The following is a guest post from Geraldine Carter, Co-Founder and Director of Brita Climate Ride, a multi-day bicycle ride to raise money and awareness of climate change. Riders biked from New York to Washington DC from September 20-24. 1Sky was a partner in this effort: Board President Betsy Taylor and CCAN Director Mike Tidwell spoke at different stops, while Internet Director Michael Silberman participated in the ride. Click here for more details.

The Brita Climate Ride was charmed. With a send off by actor Matthew Modine and a spot on the CBS Early Show, riders were excited and inspired for their 300 mile journey to Washington. We set off from New York City with a stunning ferry ride, quickly leaving the Manhattan skyline behind us, with views of Lady Liberty to remind us of what it means to be an American. The first two hours of our trip were very unlike any other bike ride most of us have experienced (check out the short video below).

And it didn’t stop there. The ride across New Jersey was more bucolic and car-free that most would have expected, and as we pushed our bikes across the Delaware River, we couldn’t help but feel like an army, fighting to free our nation from the clutches of Big Oil. This sentiment was strengthened as we pedaled through historic Valley Forge: achieving carbon neutrality will take one heck of a fight. But then we rode along side horse and buggy in Pennsylvania Dutch country, where the Amish reminded us that living in harmony with our planet is a way of life for many.

The hills of the Susquehanna and Maryland horse country tested our mettle, but our riders persevered. Even those new to pedaling finished these challenging rides with energy to spare. As we entered Washington DC, we were rewarded by 15 miles of peaceful rail-trail: cruising false-flat downhill, where Climate Riders relished the final moments of this 300 mile journey.

But most gratifying were the last 3 miles. At the west end of the Mall, we gathered en masse for our approach: Constitution Avenue, up to the steps of the Capitol. With whirring police lights stopping cars for us, we rode up “One More Hill!” upon which sit our policy makers—those we must convince that biking and carbon neutrality must be written into our future. Way to go Climate Riders!