The second annual Earth Hour Night Ride was enjoyed by over 25 participants on a crisp, clear evening along the Waterfront Trail in Ithaca’s Cass Park.

Adding vitality to the group this year were some 7 or 8 youngsters whose energy was a bit more than the  slow pace of the ride could fully engage. But, they coped with their impatience by riding back and forth within the peloton and found time to agree that the scene was truly beautiful.

Following the official Waterfront Trail loop, most of the group continued on toward the Commons. We emerged as an enormous-seeming train of bicycles with bright front lights and blazing rear blinkies, easily holding our place in the very light traffic of State/Martin Luther King Street. At the Commons, we all dismounted and walked across to Aurora Street to get some hot beverages at College Town Bagels.

It felt like a good Ithaca tradition was being set in place.

This year’s Earth Hour Night Ride will take place on March 27.

Meet at about 7:45 pm near the Cass Park Turtle.

After getting acquainted, adjusting our lights, blinkies, and reflectors, and checking in on why we’re doing it, we will take a leisurely ride around the Waterfront Trail. When we get back to the Turtle, those who want to extend the evening (and who have lights and skills for riding at night through the city) will take the path over to State/Martin Luther King Street, and ride to the Commons. There, we’ll assemble for some more schmoozing and beverages — the precise location TBA.

Earth Hour 2010 printable flyer.

Last Year’s Ride

Well, it was a year ago that we did our first Earth Hour Night Ride. Steve Powell shot a bit of video of us all riding out of the parking area, but I never figured out how to post it. So, here goes. By the way, as far as I can tell, everybody has a light. Let’s get a lot more people out there this year!

Earth Hour Night Ride 2009, sure to become a favorite tradition, Ithaca’s first Earth Hour Night Ride went off without a hitch last Saturday evening. Weather forecasts had been a bit ominous, predicting arrival of rain toward nightfall. Instead, we had a beautiful spring evening with temperatures around 60F and no wind.

People began arriving at the parking lot next to the Cass Park Turtle around 8:00 pm and by half past we had a dozen and a half cyclists ready to go. It was nice to see Jennifer Dotson at another of our events — I think she represents Ithaca’s first ward and all of Ithaca’s cyclists on Common Council. It was gratifying to see that everyone actually had equipment for night riding. Brenda Smith and her son, Jordan, spent some of our socializing time getting brand new lights attached to their bikes.

At around 8:30, two headlights glided into the parking area from the north to join our Night Ride: it was Juan Salazar and Jamie Gartenberg, just at that moment completing their ride of over 200 miles that they had begun at 4:00 that morning.

With the total of 19 participants, we then proceeded on our formal circumnavigation of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail in the park. It really was a magical evening with so many bicycle lights gliding along next to the water. Though it was Earth Hour and we were observing a time to turn off lights, there was the usual twinkle of Ithaca reflecting in the water of the Inlet.

After completing our loop, most of the participants continued out of the park and about a dozen headed down Martin Luther King Jr. Street toward the Commons. After walking the length of the Commons with our bikes, we found a welcome at College Town Bagels — Juan and Jamie finally could have the coffee they had been desperately needing.

The group finally dispersed after ten o’clock, resolving to repeat the event next year.

Saturday, March 28, people around the world will be observing Earth Hour by turning their lights and other electric gadgets off for one hour. There are over 2,000 cities and towns in 80-some countries committed to this symbolic gesture of concern for the Earth. The event is put on by the World Wildlife Federation.

In Ithaca, some of us will turn off our lights (and leave our cars) at home and go for a bike ride — the Earth Hour Night Ride around the Waterfront Trail in Cass Park. This will be a leisurely meander along the path, suitable for everyone from young children to old-timers, the confident and faltering alike. Enough of us will have bright headlights and rear blinkies so that even those with no lighting equipment will be able to see well enough. And there will even be a few extra “emergency headlights” to hand out to early arrivals who need them.

• • When: Saturday, March 28, 8:00 pm
  • Where: Cass Park, next to the children’s Turtle
  • Who: Everyone with a bike of any kind, and even no bike — come for a walk.
  • Why: Show our concern for our world and have some fun being together

After the loop around the park (about 2 miles) those with adequate lights for street-safe and street-legal travel will ride together to the commons and find some refreshment with which to congratulate ourselves. Read the rest of this entry »