The NO COAL Pedalers, is a pedal-powered caravan up to the Big Mountain region of Black Mesa, where we will be volunteering our labor and as many resources as we can bring, assuring a safe winter for those communities resisting relocation efforts by the US government on behalf of the interests of the Peabody Coal Company. This project couldn’t be possible without the help and support of the Black Mesa Indigenous Support, who organize a caravan of work-crews to Black Mesa every year. “By assisting with direct, on-land projects you are helping families stay on their ancestral homelands in resistance to an illegal occupation.”

Why ride bikes? Next to walking or horseback, riding a bike is the best way to more fully connect with the land as it has been encountered for generations. Riding a bike to Big Mountain will give riders the chance to become intimately acquainted with the land in a way that would be impossible by car. This is perhaps best explained by Ernest Hemingway, who said the following regarding how much one loses by driving and gains by riding:

“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you…”

Cruising in an automobile, with the windows up, music blasting, and the heat cranked is akin to sensory deprivation. In this way, riding a bike is more attuned to a human-scale, whereby we are not detached from the natural elements, nor the sounds, smells, and bumps along the journey. By experiencing the land in a meaningful way, cyclists arrive at Big Mountain with a great respect for the landscape in which Black Mesa communities are situated

In order to maximize the amount of supplies we will bring to Big Mountain, and because of the unpredictable nature of the high desert winter season, we will have at least one support vehicle and multiple drivers. This will also free riders from the weight of water, food, firewood, camping gear, and other provisions, resulting in quicker miles and, no doubt, more fun along the way.

On a symbolic level, our actions support a necessary and inevitable transition to a more sane and sustainable culture. While bicycles themselves might not be 100% sustainable, riders do embrace an environmental mindset, which balances the most good with the least harm.

From local bike shops, we are currently and very happily accepting in-kind donations for items such as extra inner tubes (both presta and shrader), extra chainlinks, patch-kits, and pre-ride tune-ups. All unused items will be promptly returned at the conclusion of the trip.

From local grocery stores, we are currently and graciously accepting food donations; in particular, fresh organic fruits, veggies, nuts, bread, and grains such as oats and rice. We will be happy to take any other donations that would be appropriate to give to the people of Black Mesa.

From outdoor/adventure type establishments, we are seeking items such as cookware, propane tanks, long underwear, energy/protein bars and any other clothing or in-kind donations of other appropriate gear.

In exchange for your generous donation, your business’s logo will appear on all our handouts, promotional material, and website: justpedal.org. Of course cash donations would be, much appreciated and used to purchase all these items and more.

For more information about the purpose of this trip, a list of needed supplies, and the people of Black Mesa, visit blackmesais.org