Columbine District Employee honored by Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge

Release Date: Jun 20, 2014

More than 2,100 federal riders across the country participated this May in the 2014 Federal Bike-To-Work Challenge (400 of which were new bike commuters). The national program encourages federal workers to use pedal power, rather than fossil fuels, for commuting to work.

Altogether, this year’s participants commuted 266,085 miles by bikes, saving about the same number of pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. Out of all the teams and riders across the country, the San Juan National Forest is proud to announce that Kate Shepherd, who works in our Bayfield Columbine Ranger District, was selected as this year’s Most Inspirational Rider.

Kate Shepherd has bike-commuted between Vallecito and Bayfield for 15 years, navigating a round trip of 26 miles of county roads and crossing US Highway 160. Her commute averages out to 130 miles a week, which inspired her fellow team riders during the May bike challenge. Kate’s team members estimate conservatively, that she has logged 39,000 miles over her years of bike commuting. Kate bikes in all weather conditions – rain, sleet, snow, high winds, with only very low temperatures forcing her off her bike.

“Kate’s dodged herds of elk, deer, turkeys, and herds of sheep during sheep trailing, not to mention sheep droppings on the road,” said co-worker Laurie Robison. “Most of the locals know her, but not her name, because she’s always visible on the road.”