Meet Vince and Melissa! This dynamic duo just completed their third Climate Ride, taking on a joint Independent Challenge in beautiful Summit County. Their passion for the cause is truly inspiring. Vince, a civil engineer, and Melissa, a water resources engineer, are deeply committed to environmental sustainability, a value clearly shared by their daughter who also participates in Climate Rides. They’re excited to have already fundraised $6,000 for the cause.
Over 5 days, they took to the trails around Summit County to soak in the breathtaking fall colors of the Colorado mountains. With Melissa’s expertise in climate change modeling and Vince’s engineering background, they bring a unique perspective to the Climate Ride community. We were thrilled to have a chance to pick their brains about their ride and what inspires them to show up for our planet!
If you’d like to support their efforts, you can find them through their team page here.
Climate Ride (CR): Why’d you choose the Copper River Watershed Project as your fundraising focus for this Climate Ride? Could you tell us more about the Copper River Watershed Project and why it’s important to you?
Melissa Valentin (MV): The Copper River Watershed Project is a small but mighty nonprofit that preserves the landscape to sustain the community and protect the salmon. They accomplish this by collaborating with federal, state, and municipal agencies and the Ahtna and Eyak native corporations.
The Copper River Watershed is a rugged, wild, and pristine landscape of exceptional beauty in Southcentral Alaska that provides spawning and rearing habitat for millions of wild Pacific salmon. The basin, which is the size of West Virginia, has fewer than 3000 residents in two distinct and disconnected regions. The upper basin, characterized by a cold, arid climate with boreal forests and glacier-fed tributaries, includes the Wrangell-St Elias National Park.
The fishing town of Cordova is in the lower basin, which has a temperate climate and is the northern extent of the rainforest. The Copper River Delta, formed where the river empties into the Gulf of Alaska, is the largest contiguous wetland along the Pacific coast of North America and is a critical stopover for birds along the Pacific Flyway.
CR: The route included a variety of recreational paths, and paved roads. Did you have a favorite section or trail along the way, and what made it stand out?
Vince Valentin (VV): The undulating and sinuous recreation path around Dillon Reservoir has beautiful views and was recently identified by the NYT as one of the 5 best bike rides near water in the US.
CR: Wow! We’ll have to add that our list of places to ride! Vince, you completed a bonus ride to Breckenridge and back—what motivated you to go the extra mile?
VV: It was another beautiful day, and I felt strong, so I decided to ride a slightly alternate route that took me over the Swan Mountain pass twice.
CR: How did the 44-mile ride to Vail Pass on your second day feel? Was it your toughest day?
VV: It was indeed the longest day and with the most vertical, but very rewarding due to the beautiful weather and fall colors. And a very fun downhill from Vail Pass back down to Frisco!
CR: Melissa, can you tell us more about your work on the Copper River?
MV: I am involved in two types of work there: fish passage projects, and modeling how future climate change will impact glaciers and streamflow. I spent the past two summers in Cordova working with the Watershed Project and I have a tremendous amount of respect for the work they do. Our Colorado Climate Ride raised $4,800 for the Watershed Project and $1,200 for Climate Ride.
CR: Your family’s collective passion for the planet is clear. Have you noticed the effects of climate change on this area or elsewhere in your life?
VV: Yes, the glacier changes we‘ve observed in Alaska, the Canadian and US Rockies, the Alps, and in Patagonia are dramatic and particularly concerning.
CR: Indeed – glacier loss and the cascading effects are of huge concern. We’re glad to have folks like you stepping up to the challenge to try and mitigate climate. Thanks for all of your of your good work!
If you’d like to support the Valentins, you can make a donation here.