Category Archives: Random rambling

December 23, 2014 · 2:48 pm

Introducing the Tahoe Triplets

One of the reasons I have not been regularly blogging is because I found out in early September that I was pregnant with triplets and it has been a bit overwhelming. We went through many of the stages of grief I guess – not because we were sad, just because it was quite shocking news to receive. While we were trying to have a baby, we weren’t trying to have 3 at once! After the news was broken to us at the 10 week ultrasound, I mourned the loss of skiing through my 7th month of pregnancy and really, just being a normal pregnant person! We’ve totally accepted the triplets now and are even excited (terrified, but excited!). It is quite a unique and special thing to have “spontaneous triplets.” Look that up if you feel the need to ask “are they natural?” It’s like being part of a special club? I think! Anyway, because I miss the old days of adventuring, I thought I’d make a list of all the cool things the triplets have done in utero:

1st Trimester

  • Rode Mr. Toads Wild Ride, Van Sickle, and the Bench
  • Downhill mountain biking at Northstar

I opted not to hit this jump at Northstar, but this girl styled it! I started practicing turning down unnecessary risk pretty early since that has never been easy for me!

  • 3rd Place at the 4th Annual Angora Lakes Triathlon

The start of this years Angora Lakes Triathlon

  • A lot of sailing on Lake Tahoe
  • Learned to be a pretty good waterskier!

I got to waterski about 8 times this summer/fall and really started to improve!

  • Wakesurfed

Surfing Lake Tahoe is always fun!

  • Whitewater kayaked a few Class 3 runs

This is my pal Amanda hitting up Hospital Bar on the South Fork American… I had hit the same line 30 seconds earlier.

  • Rode the Downieville Downhill

Riding the technical section of the Downieville Downhill the day before I found out about the triplets.

  • 3 day backpacking trip in the Hoover Wilderness

2nd Trimester

  • Ran 4 miles in the Chicago Marathon

I’m all smiles here, but a few hours later I realized I wouldn’t be running a lot during this pregnancy!

  • Surfed in Santa Cruz

Surfing at the hook on a mellow wave day. Best part was the sea otters swimming nearby!

  • Sailed in the SF Bay

Rachael Burks and I sailing in the San Francisco Bay. Photo by my buddy Greg Marsden!

  • Road bike ride in the Oakland Hills
  • Skied at Mammoth, Heavenly, and Kirkwood (7 resort days)

We hit Mammoth on opening day so I could ski as early in the pregnancy as possible! My jacket still fits in this photo!

  • Backcountry skis at Carson Pass and Echo Lakes
  • Swam a lot of yards – still doing this!
  • Mountain biked Corral loop, Tahoe Mountain, and Powerlines

Evening ride with preggo partner in crime Nira on Tahoe Mountain.

I still have a few weeks till my 3rd trimester as technically I’m 25 weeks pregnant, but things happen a lot faster with triplets. They say add anywhere from 10-14 weeks so if that is true, I look and feel like someone due in about a week! The goal is to make it as close to 36 weeks as possible. Most pregnancies are 40 weeks. I’m slowing down quite a bit and walking and swimming seem to feel the best at this point. But at this point, the triplets have been exposed to quite the variety of outdoor sports and should be pretty well rounded athletes! I’ve been debating whether or not to start a triplet specific blog or just momentarily cover this journey here. I think the most interesting thing will be the comeback so I’m leaning towards business as usual on meghankellyteles.com. If you have an opinion, let me know!

This is me just 10 days ago and just under 24 weeks along. Yep, super pregnant!

3 Comments

Filed under Backcountry Skiing, Biking, Random rambling, Sailing, Skiing, Tahoe, Whitewater

Tagged as ,

June 10, 2014 · 9:22 am

Check, Check, Chhh…..

A few new goals have been checked off and a few haven’t even been started. Let’s start by reflecting on the good news!

Goal #1: Race in an Enduro Race. I did this! This past Saturday I participated in the Battle Born Enduro Race in Reno and placed 3rd overall in Women’s Sport. I was terrified heading into this race. I don’t have a dropper post. I didn’t understand the format. But, once I started riding all this went away and the race was kind of like riding with 400 friends. It started with an 8 mile climb which I was happy to get out of the way having climbed Mt. Shasta the previous day. I nonchalantly waited in line for stage 1 once I reached the top. I told the guy I was about to shred the course and then took off when they said “go” 30 seconds after the nice kid in front of me. 15 seconds into the ride I crashed… hard! Like the kind of crash that happens so fast that you didn’t know you were crashing until you sat up with broken sunglasses, a jacked up bike, and blood dripping from your knees and elbows. Stunned, I spit out some dirt and started riding trying to keep space between me and the competitor behind me. Yep, not a great way to start a race and I’m pretty sure it affected my mindset the rest of the day as I thought “do not crash” on the next 3 stages. Anyway, I learned to let more air out of my tires and wear my fricking knee pads! I’m also toying with the idea of signing up for another race, mostly because I’m feeling competitive and want to do better! Here is a write up on the race and the results.

Front and center at the start of the race for this photo!

A shot I found on the web before my crash. Looking reasonably strong 10 seconds into the race :)

Looking reasonably strong 10 seconds into the race. 5 seconds from now, those sunglasses would be toast!


Goal #2: Ski a new volcano. I did this just 2 days before racing the Battle Born Enduro. Wednesday afternoon, I left work, bee lined to Bend accompanied by my friend and fellow Nature’s Bakery Ambassador Will and met up with my friend Ashley to ski the South Sister. We got a leisurely start on Thursday around 8 AM from the North Cascade Hwy. Will and I were amazed at how much snow was still present at just over 5,000′. We knocked out the 5,000+ foot climb on beautiful warm and windless day and found ourselves at the summit around 1 PM. We had scoped a smooth chute on the way up and took off towards it skiing perfectly smooth corn for over 2,500′. That put huge smiles on all of our faces. This was my 99th day of skiing in the 2013-14 season… I had skied 100 days a year since 2008-09 and was eager to keep it going! Shasta would be next! So prior to racing my mountain bike on Saturday, I’d hike and ski over 12,000 vertical feet. Sure enough, I was exhausted Saturday morning, but I raced my bike and also sailed on Lake Tahoe. I can rest in my office chair on Monday.

Ashley on the way up with Mt. Bachelor in the background

We skied a chute you can’t really see here but Ashley is stoked anyway!

Here’s a little video clip of the perfect corn we found on the South Sister.


The next day, we’re were up early to climb Mt. Shasta (photo by Tim)


On my way down a super smooth section of the Wintun glacier on Shasta


Tim finds some great California corn!


Will B ready to take those snow fingers as far as they’ll go.

So goals are getting checked off, but I still have quite a few to go. Setting and achieving goals, however arbitrary they are, is incredibly satisfying. However, failing or knowing when to hold back is a valuable lesson we are taught many times in the mountains and only by making an attempt do we continue to be students of life. June is rad so far, but I better get to the pool tonight if I want to have a chance at this Teton Picnic thing!

Leave a comment

Filed under Backcountry Skiing, Biking, Random rambling

Tagged as , , , , ,

May 2, 2014 · 1:58 pm

Committing to New Goals in WRITING!

I spent the last year and a half planning and preparing for the Shifting Ice and Changing Tides expedition. Although the expedition itself is over, we have a lot of follow up work to complete still. Still, just 3 days into my “normal” life, I’m finding myself looking for new goals. I’ve come up with quite a few and wanted to share them to keep myself accountable! I also find that writing things down starts the process of fruition.

Here are a few of my goals for the spring, summer, and fall in no particular order:

Race in an Enduro Mountain Bike Race (I signed up for the Battle Born Enduro on June 7). I’m kind of scared, but with my Santa Cruz Bronson, I should be fine!

This bike makes me a super hero… sometimes!

Ski a new volcano in the Cascades (I’ve skied Shasta from the summit and that’s it, so the opportunities are vast!)

Chilling on the summit of Mt. Shasta with views of some other Cascades! I need to head north!


Train for and race in the Teton Picnic with my Shifting Ice teammate Pip. This involves biking to Jenny Lake in Teton National Park from Jackson, WY (21 miles each way), swimming across Jenny lake (1.3 miles each way) and climbing the Grand Teton (10 miles). It’s a way more hard core version of my triathlon.

Play music more – I have a new ukulele that I’ve only dabbled with.

Compost all my organic waste by building my own secure compost box out of pallets I’ve collected.

Eat more locally (join a CSA for vegetables, fruit, and eggs if possible)

Grow more food! Inspired by Iceland, we’re going to try to construct some sort of hothouse or greenhouse off one of our decks. We have a design in mind.

Train my puppy Scout to be a great frisbee dog.

She averages less than 50 percent right now… We need to up those stats!


Be a better friend and family member. This should be a constant goal.

Redo my avalanche, swiftwater rescue, and wilderness 1st aid certifications.

Become an efficient enough sailor to sail on Lake Tahoe by myself in any condition!

One of the few times they let me drive the boat. I have no idea what I’m doing in this photo… I already know more and hope to increase that knowledge!

Visit Nat Segal in New Zealand.

What should I add to this list?

2 Comments

Filed under Fake Triathlons, Random rambling, Tahoe, Travel

Tagged as

December 7, 2013 · 8:30 am

Introducing Scout the Puppy!

We got a new puppy! She’s amazing! Here name is Scout and she’s some sort of Australian Shepherd mix we rescued from a shelter called Dog Town Canine Rescue. If you’re looking for a new pup, you should consider visiting these folks out in Fallon, NV. They have so many dogs and are a no kill shelter. Scout was from a litter that was dumped in a nearby Indian Reservation. She’s sweet, smart, athletic – she loves chasing balls and fetching and already knows how to sit at 8.5 weeks!

Scout makes a run for a ball


PK and Scouty at the lake


As you may have figured, Yzie passed away while I was in Kenya. It was incredibly sad, but, overall, I think he had a great life. I’m pretty sure he sent us Scout, so thanks Yzerman.

I like to imagine Yzie hanging with friends in beautiful places. RIP buddy. I’ll never forget you.

Leave a comment

Filed under Random rambling, Tahoe

Tagged as , ,

October 2, 2013 · 10:39 am

“Is Your Dog Dying?”

Someone asked me that a few weeks ago and my answer was “yes, yes, he’s dying.” I guess technically we’re all dying, but it is really hard to watch your dog die. Especially spending 14 amazing and transformative years with him. Yzie’s cancer is progressing, but he still seems ok – happy to wake up every morning, get love from people, spend time outside, and get treats. But there are visible signs that make it seem like he could turn for the worse at any moment. Having nearly a year to cope with this has made it more bearable sometimes, but other times its this slightly agonizing feeling lurking below my skin that manifests itself in random tears.

A recent family portrait with Yzie (photo by Lauren Lindley).


Do I buck up and ignore the pain and the looming decision of when to “put him down,” or do I consider it with every life decision I make? I’m off to Kenya in 2 weeks and one of my biggest fears is that his condition will worsen and he will die while I’m away. I worry about what that means for my husband to have to relay that information to me and ultimately make that decision. I worry about what that might mean for me knowing I wasn’t there in his final hours. But then I know, I need to keep living, because if even if I change all my plans, it will not change the outcome. And if anyone can hang on and fight cancer, it’s Yzie the 3-legged wonder dog from Lake Tahoe.

Yzie in his younger days after climbing Mt. Bierstadt (14,006′) in Colorado.

Leave a comment

Filed under Random rambling

Tagged as , ,

September 30, 2013 · 2:24 pm

Throwing a Kickass Baby Shower

This weekend I threw a baby shower for my friends and they are about as mature as I am so I wanted to make it fun and not cheesy. Since the expecting parents had made a few trips to Italy in the past two years and have an Italian heritage, we made the theme “Italian Cafe.” Food and drinks set!

Italian appetizers. We also had Bellinis and other Italian liquors and of course, wine.


Next up, activities. This shower had 2 parts. A two hour all girls precurser where the expectant mother could open gifts and a few hour coed party afterwards. During the all girls portion, we had a onesie making station and it was a hit!

Ready to craft!


Thank to a bit of internet research, I purchased 15 Gerber Unisex-Baby Newborn 4 Pack Organic Onesies. Since they only came in white, I decided to dye them with Jacquard Products Procion Four Color MX Dye Set. That was a bit of an undertaking so if you decide to do that, hit me up for some tips. The colors did turn out amazing, though the purple washed out. Next I bought some super cute Precut Cotton Fabric Squares and Thermoweb Heat’n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive. I provided some stencils, a few pencils, scissors, and irons for the party goers to get crafty and the results were amazing. I could get into this!

Mother to be making an amazing onesie with completed onesies in the background!


Onto the coed part – I’ve been to a few showers and many of the games are awkward and uncomfortable for newish adults. I decided to invent my own game called “Pin Sometime on the Ultrasound.” It was pretty funny, but also a bit weird.

A funny, but weird idea! The author posing with the ultrasound.


All in all, the whole affair was pretty fun, especially the gelato bar!

Yum!

Leave a comment

Filed under Random rambling

Tagged as , , ,

September 25, 2013 · 10:49 am

Sending it to Prep for Winter

One of the most fun ways to prepare for ski season is to work on air awareness by visiting the Carson Valley Swim Center. Plus if you go on Friday nights, it’s only $1!!! Here’s a fun video from last Friday.

Leave a comment

Filed under Random rambling, Skiing, Tahoe

Tagged as , ,

March 8, 2013 · 12:01 pm

Ultimate Potential

The past 12 days have shown me that our ultimate personal potential is as vast as the mountains of Alaska. More on that trip later. In the meantime, please check out my friend and mentor Lynsey Dyer‘s TED talk.

Leave a comment

Filed under Random rambling, Skiing

Tagged as , , ,

February 22, 2013 · 9:20 am

SheJumps into Tailgate Alaska!

Domi and I made this video for the SheJumps.org Tailgate Alaska contest. The winners get a trip for 2 up to Valdez, Alaska this spring!


Vote for us by going HERE!

Leave a comment

Filed under Backcountry Skiing, Random rambling, Skiing, Travel

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 13, 2013 · 11:05 am

Staying Motivated

Getting after it despite the conditions – that’s been my goal for the past few weeks and it’s tough to adhere to it. It hasn’t snowed much in Tahoe since January 10th. I was lucky enough to take a quick trip to Utah and the Rubies and find some good snow, but I haven’t hit one of those epic powder days in over a month. So my friend Domi and I made a pact to ski something that is scary or hard once a week in spite of the conditions. Last week it was the Crescent Moon Couloir off Roundtop. We met at 6 am and rallied out there, booting up the chute around 8 and skiing surprisingly edgeable snow that sloughed as we descended the 40+ degree pitch. We felt better immediately – accomplished.

Looking down the Crescent Moon Couloir from 2/3rds way up


Domi looking excited (?) to drop into the line.


If you think you get after it, ski with Domi, she charges always. Even when she’s “taking it easy” she is scoping out cliffs and chutes to add excitement to her descent. She both scares the crap out of me and motivates me to be better. We’re making a video to enter in the SheJumps contest for an all expenses paid trip to Tailgate Alaska. Stay tuned for the video or if you’re a female and have a backcountry partner, start filming and apply yourself!

Leave a comment

Filed under Backcountry Skiing, Random rambling, Skiing, Tahoe

Tagged as , ,