand-dug canoes and the crashing waves of the ocean.

Front side of the bus.

But SuperFoods Co-op is not just a bus!  They also have a main house and two smaller resident buildings in their backyard.

Living room at SuperFoods Co-op with products stacking the shelves, and Harley, a customer who purchased some Spirulina.

The Co-op sells all kinds of foods recognized as nutritiously 'super', and uses the income to support resident livelihoods.  Examples of foods for sale include those listed above as well as many others such as raw organic cacao, jungle peanuts, mesquite, and local raw honeys. 

I interviewed Ben Goodwin, the founder of the Superfoods Co-op.  A business school graduate, he said the original vision for the Co-op was to bring together progressive people - cheifly young entreprenuers and artists - and use the Co-op as a networking hub for skill-building and projects within the alternative movement.

The Superfoods Co-op operates also as a networking and resource hub.  The Library at Superfoods includes Native American History, Yoga Anatomy, Spiritual Growth literature, Edible Plants and more.  The poster on top of the bookshelf is by Alex Grey, a New York-based artist especially popular with the neo-spiritual culture.

The Superfoods Co-op in Santa Cruz bred a family of other Superfoods Co-ops in California, with the most fruitful offspring located in San Francisco, and Berkeley.  The main challenge the Co-ops have faced, as Ben related to me, is that the earth-friendly alternative people targeted by the Co-ops haven't always been able to uphold the work-ethic necessary to keep the Co-ops functioning as originally envisioned.  Reflecting on this predicament, Ben quoted a Zen saying:  'Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.'  Fair enough!  The full audio recording of the Superfoods interview will be available later.

While at the Co-op, I've had the chance to meet all kinds of interesting and kind people - the vision of a networking hub seems realized to me! - and also found out that due to the excessive storming in the area sections of Highway 1 South, the highway I intended to walk, have fallen into the ocean.   My intended trajectory from Santa Cruz was to walk to Big Sur, roughly 70 miles south, however with news of damaged highway, I've decided to also break from the P.E.D.A.L. project for the time being, about two weeks sooner than I originally planned.

So, again, thanks for all the support and wonderful stories along the way.  You are all beautiful beings, and it has been a wild and illuminating trip from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where I started on bicycle almost five months ago, to Santa Cruz, California, United States, where I am now.

Blessings,

Steve

Justin's Life

Dear PEDAL blog readers.

I have been spending my time at home in Sutton, Ontario, since November 2010. Ever since I rode the train home from Vancouver, BC, I have been working on all sorts of projects inspired by my time with PEDAL Across the Americas.

Oh and here is my home, with lots of snow:

A home built home:

I'll start with the most recent project. Maple syrup production. This is inspired by the idea of DIY, which we learned a lot about during the bike tour, especially when you have a small budget with a lot of time!

I have been thinking of making my own maple syrup for a long time. This year was a perfect time to try it out since around the month of February and March my schedule is not as busy as the warmer spring months when I begin to work outside more. My local aunt and uncle have made syrup before using some handy metal buckets and spouts, then boiling it down in a big cast iron pot, so I went to visit them for advice and some materials.

Here are some pictures to describe what I did.

I used a drill with a half inch bit size to make a hole for the spout. It depends on the spout size of course. I drilled deep enough to insert the spout but not too deep to damage the tree. It has to be drilled on an angle so that the sap can drip down. the spout that I have has a handle to hold the bucket, then we made some lids to prevent dirt and rain water from entering. Be careful that the wind does not throw it off!

The sap runs quickly some days. I sometimes check morning and evening! It tastes nice as a drink too.

I collected it in 5 gallon buckets. Here is more then 30 gallons ready for the pot!

My Mom and Uncle helped watch. The tripod was made with cedar poles and tied with metal wire at the intersection point. You need enough wood around to keep it going, it needs to be tended to quite often. As the liquid boiled down I added more sap until it all fit.

This is near the end after several hours of boiling. It started to taste very sweet!

Voila! We put it into jars. Makes a good gift and also for pancakes!

Some reading material. Also check out http://www.tapmytrees.com/

 Oh and Pie! I used some of the syrup for this:

Mystery Cream Cheese Pecan Pie

The other project I have been working on with my dad recently is the building of a workshop and garage. It is so good to learn how to build. Wood framing is such a simple and quick building method. Some of the wood was locally cut and milled!

You can even build in the winter!

There is going to be a loft on top, the roof trusses have yet to be put on.

The plywood went on within a few days.

It was built in the location of an old greenhouse which we have been taking down for the past 9 years or so. A lot of the glass is stored and saved. Hopefully in 10 years we can build one again.

This used to be in operation.

It a bit grown in.

A good indoor project when it is cold outside is making a chicken tractor. (mobile chicken coop, with wheels!) Just design it to fit out the workshop door. We barely got it out!

I used old wood from the old greenhouse above! Reuse, reuse, reuse! The 3 R's

I am also working on a design for a Edible Forest Garden. Here is the start of the plant selection:

These are 4 Butternut trees started from seed/nut. Garrett helped prepare the nuts 2 summers ago. We had to file (with a metal file tool) them down which makes it possible to germinate. I found them growing where they we planted this spring surprised to see the survival rate. 4 out of 8! The nuts from these trees are tasty, but there is a disease that affects the species. I hope these grow big and strong.

A saved cardinal that flew into our window. It survived!

That is all for now. Stay sustainable! 

Free Wheelin Farm

Hey folks!

Thanks to Steve for that awesome update on your walking journey! Check out Steve's latest blog at this link.

I wanted to post a link to an awesome, bike powered farm the PEDAL crew has run across. Free Wheelin Farm is in the Santa Cruz and San Fransisco area, and provides food shares delivered by bike! They run a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program, where folks buy a share at the beginning of the season and receive weekly veggie and fruit deliveries.

Check out their website:
www.freewheelinfarm.com

The Road to Mount Madonna

Hello,

Just a quick update about what's going on.   On the 16th, Jordan and I walked from Boulder Creek through the colourful towns that dot the mountain side south to Felton.   Here we met John and Ariel in front of a New Leaf supermarket and they welcomed us to stay at their place.  The next morning John showed us the way through the woods that leads to Santa Cruz.

Sweet John who, with his partner Ariel, warmly hosted us in Felton.  He regularly sports bare feet walking from his home to work.  (He tells me his work doesn't mind.)   John also hasn't been in a motorized vehicle for four years!  Impressive perseverance John!

When we reached Santa Cruz, I met with Noah who operates RidgeCrest Farms near Mount Madonna of the Santa Cruz Mountain Range.   He's off the grid, and drove me way up the mountain side - 2800 ft - to his spot which is where I'm staying now.  RidgeCrest focuses on Organic Blueberry production, sadly for me not in season currently.

RidgeCrest Farm's yurt and power generation.

Snow storms up here today, so we're tucked away inside trying to keep warm for the time being.  Will be in touch when more is transpiring.   Take Care,

Steve

Join the Oteshites!

I (Kristi) did an Otesha bike tour a few years ago and it was an amazing first-bike-trip experience! Otesha tours involve performing eco-themed plays for youngsters and being part of an inspiring, 1 to 2 month bike tour. Now they are looking for folks to do this year's tours. I encourage you to check out the information below, as well as their website: www.Otesha.ca

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The Otesha Project!

In just 7 weeks, volunteers will ride from school to school to deliver high-energy performances that inspire Canadians to make our daily lives more sustainable.  We’ve received over 60 applications so far, but there is still time to apply for one of four Performing and Cycling Tours this year. 

Bursary Opportunities

As you circulate this news among your coworkers and the communities that you work in, please note that we have recently launched The Andrew Wolf Memorial Bursary in order to waive 80% of tour costs for an applicant who belongs to a group under-represented in the environmental movement. The bursary is one step in our efforts to ensure that tour members are as diverse as the students and communities they encounter on the road. Please recommend the bursary to anyone you know who is passionate about making their community more ecologically sustainable.

More information about the 2011 touring season, an on-line application form and bursary information can be found at www.otesha.ca. If you have questions, I (Katrina the Outreach Coordinator) would love to hear from you at 613 237-6065.

Thanks so much,

See you on the road!

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Atmosphere of Change

Hello Everyone,

This is Steve writing.  Since my last post a while back, much has transpired.  As Garrett recently wrote, he and Kristi have been taking a break for the last couple months while I've carried on by bicycle.

In Oakland, I decided to give my bike away, and carry on by foot to have a break from biking.  From Oakland I returned to serve at the Vipassana Meditation Center.  Although not anticipated as a 'sustainability model',  the structure of the organization is unlike any I've ever experienced, and impressively sustainable.  From the highest level of administration,  to the teachers,  to the groundskeepers and kitchen staff, everyone is a volunteer, or in Vipassana language, a server.  Similarly, every building, piece of property (the organization owns property all over the world), and meal served is from donations.  Donations themselves can only be made by former students who have sat a 10-day course.  So, as you may be able to guess, with an organization underpinned by the practice of developing compassion for others, that runs entirely on volunteers and donation,  the vibe you experience while participating with the organization is really good, very loving, nurturing and inspiring.

Fellow Servers at the Vipassana Center. Left to Right: Erica, Kimkiat, Julie and Silka 

Fellow Servers Nick and Chi chi

The California Center is currently undertaking the construction of a new Pagoda, which is a meditation building. The photo below features an example of a Pagoda.  The one under construction is about 70 times the size of the one in the photo below.

A Pagoda, a meditation building, is the structure in the back.  This one is located near Big Basin Redwood State Park. 

You'll also notice in the photo above, a person, but not just any person.  It's Jordan Bower,  who I originally met 300 miles north of where the photo is taken.   He is the photographer who is walking to mexico, and we decided to walk together for the time being, as he expressed interest in visiting sustainability models.

After I transitioned from bike to foot, Jordan and I rendez-voused near Pescadera, California, which is about 17 miles south of Palo Alto, the most southern place I made it to on my bicycle.

California Coast near Pescadera, just south of San Francisco

Endangered Snowy Plovers I had the opportunity to glimpse near Pescadera.  The Plovers were being very cute as they pecked at the rocks, and then ran away en masse from the big waves that rolled in.

Pescadera Sunset, March 9th

An Elephant Seal pup is featured in the video below, also being very cute. The Seals were endangered after being hunted for oil and reduced to only 3 breeding males.  Now they are considered thriving, with a population of approximately 150 000.  The sound on the video is super scrambled, so I'd suggest turning down the volume.

Grizzly Bear skull on far right, Elephant Seal on far left.

To see a map of the walking route Jordan and I have so far covered follow the nasty long link below. 

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=CA-1+S%2FCabrillo+Hwy&daddr=37.1751,-122.35339+to:37.21459,-122.22128+to:CA-236+S&geocode=FUiYNwId_1C0-A%3BFTw_NwIdEgm1-ClrRQxm-P-OgDEqyfphlK9riA%3BFX7ZNwIdIA23-Ckh3HrxKVOOgDHWuegs6dRE4g%3BFXR7NgId1Im4-A&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrsp=2&sz=11&via=1,2&dirflg=w&sll=37.1636,-122.263412&sspn=0.26156,0.397568&ie=UTF8&ll=37.155939,-122.24762&spn=1.046341,1.590271&z=9

From Pescadera, we walked through Big Basin Redwood State Park, and then to Boulder Creek, where we are now.

Waterfall in Big Basin Redwood State Park 

PASS Music Studio in Boulder Creek, where we're now staying.

From Boulder Creek, I'm headed to check out a blueberry farm near Santa Cruz.  Until the next post!  Thanks for tuning in.  Peace, and Happy Springtime,

Steve

Kristi and Garrett In Ontario... For Now!

Hello P.E.D.A.L. friends and supporters,

Garrett here.  Long time no type!  You'll likely have noticed that Steve's been the big blog celebrity these days... and rightfully so!  Our intrepid friend Steve has been carrying the project solo for two months now (go, go, go, Steve!).  In early January, Kristi and I returned by train (on our own dollar, not our donors') from L.A., California to our home in southern Ontario.


We haven't broken the news until now, because at first I was considering turning right around and re-joining Steve.  I was feeling quite distraught at the prospect of "taking a break."  When I decided to remain in Ontario with Kristi, I wanted to determine what the future plans for P.E.D.A.L. would be. In retrospect, we should have put up even a small notice (haha, Kristi told me so!), but I felt a bit silly writing something along the lines of, "We're back in Ontario... maybe not for long... at least not me... but maybe for a while... not sure until when... but here we are!  Stay tuned!"

The decision to return was very, very difficult (as I recall, it took Kristi and I about three weeks of steady discussion to decide!).  Ultimately, though, the consistent emotional, psychological, and logistical challenges of a semi-long-term transient lifestyle were taking their toll on our emotional well-being.  Furthermore, the number of riders had decreased to a point where we were finding it impossible to keep the website up to date, while dealing with the day to day realities of riding and life on the road. We were feeling road weary and finding it difficult to put our full enthusiasm into the tour.


We will still assert that traveling by bicycle is, without a doubt, the way to go -- in fact, my conviction in this is stronger than ever, as I've been pining to get back on my bike to run my errands and make my commutes ever since the day we returned to the snow and cold (I've seen many winter cyclists about, but I've been spoiled by southern California's smiling sunshine!  I just hopped on my bike yesterday, actually, spurred by the promise of 6 degrees Celsius, for a two-hour jaunt to Guelph, and discovered I'm already so out of shape!)  I want to be clear that the difficulties we faced were not a product of traveling by bicycle, but of traveling by any means.  Without trying to make any excuses, I'll just say that not having a place to call home altogether tuckered us out... a lot more than we expected!


Now the part where we try to save face  :)  We're committed to turning this into an opportunity to strengthen P.E.D.A.L. Across the Americas!  It seems we were naive to think that we could keep the website at all up-to-date while on the road, particularly while running (well, cycling) away from Canada's impending icy winter and the Pacific Northwest's full-on soggy celebration of a winter.  Despite our sometimes hectic schedule, we scheduled numerous workdays, during which we'd plunk down at the local library and work on getting our videos, photos, interviews, and articles into shape for uploading to the website.  Unfortunately, every library but one had a 1-hour-per-person limit on internet use, so only the team member using our laptop was able to make any significant headway during any of these work sessions.


But enough of the retrospect!  The point is that now that Kristi and I are home with consistent computer and internet access, we can finally turn the mish-mash of information on our little laptop into real content for the website.  That's our goal; working in concert with veteran tour members Lucas Karn and Justin Pape, we're going to turn www.PedalAcrossTheAmericas.com into a delicious cornucopia of gettin'-it-done sustainability success stories.  All the content for Canada and the U.S. will be up in preparation for P.E.D.A.L. Part II: Mexico (and a little bit of California, still) to Costa Rica.  Promise!  You shan't be disappointed.

Hopefully we'll also have the chance to introduce some new team members for P.E.D.A.L. Part II (this is your cue to contact us if you are interested!  info@PedalAcrossTheAmericas.com!).  Hm, that Part II is sounding pretty good... like Lord of the Rings, right?  A trilogy?  Except... more of a twology.

In the meantime, all donations are being held in their own credit union account. Rest assured that it will all go toward the continuation of the tour and the website. If anyone has questions about this, please feel free to contact us. We want to be totally transparent about what we plan to do with P.E.D.A.L. funds, especially with our generous donors, friends and family!

Phewsh!  That's all for now.  Thanks for all your support and understanding!


And now, enjoy a small montage of some my personal highlights from the tour.

Bottom brackets and flapping jackets,
    Garrett, on behalf of the P.E.D.A.L. crew

The Whole Dang Shebang!
Also, leftmost, a delightful French fellow named Cedrique (spelling?).

I don't think we made more adjustments and tune-ups
 during the whole rest of the trip combined than  we did during the first week!

My bike!  All packed and ready to ride  :D

The Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

Yep, we're in northern Ontario now.

The tres beau Mink Falls in northern Ontario.

A classic scene in rural Canada.

P.E.D.A.L. and friends build our very own solar water heater for HELP International.

Can you guess where we are now?  Hint: Extend this scene 360 degrees.)

Thank you friendly farmers for a place to set up camp!

We're almost at the Rockies!

We're at the Rockies!  Best appreciated over a chug of grape juice.

One of many summits...

How did we ever make it to Vancouver?!

Stanley Park, Vancouver

Partying to peanut butter chocolate cake in Victoria,
with our  super swell Warm Showers hosts Mike and Josee (not pictured, unfortunately).

The snow finally flies in Washington.
A nice cold bottle of water is just what we need for refreshment!

Kitchens:  The most important room in the house!
This particular kitchen belongs to the Aprovecho Envrionmental Learning Centre in Oregon.

Quite possibly the world's most hydrodynamic gazebo?
Home-built by hand out of "cob," a simple mixture of sand, clay, and straw.

The Cob Cottage Company, nestled amongst the hills and forests of Oregon.

It's Minnowan!
We rescued him from an abandoned campsite at Lake Minnowan
in northern Ontairo, and he's enjoyed the ride ever since.
(You can see what colour he started out as on the underside of his arm.)

Along the windswept (headwind-swept!) shores of Oregon.

The Oregon shore on an overcast day.

Lovely...

Camping on the coast of Oregon.

Got a bit stormy that evening... colourful!

Ahh, daybreak!