Category Archives: Team Spotlight

Die Mannschaft is “The Team”

With a name like Die Mannschaft (German for “The Team”) this Clear the Air Challenge team was destined for success. Coupled with the fact that this team is just that – a couple – and you have a perfect combination of motivation and team spirit.

“Air quality is a big issue for us,” says Ericka Rock, one half of the two member team. “We feel it is extremely important to live in and breathe clean air. If we all used our legs a little more, we could make a big difference both locally and globally.”

Die Mannschaft is the perfect example of how a little planning and support can go a long way towards clearing the air.

Every week the dedicated couple plans out their weekly travel schedules in order to allow enough time to choose an alternative to driving alone. Weekly plans are set together on Sundays, and re-evaluated daily to allow for flexibility.

The couple uses a wide variety of TravelWise strategies to drive down their miles, although the two strategies most often used are active transportation (biking and walking) and taking public transit.

“Although these modes of transportation take a little more time, the extrinsic benefits are wonderful!” said Rock. “We have been able to read, exercise and relax during our commute.”

By participating in the Clear the Air Challenge, the couple – who do own a car – have found it to be much easier than they thought to live without one. According to Rock, “We find joy in leaving our car in the garage for as many days as possible.”

Ericka and Kurt - the Die Mannschaft team

Do you have a Clear the Air Challenge story you’d like to share? We’re always looking for stories from everyday residents doing what they can to clear the air!

Send us an email with your story and you might end up on our website (or even with a grand prize!)

Wasatch Frontrunner Front Run Successfully Completed
By Bob Adler

Ever since UTA’s Frontrunner passenger rail system opened, a small group of us has considered trying a Wasatch Frontrunner Front Run. The idea: run from Salt Lake City to the Farmington Frontrunner station mainly on trails and dirt roads, and return to the starting point entirely by train (Frontrunner and TRAX), thus taking advantage of public transit to complete such a long trail run without driving lots of miles to shuttle cars. Partly in honor of the Clear the Air Challenge co-sponsored by Mayors Becker and Corroon and Governor Herbert for the month of July, we finally achieved our goal on Saturday, July 3.

Plotting a good route to Farmington from above the University Medical Center TRAX station was challenging. But at 5:15 a.m., Bob Adler, John Bartley and Brian Kamm set off from the trail above the Huntsman Cancer Institute. We first headed to Dry Creek and up the “old route” to the ridge, and then up over Little Black Mountain and down the Smuggler’s Gap trail to City Creek. So far so good, with little more than a couple of small scratches from the crags, but lots of beautiful wildflowers along the way and fabulous views on a beautiful, clear morning.

We then headed up the City Creek trail with a goal of joining the Great Western Trail at City Creek Pass. Just after we commented on our good progress, the trail suddenly disappeared on us (or we lost it, depending on your perspective). Our pace slowed considerably and the skin on our legs slowly deteriorated as we bushwhacked up canyon, sometimes separating in an effort to relocate a semblance of trail (which we did occasionally, only to lose it again a little bit later).

Eventually we reached a point where the stream seemed to disappear underground. Not wanting to take a chance on locating the City Creek Spring, we filled our pack bladders from the creek and added treatment tablets, choosing intestinal security at the expense of a half hour without hydration while the tablets were working. About 15-20 minutes later we stumbled on the Great Western Trail in City Creek Pass, realizing by then that it would end up being a very long day.

From there it was mainly a straightforward run. Aside from lots of dust from ATVs and motorbikes, and losing the trail one or two more times, we finally reached the dirt road, where we ran into two forest rangers sitting on an ATV. After asking us if we were hiking back to a pickup truck (presumably because it was parked illegally), they laughed about our judgment in spending the holiday bushwhacking in shorts!

From there, we managed to stay on course (easy to do when it’s all dirt roads) to the Farmington Sheds and down the long hill into town. Brian and his wife were expecting guests that evening, so he pushed it on down barely in time to make the 3:46 train. Bob and John caught the 4:46 train after buying drinks and ice cream at a convenience store. Aside from a few odd stares from fellow passengers on Frontrunner and TRAX (what did we look like by then, anyway, covered with dust, scratches and dried blood?), we made it safely back to the Medical Center parking lot and home in time for dinner.

All told, we estimate the run was 36.4 miles and our three-person carpool saved two round trips to Farmington (about 80 miles). Will we do this again next year? We’ll see, but if so, we’ll probably look for a somewhat different route…

Do you have a Clear the Air Challenge story to tell? Email it to us & we’ll share it with others!

Heidi Shubert won the award for Most Consistent Participant at the Gold Level for the 2009 Clear the Air Challenge. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she was 5 months pregnant during last year’s challenge and still biked to work several times a week!

“I felt so healthy at the end of the challenge, but was glad to transition to riding the bus for the rest of the summer,” said Schubert.

Now with a 7 month old child, Schubert will be hard pressed to bus or bike as often during the 2010 Challenge, but she will be carpooling more.

“This year I’ll be carpooling with my husband as we take our daughter to daycare, and one of us will occasionally ride home by bike to give us the flexibility we need in our work schedule. There are many ways to reduce the trips we make by car and we’ll be teaching them to the next generation,” she said.

Follow Heidi’s stellar example, determine what alternative transportations options are available and how you can mix-and-match them to work with your schedule.

Do you have a testimonial or story to tell? Don’t be shy – Email us so we can share it and help inspire others!

The University of Utah is bringing their “A” game to this year’s Clear the Air Challenge. A campus-wide email was sent out last week to all students, staff and faculty encouraging them to create department teams and participate in the challenge.

Working in their favor is the longstanding UTA EdPass program, a supportive Commuter Services Department, good transit service to and from the university, an inherently competitive culture (Go Utes!) and a mission to promote health along with academic excellence.

Something must be working, because the active team list is staggering!

To date, University of Utah-related teams clock in at 45:

• U of U – CHPC (Ctr for High Performance Computing)
• U of U Administration
• U of U Admissions
• U of U Biology
• U of U Central Development Office (Team DO)
• U of U Chemistry
• U of U College of Law
• U of U Continuing Education
• U of U Dept of Pediatrics
• U of U DFPM
• U of U Duclos Bro.’s Racing
• U of U EBC/UEN
• U of U Education, Culture & Society
• U of U Ergo & Safety
• U of U Facilities Management
• U of U Geology/Geophysics
• U of U H.S. Development
• U of U Healthcare-Hospital & Clinics
• U of U Honors College
• U of U Hospital – ITS
• U of U Institute for Clean and Secure Energy
• U of U Int’l Center
• U of U Mechanical Engineering
• U of U Media Sales Group
• U of U Met E
• U of U Mining Engineering
• U of U Neuropsychology @ Primary Children’s
• U of U Neuroscience
• U of U Psychology Department
• U of U Purchasing
• U of U SCI Institute
• U of U Stadium
• U of U Student Affairs Division
• U of U Philosophy!
• University of Utah
• University of Utah Staff Council
• University of Utah Biosciences
• University of Utah Biochemistry
• UofU ChemE
• UofU Commuter Services
• UofU David Eccles School of Business Team
• UofU EHS
• UofU IMS
• UofU Libraries: Marriott-Eccles-Quinney
• UofU School of Computing

Thank you to the students, staff and faculty at the University of Utah for their dedication to clearing the air. Your sheer strength of numbers will help ensure the 2010 Clear the Air Challenge is a resounding success!

“Last year’s Clear the Air Challenge provided me with the structure to reduce my vehicle emissions by choosing everyday alternatives such as car pooling, trip chaining and walking as opposed to driving.

Tracking my miles, fuel savings saved from choosing these alternatives and comparing them to others in my team gave me the incentive to work towards my goals of reducing my carbon footprint.”

- Brent Singleton