Birthday Girl
Monday was Kelly’s birthday and the gift she most wanted is to be carefree and happy.
Tonight she is off to a good start and I could not be happier for her.
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Full-timing since April 2015 … Dave, Kelly, and our dog living and traveling full-time in our Airstream trailer.
My Instagram Photos
. Desperately seeking escape from the Chicago concrete jungle, a few weeks ago my buddy John inquired about flying out to Idaho for a visit. . As one of my long-time besties, bro-code protocol mandates I do all I can to show him a good time. Motivated to ensure his visit would be a good one, I immediately began planning a multi-day backcountry camping trip deep into the Sawtooth Wilderness Area. . It is humbling being deep in nature’s territory. The mountains are magnificent; they are bold and reign supreme. Wandering the trails, John and I felt small and insignificant. . Beautiful as any image may be, pictures simply do not fully capture the beauty of these remote areas. . . . #sawtoothwilderness #Idaho #sawtoothmountains #sawtoothinterperativeandhistoricalassociation #backpackingIt’s no secret I enjoy riding the hillsides of Ketchum, and I especially appreciate riding with others - something I rarely do. . Today I met and rode with fellow full-timer @airstreamarborist. . Love this nomadic community! 🚵🏼♂️⛰. I awoke this morning to a flood of messages; so many people reaching out in support of Lilly, Kelly, and me. Honestly, I was overwhelmed, and I cannot thank this community enough. . Still not feeling myself and looking for any excuse to avoid the morning, I did what I always do when I need to clear my head. I rode my bike. . With no real route in mind, I simply pedaled. Soon enough I was out of town – past a few secret fly-fishing holes, beyond the remnants of the winter avalanche fields, then into the backcountry towards the pass looming ahead. . 40 miles of pedals doing what they do - powering the hum of tires whizzing atop gravel. The process is always a calming one for me. Of course, this scenery helps. . Thank you again for all the warm thoughts.. Goodbyes are tough. . A few days ago, Kelly and I did just that with our dog Lilly. . A combination of age coupled with a handful of related ailments finally got the best of her. True to her stubborn nature, Lilly fought the good fight throughout, but ultimately, she lost the war. . We could have asked Lilly to continue fighting. Likely, she could have done so for a few more months, but Kelly and I knew it was wrong to place such a burden onto her. It would not have been fair to prolong her life at our benefit, over hers. . Despite never saying the word, it was time for the inevitable. Kelly and I both knew it, and painful as it was to accept, it was time. . We were happy to accompany her on a final evening walk through town, along her favorite grassy route, and be there to comfort her during final breaths. . Kelly and I cried a flood of tears at the end. And many times since then. . A universal truth amongst dog owners is a belief that their dog was the best dog ever – Kelly and I feel exactly the same about Lilly. . Thank you, Lilly, for forcing us to be patient. Thank you for leading us down the unexplored paths. Thank you for making us laugh. Thank you for slowing our pace at times in order to appreciate the scenery immediately at our feet. . Mostly, thank you for being such a wondering and loving member of our family. We will miss you dearly. . Goodbye Lilly.. There is something magical about long loop bike rides in the wilderness backcountry. . I’m not gonna lie - the 2500ft climb, nearly 14 miles to the 9600ft summit today was harder than I was expecting. . That said, propelled by stunning views, a solid Spotify playlist, and the promise of a killer descent, it wasn’t too hard making peace with mountains on their terms, in their turf. . Finally, the summit was reached and the eight miles descending back to the truck made all the uphill suffering totally worth the effort. . Idaho backcountry simply doesn’t disappoint. . . . #osbergridge #aldengulch #ketchumidaho #pivotbikes #ridemoremtb #dirtchurch. We have such a great spot for the summer located just outside of Ketchum. . A five minute spin to the trailhead provides a gateway to miles and miles of flow trail. . Ketchum is a bikers paradise. Hit me up if you pass through the area and we will ride. 😁 . . . #woodrivertrails #wrtrailscoalition #ketchumidaho #sawtoothnationalforest #sunvalleyidaho. The long uphill ride was a grunt, but damn these views. . Oh, and the downhill ... yes, definitely the downhill. . . . #bcrdtrails #ketchumidaho #ridemtb #pivotcycles #sawtoothnationalrecreationarea #woodriverbikecoalition. The rains finally stopped and the mountains re-emerged to their glorious form. . I’m not gonna lie, it was a pretty good day riding gravel. . . . #sawtoothwilderness #idaho #ketchumidaho #gravelbike #rodeolabs #traildonkey. Don’t let these sexy photos fool you, I spec’d this bike to be a practical, blue-collar, gravel workhorse. . Complementing the carbon frame and fork, my build of choice includes a Rival 1 gearbox, 40 tooth crank affixed to a creak-suppressing T47 bottom bracket. The entire rig will be rolling atop tubeless 700c carbon rims, shredding dirt courtesy of 40mm tires. My ass will enjoy the luxury of a dropper post, and I’ll be navigating this steed via a carbon cockpit. . I expect to be pushing this go-anywhere bike over miles and miles of gravel, singletrack, and even the occasional stretch of tarmac. . Big thanks to everyone at @rodeolabs who helped me in this purchase process. . Happy new bike day to me! 🚵🏼♂️ . . . #newbikeday #rodeolabs #traildonkey #nplusone #gravelbike. Kelly and I both have new bikes coming into our possession soon, so it was time to commence a project to allow for additional carrying capabilities. . Big thanks to @ryanneptune of #planetbuilt here in Boise for taking on this non-ski park/non-skate park project. . . . #airstreamproject #airstreammod #betterthanafiamma. When the moochdocking spot at my brother-in-law’s house is a convenient five minute spin to the trailhead, he and I squeak in one final weekend ride after dinner. . It’s just what we do. . . . #boise #camelsbackpark #sunsetbikeride #boisebikeweek. Before breakfast burritos, we bike the Boise hillside. . . . #boiseidaho #camelsbackpark #ridemtb #mtbflow. We are officially in the potato state, our #idahome for the summer. . Joining me for the initial ride, my brother-in-law leads the way towards Stripe Rock. . #cityofrocksnationalreserve is a popular destination for climbers, but cyclists will find some nice flow trails.Heavy rains last night, coupled with (literally) mountains of snow melt resulted in some mud on the trail today. . . . #parkcityfun #parkcitymtb #pivotcycles #mountaintrailsfoundation. Once again we find ourselves in Park City during slack season - that elusive window between the end of ski season and Memorial Day weekend. . In many ways the town is turning over - winding down most, but not all ski runs, while simultaneously beginning to look ahead towards spring. . It’s an odd time to visit I suppose. It’s kind of like when you visit a restaurant late in the morning, after it has run out of most breakfast menu items, but isn’t yet fully ready for the lunch crowds. . Similarly, the cadence here feels a bit out of rhythm. A decent number of business are temporarily closed, the mountain still holds lots of snow but no one is skiing, and tourist crowds are less than expected. The whole place has a feeling of being in between last week and next week while overlooking the present. . Nevertheless, we still seem to enjoy visiting this area during slack and in particular the largely vacant #jordanellestatepark campground. . . . #parkcityutah #homeiswhereyouparkit #airstream #airstreamlifeArchives
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What a great way to spend a birthday! Happy Birthday, Kelly!
Looks like a corporate executive——RETIRED! Enjoy “boomer”.