Volcanoes of Mexico Expedition Spring 2015

Colorado State Students Scale 18,460 ft Volcano in Mexico

 

While a majority of students were enjoying time at home during winter break, a group of 11 Colorado State University students, alumni, and staff were ascending an 18,460 ft volcano in Mexico, one of three attempted during the expedition. The 10-day trip, which was hosted by Campus Recreation’s Outdoor Program, set new personal-best altitude records for all the students involved.

 

The expedition was led by Rodney Ley, Assistant Director of the Outdoor Program, Andy Nelson, Coordinator of the Outdoor Program, and Jim Davidson, a seasoned trip leader. Group members included CSU alumnae Natalie Gerding, Ben Gerding, Brian King, and Kristen Dean, and CSU students Richard Salas, Dean Anderson, Kari Lanphier, and Daniel Shugert.

 

La Malinche Peak

 

The group arrived in the quiet town of Puebla, Mexico on January 2, 2015. Located in south central Mexico, Puebla is known for its colorful festivals and delicious street food. After enjoying an evening of the Mexican culture, the group awoke at 6:00 am to scale the first of their three planned summits, La Malinche. At 14,600 ft, La Malinche is taller than any of the 14’ers located in Colorado and allowed the group a chance to acclimate to the conditions and altitudes they would be continually facing in the days to come.

 

Rime Ice and 60 mph Winds on Iztacchuatal

 

After a successful summit attempt on La Malinche, the group traveled from Puebla to a “microwave hut” on the Iztacchuatal volcano, the next peak on the agenda at 17,160 ft. On January 6, a clatter of alarms rang through the small hut at midnight, and the team packed up their gear and began their ascent. The conditions were brutal to start off, cold, icy, and dark, and would only get worse. As the team climbed higher, the conditions continued to deteriorate, with wind gusts hitting 60 mph. At 16,000 ft, the ice conditions became so extreme that the group was forced to turn around, but not before shattering their personal altitude records by 1,600 ft.

 

 

The Final Summit, Orizaba Volcano

 

After the difficult weather conditions of Izatacchuatal forced the group to forgo summiting, they were renewed with a strong determination to make it to the top of their last peak, volcano Orizaba. The third highest peak in North America, Orizaba is 18,460 ft and has a glacier of 2,000 vertical ft at the top. Another midnight wake-up call on January 9 gets the group up and moving into the night for the final climb of the trip. 10 of the 11 trip members set out on the journey, with one member making the hard decision to stay back. The ascent was demanding, due to both the high elevation and the icy conditions of the glacier. Steps had to be kicked into the ice by the team leader, and the group took turns with this strenuous task. 500 feet of the summit, the icy slope and exposure forced the team to take an alternate path to the top, but they pressed on, motivating one another and supporting their team. Finally, the group found themselves standing at 18,460 ft, taking in the amazing views of the surrounding landscapes.

 

Trip of a Lifetime

 

The memories made and the journey shared had a lasting affect on all the team members. Rodney Ley recorded in the trip journal during the group’s travels home “Could we really have gone so far, climbed so high, and in such a short time? What a better way to live life fully than to force it into the corner, wake up at 11 pm, choke down oatmeal, strap on crampons and hike above and into the clouds.” 

 

 

 

 

 

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Employee Appreciation Week Feb 9 – 13

It’s Faculty/Staff Employee Appreciation Week at the Rec Center!

February 9 – 13, 2015
Ready to join?
  • Sign-up for a new membership* and receive: 
  • 1 single-class cycling pass 
  • 1 single-class mind/body pass
  • free towel service (spring semester)
  • free fitness assessment
Already a member? 
  • As a token of our thanks, get $5 off a 60 minute massage or $10 off a 90 minute massage by using the coupon code “Rec Cupid” when you book your massage.

 

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Demo of New Equipment – Krank Cycle by Matrix

We have added a new piece of equipment on the first floor fitness area for a limited time… The Krank Cycle! The Krank Cycle is located at the end of the main ramp and offers:

  • Independent crank arms for greater variety of movement to keep users engaged
  • Narrow crank axis allowing for higher RPMs, increasing speed and endurance
  • Ergonomically designed saddle allowing easy transition between seated and standing exercise positions
  • Crank and flywheel assembly rotation to accommodate forward and reverse movements
  • Adjustable crank arm height encouraging greater range of muscle activation
  • Wheelchair accessibility 

Not sure how to use the Krank Cycle? Check out the how-to video:

 

 

Let us know your thoughts about the equipment in the comments sections below.

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Women’s Ice Hockey Team Member, Molly O’Neil, Selected to National Team

Colorado State University’s Women’s Ice Hockey Sport Club team member, Molly O’Neil, was one of 22 women selected from across the country to the National University Team. O’Neil is the only women from Colorado named to the official roster, and will travel to Granada, Spain this February, 2015 to compete in the Winter World University Games.

 

Full release:

 

2015 U.S. Women’s National University Team Announced 
12/10/2014, 12:00pm EST 
By USAHockey.com 

Team Set to Compete in 2015 Winter World University Games in Granada, Spain, Feb. 4-14 USA Hockey today announced the 22 players named to the U.S. Women’s National University Team that will compete at the 2015 Winter World University Games, Feb. 4-14, in Granada, Spain.

The team is comprised of players from collegiate ice hockey teams affiliated with the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

“This is a tremendously experienced group of women we’re taking to Spain,” said Katie Holmgren, general manager of the 2015 Women’s National University Team. “We’ve performed well in the past two tournaments, and we expect that trend to continue with this year’s group.”

2015. U.S. Women’s National University Team Roster

Leading the way offensively are teammates who are also the top two scorers in ACHA Division 1 — Hayley Williams (Crete, Ill./Miami University/20-17-37), who was a member of the 2013 U.S. Women’s National University Team, and first-time team member Rachael Booth (Washington, Mich./Miami University/17-20-37). Adding to the firepower are Amanda Abromson(Braintree, Mass./University of Massachusetts/8-16-24) and Katie Augustine (West Chester, Ohio/Miami University/10-13-23), both members of the 2013 U.S. Women’s National University Team, and newcomer Kaley Mooney (West Chester, Ohio/Miami University/10-13-23). The trio are among the top 12 point getters in ACHA Division I.

Paige Harrington (Mansfield, Mass./University of Massachusetts/8-12-20), Caleigh LaBossiere (Acton, Mass./University of Massachusetts/8-7-15) and Morgan McGarth (Mayfield Village, Ohio/Miami University/2-10-12), all who played in the 2013 Winter World University Games for the United States, highlight the U.S. blue line and rank among the top 12 in points among defensemen in ACHA Division I.

In total, eight players from the bronze medal-winning 2013 U.S. Women’s National University Team are on the 2015 U.S. roster, also including forwards Monica Korzon (Ann Arbor, Mich./University of Michigan) and Cassie Catlow (Saundertown, R.I./University of Rhode Island).

NOTES: All women’s games will be played at both the Granada Sport Palace and the Mulhacen Pavilion … To follow Team USA at the Winter World University Games, visit the event page at USAHockey.com and follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter … Nine states are represented on the roster. Michigan leads the pack with eight representatives, while Massachusetts has five. Illinois and Ohio have two a piece, and Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island each have one … Miami University leads all schools with six representatives, while the University of Massachusetts has four and nine other schools have at least one representative … Kristen Wright (Broomfield, Colo.), head coach of the University of Colorado women’s ice hockey team, will serve as head coach of the 2015 U.S. Women’s National University Team after being an assistant coach at the 2013 Winter World University Games. Scott Hicks (Oxford, Ohio), head coach of the Miami University women’s ice hockey team, and Shelley Looney (Buffalo, N.Y.), a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team (1998, gold; 2002, silver), will serve as assistant coaches … The United States will field a women’s ice hockey team in the Winter World University Games for the third straight time. Team USA won a bronze medal in the 2013 Winter World University Games to become the first men’s or women’s ice hockey team from the U.S. to win a medal in the event.

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Student Staff Rec Olympics 2014

Each year, Campus Recreation hosts Rec Olympics, a competition-style appreciation event for the student and hourly staff at Campus Rec. This year’s event was themed Rec Luau, and over 100 students participated in the tropical-themed games, events, and dinner. 

About the Event

Students sign-up for the event in teams of 3 or 4, or as a free-agent to be assigned to a team of other staff, and are encouraged to come dressed in the theme or a team costume. Team names always get creative, and this year was no exception with teams being named Hawaiian Punch, The Beach Babes, Touch My Tiki, Cloud People, and more. Teams start the night with dinner (this year it was a delicious Hawaiian BBQ spread), and then participate in various events like pineapple bowling, beach towel volleyball, flip-flop hula hoop toss, tropical relay, and trivia. The night ended in a fantastic final-event where professional staff hid hundreds and hundreds of little rubber duckies throughout the Rec Center, and teams were released from the main gym to hunt down the ducks as fast as possible.

Rec’d the Rec

The top three teams receive a coveted “I Rec’d the Rec” t-shirt, and the top team gets their photo and names engraved into a plaque to live forever in infamy in the employee break room.

The event is hosted by the Employee Appreciation Committee as a way to acknowledge, appreciate and thank the student employees for all their hard work and to build community and develop relationships across program areas.

Photo Album

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