Dispatches from the Field & Project Summaries
CRMS
December 17, 2009
About half way between
Salt Lake and Carbondale, our first destination at the Carbondale Rocky Mountain School, we stopped to fill up and noticed that our just purchased used vehicle, was smoking and emitting a horrible smell. Having just inspected the car and repaired some questionable areas we were sure this was a fluke. The car cooled down and we proceeded. Not long after we stopped again. The car was over heating. A mechanic was not able to find anything wrong but mentioned that there was mysteriously oil and coolant 
covering the entire belly of the car. We were told to replace a cap and be on our way.
In the nick of time, sun setting, cold nearing and clock ticking, we met with Linda waving us into the parking lot at CRMS. We couldn’t have arrived on a better evening to join the school. They were holding their annual “Garden Dinner,” serving the entire school, staff and parents with a delicious meal all made from their hard working hands!
The Trailhead
December 17, 2009
As you may have 
suspected, the car needed a little help. The next day as it was being repaired our rental car got us through the aspens, over Independence Pass and straight through to the Trailhead.
Keith, Evelyn, and their precious, furry friend, Prana, were there waiting with welcoming arms. Since taking over ownership of this small, local outdoor retail shop, The Trailhead, five years ago, 
Keith and Evelyn have been heavily involved not only in spreading the word about outdoor activity, including their famous 54 14,000 ft. peaks, but also making sure that the town and wilderness area of Buena Vista continue their traditions of living sustainably.
Having learned of our recent car trouble,
long drive back into town and time restraints, Keith and Evelyn opened up their home to us as well. That evening we stayed up chatting and they recommended that we check out an area of town that had beautiful terrain and a new walkable, sustainable community. Kyle and I were psyched to check out the world-renowned kayaking area and enjoyed an early morning walk along the Arkansas River. As things would happen in a small town, we ran into Dustin and Katie, founders of South Main, the new development we heard being spoken so highly of. Whether you’re looking for a place to settle down or a great vacation spot, check out 
this innovative, sustainable development at www.southmainco.com.
To say the least, Buena Vista is a leader in sustainability, outdoor adventure and lasting friendships!
Sierra Designs
December 17, 2009
Who knew?! Snow 
in October! Colorado had definitely surprised us, but we couldn’t have imagined ski resorts would be opening before Halloween! Kyle was naturally a little desirous to hit the slopes 
Thankfully Sierra Designs lent us a hand. We were greeted by Sue Edmiston’s warm smile and immediately were given the tour; Design, Women’s apparel, even the repair 
shop let us take a peek. After they showed us their creative process, we showed them what GLP is all about. Of course being the outdoor enthusiasts that they are, they had more challenging questions than the teenagers we were used to presenting to, but at the end of the day we were all happy to be working together to promote sustainability
initiatives, and Kyle and I were happy to know that we would stay warm in our down sleeping bags in the cold nights to come!
New Mexico
December 17, 2009
In Santa Fe, NM, if the 
city building regulations are not enough of a reminder of living in an environmentally friendly community, then its’ community members are there to set the example. We stared the week arriving at The Wildlife Center in Espanola, pronounced Es-pan-ola, not to be confused with the Spanish pronunciation Beginning their own education program this year, the Wildlife Center works to promote wildlife conservation.
Just down the road in Santa Fe, we hit the Travel Bug, a local coffee and travel bookstore. Of course it wouldn’t be our style to arrive without difficulty. After our GPS routed us to the old address, we arrived as the clock struck 5pm. Knowing our luck, we had heard that NM time was a bit slower than others, but not this night! Everyone was early and already listening to a backup video in the off-chance we didn’t show. Luckily the audience was just happy we were there and with plenty of participation and interest they remained captivated for our presentation. The funny thing about Santa Fe was that we continued to run into audience members throughout our stay. We bumped into each other while biking and site seeing, proving this is a community that walks the walk and talks the talk.
While we were there, 
our awesome host, and old childhood friend, Piper, treated us to her very own BackroadPizza. With our bellies full we headed toward Las Vegas, New Mexico that is. Or so we thought…
As we got off the highway we drove by the overpass and ran into a toll booth looking barricade with the word “MEXICO” across the top. I have to admit that we were stumped for a second, and then saw the “movie set” sign!
That night we met Ben at Highlands University and were honored to present in their beautiful historic theatre. Ben, along with other students at the university are busy working to spread the word of sustainability through their many campus groups, movie nights, and green week every spring. Highlands was a great venue and surrounded by a small community with a hometown feel.
After camping at the Storrie Lake State Park and warming up in the local, natural, and free hot springs, we were on the road again…
Navajo Preparatory School
December 17, 2009
Getting out of the cold, 
or so we thought, we hit Great Sand Dunes National Park on our way to New Mexico. Passing large solar fields on the road reminded us of the enormous potential of wind and solar energy and are grateful that we are on a tour promoting sustainability.
By the time we got to the Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, NM we were not surprised that not only 
had we brought the snow with us, the amount of which they hadn’t seen in over a decade, but their electricity had gone out as well! Not to worry we thought, we’ll wait. In the meantime we got a great tour of the school from several Navajo students. Kevin Keeley, the science teacher who invited us, had been busy. He helped in starting several green initiatives including “The Energizers,” a student group
focused on sustainability. During our tour we saw their greenhouse, garden, grow boxes and were introduced to their newest building on campus which is LEED certified. Helping these Navajo children make a connection between their Navajo backgrounds and their futures, “Keeley” as he is affectionately referred to, consistently ties sustainability lessons to the surrounding reservations and the present politics involving local coal plants. Hearing the kids talk about their ancestry, their current education
and walking through the schools’ traditional Navajo Hogan, really resonated with us; whether it is around the globe or in our daily lives, sustainability is not a new concept, but rather an idea, capturing the essence of life and to preserve that for generations to come.
Gearing Up
December 17, 2009
As you can imagine 
anyone traveling across country, or at least the western region of the United States covering 7 states, over 5,000 miles and thousands of people, we had a long journey ahead of us!
After having packed up our goods and having put them in storage, letting go of most of our material possessions, and holding back the tears as we bid our awesome, little Boston Terrier, Luna, farewell we picked up our Subaru and started working, hitting three schools in the first week throughout the Salt Lake area. Kyle and I felt confident we were prepared for the journey ahead having already presented to120 audience 
members from ages 11-18, geared up from our trusty Keen, Gregory and Timberland sponsors, and best wishes from family and friends, our challenges were behind us, only the open road and adventure on the horizon!
Reading this you may be all the wiser and can foresee our near future…Dun, dun, dun…
The day before we hit the road our computer crashed… the computer that held all of our newly updated programs for our presentation. After staying up all night trying to troubleshoot, Kyle found a specialty store that would reboot it first thing in the morning. Without a second to spare, we hit the road in the early morning.