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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, October 6-9, 2018 The Park Record Activist ‘bikepacks’ for monuments Pedal power let Brandon Jones take his time SCOTT CONDON The Aspen Times CARBONDALE, Colo. – Carbondale resident Brandon Jones combined an epic outdoor adventure earlier this year with activism aimed at building awareness over the Trump administration’s plan to shrink three national monuments. Jones bikepacked through parts of Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada as well as Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments in Utah from mid-April through the first week of May. “I guess I had been dreaming about and romanticizing a bike tour,” he said. He tends to be more a backpacker and spends considerable time in wilderness, where mechanized uses aren’t allowed. But he figured using a bike was the most practical way to tour the vast national monuments. “Traveling by bike is such a cool way to see places,” he said. He was able to travel fast enough to cover the immense areas but could slow down and immerse himself in spectacular landscapes. Environmental activism is in the blood of Jones, 31, who has lived in the area for three years. During warm-weather months he is the conservation outings coordinator for Wilderness Workshop, the valley’s home- grown environmental organization. His day job is consulting on energy efficiency for Clean Energy Economy for the Region, better known as CLEER. For the bikepacking project, Jones wanted to study the national monuments in greater detail and share what he learned about the landscapes and their ecosystems. All three of the places he visited were targeted this year for a reduction in size. The federal government is taking public comments on the proposal now. Jones wants people to weigh in. He set his course using advice from Bikepacking Roots, a nonprofit organization that promotes backpacking, then customized the routes to fit his mission. He flew into Las Vegas and started his solo journey April 17. “Staying hydrated was my top concern,” he said. A Nevada environmental group helped him with information on how to navigate Gold Buttes. He consulted the Bureau of Land Management to pinpoint likely springs and other water sources in the Utah monuments. He rode his Salsa Fargo mountain bike, specially designed for bikepacking, for the adventure. Multiple companies provided him with gear for the journey. He carried up to 11 liters of water, in case expected sources didn’t pan out. All told, he estimated his bike weighed between 60 and 70 pounds. Jones covered all types of surfaces on his tour — paved, gravel, rough four-wheel roads and singletrack trails. He recalled one harrowing moment when he was negotiating a singletrack with exposure over the Virgin River outside of St. George when he noticed he was missing his bedroll, which had been attached to his handlebar. He backtracked and found the roll on the trail rather than over the precarious ledge. He was least familiar with Gold Butte National Monument and discovered it includes areas of critical environmental concern for desert tortoises and other wildlife. It also has cultural resources of surrounding Native American tribes. The monument is also where federal land-ownership foe Cliven Bundy grazed his cattle without paying fees and illegally diverted water, triggering a confrontation with the feds earlier this decade. Moving into Utah, Jones spent a week crossing the vast Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument and found “complete solitude” and “stunning scenery.” More than 21 species of dinosaurs have been found in the monument, some of them new discoveries, Jones said. Trump’s plans to reduce the 1.88-million-acre area to half that size will jeopardize protections for some of those areas, Jones said. Redrawing the monument’s boundaries is intended to free up more land for coal mining and natural gas extraction. The potential for extractive uses wasn’t the only thing giving Jones nightmares in Grand Staircase-Escalante. He negotiated Death Ridge Road, where he had to push rather than pedal his bike up most of the 20 miles, steep pitch covered with softball- and golf-ball sized rocks. From there, he traveled to Bears Ears National Monument, where Trump proposed to reduce 1.35 million acres by 85 percent. Poor weather forced him to cut his tour short and hightail it to Monticello before he took a final backcountry jaunt through Lockhart Basin to get to Moab on May 5. He averaged 40 miles per day in sometimes-brutal conditions and other times easy pedaling. He didn’t track his calorie intake but estimated it to be between 4,000 and 6,000 calories per day. The three weeks of travel convinced him of the value of the monuments. “The way I see it, these vast landscapes are needed for so many things — migration routes (for big game), global environmental systems, protection of the wildness of the world,” Jones said. He also feels that Native Americans must be given more control over what were once their lands. Travels took him from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Plateau and finally the montane ecosystem of the high country at Bears Ears. He sketched out his journey in a blog at rollonthunder.wordpress.com. “I feel like I connected to the landscape in a unique way,” Jones said. “I re-solidified my belief that they deserve monument designation.” B-7 1990 28 2018 2018 Committed To DEDICATED TO PARK CITY FOR 28 YEARS (435) 649-8322 theteam@parkcitytitle.com 1670 Bonanza Drive • Park Record Building BUY ONE ENTREE, GET 2ND ONE FREE (Equal or Lesser Value) WITH A PURCHASE OF ANY APPETIZER. 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This black and white Domestic Shorthair is about a year old, and she loves to play and explore! Bubbles gets along well with other cats and loves people! She’s sure to bring lots of fun to her forever home! Mao is a 10-year-old female Domestic Longhair. She has a lovely bluish grey coat and stunning green eyes that give her a regal look. She likes to be petted and likes to chase toys on a string. She would do best in a calm environment with adults and no young children. Sugar Pie is ready for some snuggles! This sweet-as-can-be Domestic Medium Hair is looking for her perfect forever home. She’d love a family that will give her lots of attention and chin scritches. Sugar Pie is sure to be a wonderful companion and friend for years to come! Pam is a petite 2-year-old Domestic Shorthair with striking green eyes and a beautiful dilute tortoiseshell coat. She may be a bit shy at first, but she is a sweet girl once she warms up. Pam’s a gentle and mellow cat who will make a loving companion for years to come. Eddie Josie Kodak Theo Eddie is an outgoing 7-year-old Spaniel mix. Eddie has done well with other dogs but prefers a home without cats. Because Eddie is a little hard of hearing and can be startled easily, he would do best in a home without small kids. Meet Josie, a 1-year-old cattle dog mix. This gorgeous gal is looking for a loving home with someone who can give her some confidence and make her feel special! She can be timid at times but is very sweet. Josie is good around cats and is dog-selective. Kodak is a petite Chihuahua mix who is about 2 years old. She is a sweet little gal who needs a peaceful home with no other pets and no children. Kodak has had some basic training and would be a great companion for someone who can help her feel safe and loved. Meet Theo, a cattle dog mix who is just shy of a year old. This handsome boy prefers a home with older children and would do best as an only pet. He has a lot of youthful energy and would make a great on leash running/hiking partner. WaNted: voluNteerS These Organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words EATS Park City EATS Park City is dedicated to working with the school district and community to improve the school-lunch program using education as the foundation for change. School volunteers are needed to help with programs like lunchtime taste tests, cooking classes, and community events. Give an hour a week or a few hours a month to support interesting and fun ways to increase Park City children’s healthy habits. Contact eatspc@gmail.com to get involved. Girl Scouts Be the Girl Scout volunteer she’ll always remember. As a volunteer with a Girl Scout troop, you’ll introduce girls to new experiences that make every day feel like the best day ever. At every turn you’ll be their cheerleader, guide and mentor, helping them develop the skills and confidence that will last long after the meetings are over. For more information, visit http://www.gsutah.org/en/ volunteer-role-model.html or call Heather Smith at 801-716-5109. Guide Dogs for the Blind Guide Dogs for the Blind needs puppy raisers and sitters. Volunteers provide a nurturing, well-rounded, social environment for puppies 8 weeks old to 15 months. Guide Dogs for the Blind supports raisers and sitters with organized weekly training and socialization meetings. Basic equipment and complete veterinary care is provided for the puppies while with their raisers. Meetings are Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Park City/Heber areas. Contact Stefanie at 435-657-0760 for meeting location or questions; Facebook/ SummitGuideDogs, or www.guidedogs.com. Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Wasatch Counties Habitat for Humanity invites you build sustainable, healthy and af- fordable housing as a ReStore volunteer. Do you love to tinker and fix things? Find treasures? Are you looking for a regular volunteer opportunity that is fun and makes a lasting difference for local families? Immediate opportunities include cashier, merchandising, and customer ambassador roles. For more information call 435658-1400 or visit habitat-utah.org. Help Eliminate Alzheimer’s The Alzheimer’s Association’s Utah Chapter has many opportunities available for volunteers to raise awareness and promote community events. Areas of particular need are community education, outreach, research, social media, public policy, communications and development. Positions can also be created depending on interest and passion. Many positions are virtual. Please contact Ronnie Daniel, executive director: rdaniel@alz.org. Holy Cross Ministries Holy Cross Ministries has openings for volunteers in both the School Readiness Program (3 to 5-year-olds at St. Mary’s White Pine Canyon, Mondays-Thursdays, 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m.) and in after-school homework help sessions at Parleys Park, Jeremy Ranch and McPolin Elementary programs which run 3-5:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays. School Readiness will benefit from persons willing to read and work at small group centers. Please contact Miriam Garcia (mgarcia@hcmutah.org) for more information on the School Readiness Program. Contact Franz Montalvo (fmontalvo@hcmutah.org) for information on the After-School Program. For a full list of volunteer opportunities, visit parkrecord.com/volunteers |