Race News, Updates and Press Releases

Race Day 3 & 4 - Monument Valley to Pratt, Kansas

Thursday & Friday, June 15 & 16, 2006

The updates on RAAM have been difficult to keep up since we arrive at our destination arount 2 or 3 am, try and get a few hours sleep, and then drive for several hours to try and catch up with Team 2.  We missed part of Monument Valley due to night riding, but caught some of it the next morning on June 15, as we raced to catch up with Team 2.

Monument Valley



Mexican Hat

We caught up with Team 2 outside of Durango and rode toward Wolf Creek Pass.  This is a 10,600 foot pass.  We were able to climb it in just over an hour.  Jim and Ron divided the chores.

Ron gets ready for the first leg of the climb up Wolf Creek



Just a sample of the elevation change on the climb up Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado



Ron making the grand effort.

Leaving Kyanta on June 16, we raced ahead to catch Team 2 that had just completed the climb of La Veta pass.  Jim and Pete confer on a strategy for the next day.

Carl just finished a run across the eastern Colorado plains.  A storm rapidly approaches as Team one takes over from Team 2.

This does not look good!  Team 2 says "have a nice ride" and leaves for Pratt, Kansas to sleep.

After riding for several hours in the rain with wind gusting to 30mph, the storm moves on to the east and the tail end follows the riders.  Up ahead, hail and wind up to 75 mph was reported and many teams sat on the sideline waiting for it to pass.  At this Point Team One was down a man since Ron had a kidney stone attack, and we sent him on to the hospital for treatment.  Rumor has it he just did not want to ride in the rain and hail.  Truthfully, he was devastated to leave the race, even temporarily.  We expect him back to day after a little help from the emergency room.

Sunset in Kansas, preparing to ride to Pratt, Kansas for a rest.  We covered 400 miles today between the efforts of team One and Team Two.  Sorry about the delay in the updates, but internet access was sparse in Kyanta.  As Team One arrived in Pratt, somehow the riders of Team 2 got lost and Team One had to follow Jim 15 miles out of town on the next leg while we looked for them on the radio and cell phones.  Rumor has it they went west instead of east.  Oh well, just another unexpected event in RAAM.  Today we continue east toward St. Louis, MO.

The great adventure continues;  see you tomorrow, same time, same station.