CCL Co-Regional Coordinator Mindy Ahler is riding across the United States, with Ryan Hall. They will travel through 13 states, engaging in climate conversations along the route, and arriving in Washington, DC, on November 13. The following is an excerpt from Minnesota Public Radio’s report on their Low Carbon Crossings ride.

Standing in her backyard earlier this week, Mindy Ahler helped a protégé decide what to take on their 4,000-mile bike trek across the country.

“How many extra tubes?” Ryan Hall asked Ahler as they packed their bike bags with essentials for the next 11 weeks. “Think this [tiffin box] will come in handy?”

Hall, 23 and a three-time AmeriCorps volunteer from suburban Detroit, isn’t just interested in how an avid cycler prepares for the ride of a lifetime. He’s also learning about the version of climate change evangelism for which Ahler and her partner, Paul Thompson, have dedicated their lives.

“How about the pope’s encyclical?” Hall says, holding up a copy of the document Pope Francis released last year that calls for sustainability and action on climate change. “I was thinking I might mark it up and give it to someone.”

After consulting Ahler, Hall decides the PDF on her smartphone will do. Besides, Ahler and Thompson prefer a different canvassing style — inspiring climate change action through their passion for outdoor recreation, often on an epic scale.

For the full MPR report, including more photos, and audio, click here.