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On November 7, 2013, a small but powerful group of climate justice leaders gathered in a light rain outside the White House to demand that President Obama intervene to stop the construction of Keystone XL’s 485-mile southern leg. Upon our arrival at Lafayette Square, we were told the quadrant of the park permitted for our action was suddenly being closed off. When asked why, the Park Police officer on his bike refused to say. In Orwellian fashion, he described their ability to open and close the park at will as “democracy in action.”

So we gathered under a beautiful tree on the other side of the park. Here are my opening remarks: “Weis Addresses Climate Leaders Outside White House Demanding KXL’s Southern Leg Be Stopped.” Emphasizing that everyone there was also united against Keystone’s proposed northern leg, I pointed out that while most of the national environmental groups have been focused almost exclusively on that, the southern, and most dangerous, leg of Keystone XL has gotten 95% built.

Describing the Obama administration’s cynical handling of the Keystone issue as “bait-and-switch,” I explained how the president first postponed a decision on the pipeline’s northern leg in November of 2011, only to turn around several months later and direct his administration to fast track construction of the pipeline’s southern leg. I also shared that TransCanada wants, but does not need, Keystone’s northern leg to begin pumping more than half a million barrels of toxic tar sands daily from Alberta’s mine fields to Texas port refineries by the end of this year.

Here are some of us at the White House gate holding up a banner that gives President Obama ownership of the pipeline’s southern leg for having directed his administration to fast track its construction in 2012. The land pictured being destroyed belongs to Texas landowner Michael Bishop, who was unable to join us in Washington, DC due to a family medical emergency.

Here’s the statement Michael Bishop asked me to read in his absence: “TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline has destroyed my property and the future of my children and grandchildren and was approved and promoted by President Obama. This was done in spite of countless Americans and people across the world protesting the dangers of tar sands mining. When politicians put big business and corporate lobbyists ahead of public health and safety and refuse to hear the concerns of those who elected them, it is time for action. Climate change is real and I stand with scientists and many other Americans, and especially with Tom Weis, in challenging this administration to stop speaking out of both sides of their mouth and to take a stand against this pipeline being completed. The climate crisis demands that all tar sands development in Canada be stopped. This administration must wake up to the lion at our doorstep.”

I concluded with a promising update on Mike Bishop’s lawsuits to stop the southern leg, and by paying tribute to the courageous members of Tar Sands Blockade and Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance who not only put their bodies on the line, but “threw their bodies into the machine,” to stop Keystone XL’s construction.

Dr. Harvard Ayers, Chairman of Arctic Voices, spoke next about his recent visit to Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, where he witnessed first hand the destruction of tar sands mining and heard the stories of the Cree people and Athabasca people who live in villages downstream from where the toxic mining is occurring. He spoke about cancer clusters and other terrible diseases that have decimated First Nations communities. He described massive reservoirs filled with toxins that are leaking into the Athabasca River, which flows downstream to Fort Chippewa, poisoning the fish and other wildlife Native people hunt and fish for sustenance. He described the scale of the destruction from tar sands mining as even worse than mountaintop removal mining, which he knows all too well, living in the Appalachians. He said he has “never seen so much fraud… There’s trillions of dollars involved here. Keep in mind trillions, that’s with a ‘T’. That’s how much money is involved here and this is exactly the reason it’s happening.”

Next up was Kent Lebsock with Owe Aku (“Bring Back the Way”), an organization of Lakota Sioux people whose territory and sacred water is threatened by Keystone XL’s proposed northern leg (before the event, Kent conducted a Native ceremony in Lafayette Park to bless our gathering). Kent expressed some strategic differences of opinion over emphasizing the southern, versus northern, leg of the pipeline, along with his belief that petitions, legislation and lawsuits don’t work if they aren’t what the government wants. He urged nonviolent direct action by everyone who is serious about stopping Keystone XL, while also emphasizing that Owe Aku allies with many kinds of people using many kinds of strategies, saying people ultimately need to follow their own hearts. (Owe Aku is currently conducting nonviolent direct action training through a program called “Moccasins on the Ground” to prepare people to put their bodies on the line if TransCanada attempts to come through Lakota territory.).

You can watch some of our give and take here: “Owe Aku’s Kent Lebsock & Tom Weis Talk Stopping KXL at the White House.” Kent made the point that it’s not event size that matters, reminding everyone that tens of thousands of people across the continent are united with us in their opposition to Keystone XL and other extreme methods of fossil fuel exploitation. Welcoming the airing of strategic differences, I restated my commitment (as someone who participated in “Moccasins on the Ground”) to preventing the tar sands pipeline from crossing Lakota territory. I also reiterated my view that stopping the pipeline that’s being built right now needs to be priority #1.

Talking about the Cowboy & Indian Alliance that has been formed to stop Keystone, Kent said to knowing laughter, “The joke in Indian Country today amongst Red Nations people is you all are the new Indians. They’ve been taking our land for hundreds of years, so welcome to the reservation.” Emphasizing that stopping Keystone XL, or even tar sands development, is not enough, and that we need to transition off of fossil fuels as quickly as possible, I closed by saying if the Obama administration could conjure up a way to start the pipeline’s construction, they can surely conjure up a way to stop it.

As we prepared for the petition delivery, I shared my plans to occupy the White House sidewalk to bear witness to this gross injustice: “White House Less Eager to Arrest Activist This Time.” My intention was to bear witness until we had a change in the heart of the man occupying the White House or until I was hauled away by security officials. Neither happened.

While attempting to deliver our petition at the White House gates, we were informed by security that the White House only (rarely) accepts hand-delivered petitions that have been coordinated in advance with White House staff. I fully expected this, but figured we would take our chances, knowing how popular our cause would be with White House staff. We were told to drop the petition in the mail, which I later did. I wonder if we’ll receive the courtesy of even a form letter response from the White House this time around. The last time I delivered a citizen petition to the Obama White House after pedaling 2,500 miles from Colorado, we didn’t.

Following this, we moved to the sidewalk in front of the White House, where two climate champions, Dan Choi and Harvard Ayers, volunteered to hold up our banner while I sat down on the sidewalk. It wasn’t long before a Park Police officer confronted all three of us (pictured here), sternly warning that we would be arrested if we didn’t move. By now, a NBC News cameraman was on the scene filming the action. Harvard and Dan slowly moved with the banner, while I held my ground on the sidewalk. This went on for quite some time.

Dan eventually walked over to security officials to tell them I had no intention of moving. They told him they did not want to arrest me. It’s no secret that White House officials typically go to great lengths not to arrest protesters to avoid media coverage critical of the president, and security officials were acutely aware of NBC’s live video feed taking place. I also had a demonstration permit, to legally protect others involved in our action.

Harvard and I then proceeded to stand in place, holding the banner up against the White House fence (pictured here), with the NBC cameraman still filming. This, too, went on for quite some time, with no reaction from security. Feeling like we could do this forever, we eventually left, but not before I spoke with a friendly Secret Service agent who told me he remembered loading me into the paddy wagon on day one of the 2012 Keystone XL action outside the White House when 1,253 people were arrested (that time, I spent two nights in jail as part of the Obama administration’s failed attempt to intimidate future waves of KXL protesters). The agent offered to ask Park Police about the possibility of doing a “staged arrest,” but that not feeling authentic, I demurred. I want to extend a special thanks to Ann Wilcox for being our legal observer on the scene.

I am extremely grateful to everyone who signed our petition – and especially to those who participated in this historic event – for demanding that Keystone XL be stopped IN ITS ENTIRETY. By speaking truth to power, you have helped invigorate the fight to stop Keystone XL’s southern leg. Coinciding with our action, and in the days immediately following, organizations and leaders that have been sitting on the sidelines have finally begun speaking out in support of Mike’s lawsuits, any one of which could stop this tar sands monster in its tracks. As the great humanitarian Margaret Mead so famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

In case you only read the headline, I wasn’t serious about ending the ride 30 miles short of our goal. And I was just kidding about challenging the president to a bike race to the White House.

Got up early, packed up and knocked out the final 11 miles of the C&O Canal Trail. Then rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, taking this photo to document our arrival in Washington, DC.

Next up: some rest, then final preparations for Thursday’s noon event outside the White House.

Check out the reflections (pictured here) of the fall colors on the Potomac River taken from my campsite. At the riverbank this morning, was treated to the sight of a bald eagle soaring majestically overhead in the direction I was headed. Good omen for the day.

May have set a new trike speed record pedaling the 16 miles of muddy, rutted trail to the Great Falls Visitor Center, where I found a closed concession stand with an outside outlet to recharge the laptop (as you have probably discerned by now, finding recharge stations is critical). Took a stroll down the crowded boardwalk to behold the splendor of Great Falls (pictured here).

Today was the best day of the trip by far for engaging people one-on-one. After four nights in a row camping out, with very little human contact, had a great reintroduction to civilization at Great Falls. People flocking to the park on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon were all but lining up to take photos of the trike, curious about where I was headed in my mud spattered craft. It was incredibly heartwarming to meet so many people who not only knew about Keystone XL’s southern leg, but enthusiastically supported it being stopped. Maybe instead of pedaling all this way, I should have just put the trike on public display here 3 weeks ago!

After lots of great conversation, rolled a couple of miles to the last hiker/biker campsite on the trail, Marsden Tract (feast your eyes on these fall colors). It was nice to not be the only person in the campground for a change. A Cub Scout troop had pitched camp nearby, so instead of the usual silence, there were happy voices ringing out as I wrote this blog.

With this being my last night on the trail, had to have one last campfire (pictured here). Pedaled 19 miles closer to the White House today. Only 11 more miles to go.

Rained through the night. Woke up again this morning to the sound of raindrops on the fly, but once again, it stopped as I started to stir, making for an effortless pack-up. Couldn’t have asked for better cooperation from the weather on this journey.

Removing the fly from the tent, discovered a host of spiders and other critters that had taken up residence on the tent’s surface overnight. Seeing them all was truly a National Geographic moment. Rolled under this downed tree (pictured here) on the way out of camp in the morning.

The wind from last night’s storm brought down some branches (pictured here), which I had to carry the trike over. Fortunately, no large downed trees blocked the path.

Grabbed some lunch, recharged the laptop and re-supplied at White’s Ferry Grille for the final stretch. The owner hooked me up with a generous discount to accommodate the dwindling bills in my wallet. Really appreciate it, Mike!

Then took the Historic White’s Ferry across the river. Not that I needed to get to the other side (I didn’t), but it’s not everyday you get this kind of transport, so had to experience it in the rocket trike. Here’s a short video I took: “Rocket Trike Ferrying Across Potomac.”

Mid-afternoon, I declared the ride over after 485 miles of pedaling, despite still being 30 miles from the White House and decided to call the White House to ask them to meet me on the C&O Canal Towpath to pick up the petition at mile marker 30 (pictured here). In the hopes that President Obama might come out to pick it up himself, I’m offering the president a wager. He can pick any bike he wants and I will pedal the rocket trike over the muddy, rutted towpath trail in a 30-mile race to the White House. If the president wins, I will call off our Nov. 7 event outside the White House. If I win, President Obama will “direct his administration to cut through the red tape, break through the bureaucratic hurdles, and make stopping the southern leg of the Keystone pipeline a priority, to go ahead and get it done.” I’m willing to make a wager of this nature on something so serious for the simple reason that I know I would win — because I’m riding for more than he is. See the challenge for yourself here: “Ride Declared Over 30 Miles Short of Goal, President Obama Challenged to Bike Race.”

OK, I’m just kidding. I’m pedaling the last 30 miles of the journey. I’m not going to ask the White House to come out and pick up the petition, and I certainly don’t expect President Obama to hop on a bike and race me to the White House. But I’m not kidding about who would win.

To mark the 485th mile, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the more than 7,000 people who have taken such a principled stand in signing the petition to stop the construction of Keystone XL’s southern leg. It has been a privilege and an honor to carry the petition to the White House on your behalf. Please join us at noon on Nov. 7 outside the White House if you can. Stay tuned here for more details.

An easy 13 mile day brought me to my campsite for the night, Chisel Branch, where I decided to forego a fire and hit the hay early.

With billboards along rivers a pretty uncommon site these days, had to get a shot of this one. It’s at the headwaters of a stunningly picturesque stretch of the Potomac River a few miles upstream from historic Harpers Ferry. The river rock garden was so beautiful, I had to turn around and capture some of it on video: “Potomac Rock Garden.”

A little further down the trail, walked across the railroad bridge to Harpers Ferry to get some breakfast, recharge the laptop and get some work done. But mostly wanted to memorialize one of the more controversial public figures in our nation’s history: John Brown (the tactics he chose are not the tactics I choose, but I wasn’t alive then facing down the scourge of slavery).

Harpers Ferry is where John Brown and his Raiders led an unsuccessful raid on the federal armory that ended in his capture, conviction and death by hanging. Defiant to the very end, John Brown not only predicted the hostilities to come, but played a major role in starting the Civil War, which ended in the abolition of slavery. Here’s a video I took: “Memorializing John Brown.”

This is how the National Park Service, that installed the John Brown Monument and the John Brown Fort, described the firebrand abolitionist and his Raiders:

“Twenty-one men followed John Brown to Harpers Ferry. Twenty-one individuals with different backgrounds and occupations, rich, poor, black, white, some born free and others born into bondage; men with many differences joined in one common goal – to end slavery. Knowing the risks, they joined Brown’s Provisional Army and sixteen gave their lives with the hope that four million slaves would one day be free.”

Pedaling through the woods gives one lots of time for personal reflection, and as this fourth, and final, Ride for Renewables begins to wind down, I decided to share some of mine. It feels only fitting to be pedaling down a leaf covered trail as I enter the autumn season of my life. I don’t mind sharing that turning 50 was rough, particularly knowing that time is slipping away and that you probably have fewer days ahead of you than you have behind you. You also realize that you no longer have endless time to do everything you’ve dreamed of doing in this life. One thing I have decided to do with my time is to take a stand against the transnational corporate bully called TransCanada.

Today also felt like the right time to announce the Pro-Earth movement, something I’ve been thinking about for some time, and an idea I first publicly shared to a very warm reception at a gathering in support of civil rights leader Lt. Dan Choi this past spring. I believe it is time for a new social movement, one that transcends the “environmental” movement. I hope you will watch and share this video, where I talk about the Pro-Earth movement in some detail, and share some other personal reflections: “Birthing the Pro-Earth Movement While Reflecting on Life’s Seasons.”

By their very nature, large bureaucratic institutions sometimes lose their edge, stray from their mission, and start becoming part of the political system they were created to change. We are running out of time to save humanity, and the Big Green groups are simply not enough to get the job done. We need a movement that is bigger and more inclusive. So I am inviting every human being who values clean water, fresh air, healthy food and a climate that supports life to join the Pro-Earth movement. There are no dues to pay, no place to join, other than in your own heart. For those who are ready to get beyond labels like “environmentalist,” let’s work together to create a future where the human family walks down a path based on love and mutual respect. And let’s ask our Native bothers and sisters to help us find our way back to living at peace with the Earth.

Anyone who has closely read my blogs of years past knows that hawks have been my constant companions on past rides. This journey, it’s been spiders. Orange translucent ones, miniscule brown ones, spiky ones with bright yellow backs, and too many jumping spiders to count. This afternoon, one (pictured here) dropped in on his/her web seemingly out of nowhere to visit.

Arriving at my campsite, two more jumping spiders (one pictured here) weren’t bashful about hopping onto my leg. Not to be left out, two Daddy Long Legs (which aren’t spiders, but look like it) joined the party. A little later, while setting up my tent, another curious jumping spider appeared, which I has to shoo away to protect it from being crushed. I enjoy company, but this was getting to be a bit much.

I’ve always been a big fan of spiders and welcome them living in my home. Any creature that can singlehandedly spin a web with the tensile strength of steel has my admiration and respect. What better time than Halloween to celebrate spiders and dispel some of the fear that surrounds these fascinating beings?

Ended an easy ride day 20 miles down the trail at the “Indian” Flats Hiker/Biker Campsite. Met Scott (pictured here), a fellow through cyclist (Pittsburgh to DC) who rolled by on his way down the trail as I was setting up camp. As you can see, there’s more than one way to lug your gear.

Enjoyed another campfire before retiring. As if to punctuate the night, an owl in a nearby tree gave out a spooky Halloween hoot as I was finishing this post in my tent.

Day 17: Was awakened this morning by the sound of raindrops splattering on the tent fly. In a few minutes, the rain stopped and the sun emerged. I always seem blessed with good weather on these rides, and am grateful for it. A few miles down the trail, rolled by the historic McMahon’s Mill (pictured here), an old grist mill with a water wheel.

A little while later, came across a stretch of trail that was not here when I came through in 2010. Then, I had to do a long detour. Now, I used the opportunity of the smooth concrete surface to have a little fun, which you can watch here: “Speed Racing Along Potomac River.”

Encountered another aqueduct crossing, this one with a much narrower, and more uneven, surface. This short video provides a bugs eye view of the careful crossing. Notice how close I come to the edge making the first turn: “Bugs Eye View of Aqueduct Crossing.”

Midday, hopped off the trail into the sleepy little burg of Shepherdstown, where I spent a few hours at a local coffee shop recharging the laptop and catching up on emails. Picked up some Chinese carryout on my way out of town. As much as I like freeze dried food (seriously), its nice to have fresh food on the trail when you can.

About 4 miles from camp, came across a location I visited when I rolled through here in 2010. Not sure if it’s a cave, or an old mine, but was told by a local resident back in 2010 it was a hideout for escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. It true, this is a fascinating and powerful part of our nation’s history and there needs to be an informational marker here. I took this video entering the cave: “Cave Part of Underground Railroad?”

Set up camp at the Huckelberry Hill site mere feet from the Potomac. At dusk, saw a huge fish jump out of the water upstream with a splash that echoed across the water. Has me wondering what it was. The river here has a strong earthy smell, I’m guessing from the fall leaves and other detritus decaying in the water. I like it.

Intentionally slowing down the pace of the ride to focus on DC preparations, but still pedaled 27 miles closer to the White House today. Saw a few other cyclists out on the trail today, but not many. Have the campsite all to myself (again). Staying warm with another campfire. It’s good to be alive.