On Sunday, October 2, Lena Gallitano of Raleigh began a grand adventure - a 500-mile bike ride across North Carolina. The ride began in Elkin in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and will end in Corolla on the northern Outer Banks on Saturday, October 8. The ride is part of Cycle North Carolina, and Lena is challenging people and businesses to make her effort even more worthwhile by turning it into a fundraiser for Audubon North Carolina called Bike for Birds.
Lena's name will be familiar to many people active in North Carolina conservation efforts. A North Carolina native who lives in Raleigh, Lena is active with a multitude of civic and environmental organizations. An avid birder, she spearheaded the development of the North Carolina Birding Trail. She's an Audubon North Carolina board member and an active member of Wake Audubon.
Lena's bike ride fundraiser has seized the hearts of many - as of October 4, donations totaled $7,015, including a $3,000 sponsorship from Starck Van Lines. As well, Audubon North Carolina board member Bon Parker made a challenge pledge to Bike for Birds: she will match every $20 donation with a $20 donation, up to $1,000.
To make the ride really come to life, Lena has been calling us every day and updating us on her progress. Below is an account of the first few days of her big adventure.
From Lena:
Sunday
Approximately 950 people signed up for this ride, ranging in age from 5 to 83. On Sunday, our first day, we rode 69 miles. This is a really fun ride and everyone's enjoying themselves - smiles all around. We started at 7:15, and it was cold, and the wind blew pretty hard all day. Temperatures started out in the 40s and ended up in the 60s. It was hard to hear birds because of the wind, but I did manage to hear 15 species! When I saw some vultures circling overhead I kind of wondered if they were waiting for me as I struggled up a hill!
Today we biked by several sites on the NC Birding Trail and Audubon Important Bird Areas, including Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock State Parks. We got into Eden about 4:15, where we had a nice visit to a vineyard, and then a nice dinner in town. It's been a delightful day.
Monday
This is just a beautiful ride, and a very well organized event.
Monday was a gorgeous day and when we rode through Reidsville, the city had really rolled out the red carpet for us. The police stopped cars for us.
People have been so nice along the way. Volunteers run all the rest stops.
Tuesday
Today we started at 7:15 and wrapped up about 4:00. We biked 68 miles from Mebane to Henderson and I'm really glad to be in a hotel in Henderson right now! Today we rode through a lot of Piedmont rolling hills so it was a pretty long day and I'm definitely feeling some aches and pains.
We had a nice breakfast - a ham biscuit at the Depot in Hillsborough. Later in the day as we rode through Butner by some of the prisons in the area, a biker behind me pointed at the sign for Knapp of Reeds Creek waterfowl impoundment (another great birding spot) and said - "Oh, that must be a prison for waterfowl!”
I'm pretty tired tonight but tomorrow looks like we might start doing a little more downhill.
Stay tuned! Tomorrow....video!
