This is a collection of past news items that have been archived for posterity.
The ride from Durango to Breckenridge over the last 7 days was incredible! I've posted our pictures from along the way and will have a full write up about it soon!
I just found the video clip and a photo of us on CBS4 with us riding up Cerros Pass on our way to Crested Butte. The Denver Post, also has writeups from everyday and a great slideshow of images.
Posted by Michelle Kelly on 6/23/08
Colorado is beautiful, the weather is perfect and the ride has been fantastic thus far! We're in Crested Butte today and have a full rest day here, so we're in a cafe waiting to order breakfast.
We started on Sunday in Durango and rode to Cortez. It was to be our shortest mileage day and while the elevation profile looked intimidating, it really wasn't all that bad. We got in early in the morning and hung out around town and enjoyed the live music in the town square.
Monday we rode 77 miles to Telluride, over 10,222 ft Lizard Head Pass. The ride was incredible with most of the route running along the snow melt swollen river. The climb up to Lizard Head Pass was tough, but again, not nearly as tough as we had anticipated. We've been taking Altitude Adjustment vitamins everyday, and we both feel that has really helped us acclimate to the altitude without any of our usual symptoms - headaches, nausea, sleeplessness.
From the Pass, the ride was mostly downhill, and we went flying into the cute mountain town of Telluride. It's got a neat mainstreet with lots of shops and restaurants. We got some dinner, enjoyed a piece of freshly made strawberry rhubarb pie, and then took the free gondola ride up to the Telluride Mountain Resort to check it out. We just missed the live music and things were winding down, so we came back and camped down early.
Ooh... finally time to order breakfast! More about the ride later...
Posted by Michelle Kelly on 6/19/08
On Saturday at 9:50 am we headed off on foot with 22 other teams in route to an island 310 degrees from the Start to get our maps for the race. About 25 hours later, many miles on foot, swimming, and kayaking later, we crossed the finish line of the Desert Winds Adventure Race at Lake Mead.
Getting the maps early in the race and plotting.
More details and a full race report to come soon.
Posted by Michelle Kelly on 5/11/08 8 P
There will be GPS tracking of all the teams and regular updates throughout the race, so you can follow the Desert Winds Adventure Race at Lake MEad online this weekend. We're team #10.
Posted by Michelle Kelly on 5/6/08 8 P
I am happy to announce that we have a new sponsor on board for this year. Miox, the maker of the MSR Miox Purifier Pen, has sent us a couple of Purifier Pens to use for our water filtration needs during racing and training. We'd like to thank them for this generous offer and plan to put them to use. We'll post a review up here soon after we've had a chance to try them out in the field.
Posted by Tommy Kelly on 5/4/08 8 P
The team is getting ready for the Desert Winds 24+ Hour Adventure Race near Las Vegas on May 10. In preparation, the team is spending lots of time hiking and running, kayaking and canyoneering. The race will not have mountain biking in it (for which Michelle is very thankful for after so much sand and pea gravel riding in last year's race). The picture above is a view of the course.
The race is a Checkpoint Tracker Series Event and a USARA National Championship Qualifier. The race directors are billing it as "An Expedition Race in a Weekend." We hear therer are about 60 racers from all over the country coming out for this race. It's definitely a must do race if you live in the Southwest.
Posted by Michelle Kelly on 4/30/08 8 P
This past weekend Michelle and Tommy participated in the Tour of the Tucson Mountains on Sunday, April 27, in Marana, AZ. Windy conditions made for an interesting 71-mile ride around the mountains west of Tucson.
Michelle and Tommy finished the course in 3:24 to earn a "gold" finishers medal. I'll add a link to pictures from the race as soon as they're posted.
While we were out playing on our bikes, Bryan was out doing his field test, trying to get into the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association. I hear he smoked the test.
Posted by Michelle Kelly on 4/26/08 8 P
The last two weekend's we've been out Canyoneering at Salome Canyon just North of Lake Roosevelt about 2 1/2 hours outside Phoenix. The trip on the 6th was Tommy, Michelle, Bryan, and Cody and the trip on the 12th was Bryan, Tommy, and Bruce of 360 Adventures on a guiding trip for a group of seven clients. It was Tommy's first time as a Canyoneering Guide and Bryan's first guiding volunteer trip with 360.
Everyone had a great time on both trips and the flow was just right to rappel down the center of the waterfall on the second trip. The link below is to pictures from the first trip.
http://picasaweb.google.com/team.redenergy/SalomeCanyon
The Canyon starts to tighten.
Bryan in the depths.
The waterfall into the Jug. First trip we rappelled of the overhanging rock on the left. On the second trip the waterfall was flowing a little less making a rap down the slot possible.
Canyon exit and hike out to the right.
Posted by Tommy Kelly on 4/17/08 8 P
A few months ago, Michelle started an after work Hiking Group for Women that slowly turned into a Coed group and then a regular Tuesday thing. See below for next Tuesday's hike.
Hi everyone!
Meeting Place: Southwest corner of 32nd Street and Lincoln in the shopping center parking lot (by the Russ Lyon Realty bldg on the corner)
Questions? Email me.
Hope to see you then!
Michelle
Posted by Tommy Kelly on 4/3/08 8 P
Michelle and I just found out a few weeks ago that we got into the 2008 Denver Post Ride the Rockies this June. It's a 7 day, 6 stage road cycling event covering 435 miles through the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. 2000 lucky cyclists are chosen by a lottery system. The event starts in Durango and finishes in Breckenridge averaging 50-80 miles a day and thousands of feet of climbing a day. Check it out at www.ridetherockies.com
Posted by Tommy Kelly on 4/2/08 8 P