Ted Glick's Climate Ride, Day 3

Written by Ted Glick 

Everybody doing this very challenging and strenuous ride believes that the climate crisis is real and action needs to be taken to solve it. Some believe it's urgent that we get off fossil fuels very quickly and shift rapidly to a renewable energy based economy. Others would like to see that happen but are less committed to pressing hard to make that happen as soon as possible.

Some are young people, students just getting into this movement. Some are definitely older and active in the field of conservation. Others are full-time climate activists like me, and there are a number of other types of people. 

All of us feel strongly about this. We wouldn't be climbing these steep and long hills on bicycles and doing the hard work of reaching out to friends, family and people we know to raise money if we didn't.

Today was a beautiful fall day as we rode through central Pennsylvania. The Amish country was as captivating as I remember it was last year. We saw lots of farms, corn and soybean fields and other crops we didn't know what they were.

Like yesterday we also battled a pretty strong wind, and the temperature most of the day was pretty cool. It was in the mid forties when we started out and with the wind sometimes as high as maybe 20 miles per hour gusts, I was glad I was wearing a sweatshirt in addition to my climate rider shirt.

We climbed some very serious long steep hills today. And unfortunately most of them were toward the end of the ride. I noticed I was definitely slower when we went up hills then as compared to at the beginning of the day. This morning I passed a good number of people on some of the early morning hills. This afternoon I was being passed by a good number of people. I think that had something to do with my age of 64 and the fact that those passing me were under 30.

Tomorrow is the hardest day. Last year I felt the need to walk up parts of 8 hills on this fourth day coming up. My goal is not to do any of that tomorrow, but there's a good chance I will feel the need to stop and catch my breath at least a few times before continuing the bike ride up.

We’re staying right now and tonight at a beautiful Mennonite religious camp close to the Susquehanna River. The young women make the food sing as they do so. And I expect the director, like last year, will say a very religious prayer on our behalf either at dinner or breakfast.

It’s a wonderful group of people who are going through a lot for these five days because of important beliefs. I am very fortunate to be with this community again.