Comments on: Backcountry Skiing News Roundup

By: Lou

Lou — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 14:43:55 +0000

Thanks Conor, an excellent and reasoned reply to my take! Nice to see you realize veggie fuels have their limits. Like I said in my blog post, what you’re doing is cool and works to the extent it’s appropriate.

As for your Merc, I’d still like to see you in a nice Dodge diesel truck (grin).

By: Conor Hurley

Conor Hurley — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 05:19:26 +0000

Hello everyone,

I am glad that my little endeavour has sparked a bit of a discussion. There have been some great points made and I am happy to see that there are so many people that are aware of the boons and the banes of alternative fuels.

Let me fill you in with my take on the matter.

First and foremost, waste vegetable oil (WVO) and biodiesel are not the solution to the whole problem; but there is a fair amount of wvo out there, and for those of us who want to be resourceful, it is a viable solution for our personal fuel consumption. However, there is not enough wvo or biodiesel out there to fuel our nation’s rate of petro-diesel consumption. Secondly, the production of biodiesel from plant matter, be it canola, soy or what have you, is extremely inefficient. Commiting our valuable croplands to fuel production would be a bad choice in my mind. Even if we did commit all our croplands to fuel crops, we still would not be able to produce enough fuel to satisfy our rate of consumption.

In terms of my personal life, it is a viable solution. At home, I use B-100 (100% biodiesel) as a start up and shutdown fuel and run wvo the rest of the time. I know where my fuel comes from and I do my part in reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. It makes me feel good and that is what matters to me. Frankly, I don’t care what others chose to do, as all I am concerned with is living my life in the most sustainable way possible.

Why drive a 1982 Mercedes-Benz 240D? For the status? For the prestige? Sorry, but neither of those are the case. 240D’s are about the easiest car in the world to work on. I do all of my own mechanical work, so for me, having simple car to work on is key. Secondly, how many half-a-million mile cars do you know of? I know of several 240D’s that have surpased that milestone. They are also fairly fuel efficient, 31 mpg unloaded; however, I am getting about 25mpg with the box on the roof. Lastly, I felt buying a 24 year old car was a more sustainable choice than buying a new vehicle.

The carbon cycle has already been mentioned, so I won’t bother getting into it. I will reiterate the fact that burning wvo doesn’t produce any net carbon emmissons, due to the carbon cycle.

Believe me, while I was scheming up this trip, I did consider taking my truck. In my other life, I am a carpenter and I have a work truck which runs on wvo. However, it is a pig when it comes to fuel consumption. It was a much more socially responsible decision to drive my Mercedes. The Alaskan camper cap or any of its kin rub me the wrong way; they fit right into our consumer culture. What is wrong with using what I have roughing it a little bit? I’ve got a bed, I’ve got a stove and I have a set of wheels, so what more do I need?

I do agree the 240D may not be the most capable vehicle in the world when it comes to navigating snow covered roads. However chains and driving like an old man have managed to get me over the river and through the woods. I am out here to ski, so would so terrible if I had to skin in a few extra miles to get to some skiing?

Those are my two cents. I do look forward to bumping into those who are interested over the course of the winter. I would be happy to show you any of the modifications that I have done to my car as well.

Take it easy,
Conor

By: Lou

Lou — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 18:39:23 +0000

So Jason, are you saying a publication located in a small town and run by few people is somehow superior? I’d agree with that and kudos to Backcountry Magazine for pulling it off, but where does that place the New York Times in your view? Is the NYT inferior?

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 18:01:00 +0000

TIM CARROLL: Do you know anything about anyone at Backcountry Magazine? My guess is you don’t. The company is located in an extremely small town in northern vt by a couple of people who just want to make a living doing what they love.

You state: “Backcountry Magazine, the magazine for the city dweller who wants to appear to be someone who spends time in the outdoors.”

I’m sure the editors really care about catering to city dwellers (eyes rolling).

Also, where is the prestige in a $1,200 car that is as old as most posters on here?

By: Mike Geraci

Mike Geraci — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 03:55:50 +0000

Lou, in the beginning of the conversations about the shuttle, there was a fundemental disagreement between us and the USFS over whether we would need a USFS permit to operate the shuttle…our position was that we didn’t need a permit because our primary objective was not to generate income, which is one of the key determining factors under USFS guidelines for permitting. The USFS’s position was that it was a brand marketing vehicle and thus required permits, and our position was…in the end, the combination of enthusiastic community support and what everyone agreed upon was a very real need for a shuttle service convinced the USFS to work with us to find a way out of that gray area.

Once we navigated that issue, I was asked to run our plan by WYDOT and the Wyoming Highway Patrol…again, this was late February, and we decided to punt.

In retrospect, this might have been a one shot opportunity, with one company, Backcountry.com (client plug) willing to completely fund the operation. Any other party that wants to do it for profit will need a permit and when that happens you can enter into the always pleasant realm of an EA and the associated political pressures.