- October 15, 2017
- 28 photos
Apparently making up for lost time now, my neighbor Tony sends out word of another autumn ride, this time to the south. I RSVP in the positive once I’ve secured permission from the boss.
- September 27, 2017
- 23 photos
Our motorcycles maybe thought we’d retired but no, the hiatus is over. My neighbor Tony and I pull out the bikes to spend a day riding narrow trails through evergreen Idaho mountains.
- August 30, 2017
- 32 photos and a video
On the third and fourth days of our annual Brother Ride, we leave the beautiful campsite along the shore of high mountain Big Trinity Lake with plans to descend to historic Atlanta, Idaho, then venture on trails unknown to camp along the North Fork of the Boise River before returning home.
- August 29, 2017
- 29 photos and a video
On the second day of our tenth annual ride, my brothers and I descend from Lava Mountain for gas before heading deeper into the mountains. At least that’s the plan. Mountains have a way of messing with plans.
- August 28, 2017
- 40 photos and a video
The four of us — my brothers minus Jesse, Kayla’s boyfriend Nick and I — ride northeast from Boise to rise above the desert in search of solitude along narrow mountain paths.
- August 6, 2017
- 28 photos
Finally. I’ve been telling Kayla’s Polish boyfriend Nick that we’d ride for more than a year now. This may be his last summer in America for a while so it had to happen. We did the quick, sort of standard loop along the backside of the Boise Ridge, Humpty and Daggett. It was a nice workout.
- November 13, 2016
- 55 photos
My neighbor and I take advantage of the year’s waning sun to find high desert adventure across the Snake River in the once heavily mined hills around Silver City.
- October 30, 2016
- 40 photos
An oft expressed intention was finally made real as my neighbor and I got out for a ride together. For a solid five hours, I saw the world without made-up political memes. At first my eyes stung but slowly they adjusted to the lack of hyperbole.
- September 5, 2016
- 32 photos
Today is a town day. My brothers and I will resupply in Avery then return south for another lakeside night. At least that’s the hope. On this “best of” ride, tonight’s is the only campsite we’ve never been to. We weren’t able to make it last time we tried to get there.
- September 4, 2016
- 50 photos
At just a bit over π miles to the next campsite, it should be an easy day, in spite of almost exclusive single track. We’ll ride from Crater Peak to trails among the Marble Creek headwaters then around to Lost Lake, another of our original brother ride campsites.
- September 3, 2016
- 46 photos
In an ode to the early years, and contrary to previous plans, Jeremy, Joel and I begin our annual ride in the foothills of Moscow Mountain, at our mom’s house, and make our way to the first ever Brother Ride campsite on Crater Peak.
- November 8, 2015
- 75 photos
With special dispensation from Jessica, I hastily changed oil, cleaned the chain and otherwise prepared the bike for what may be the last ride of 2015. I rode hard until dark, meeting along the way fiddling friends, Mickey and Moose, for whom are named popular flats above the South Fork of the Boise River.
- September 8, 2015
- 28 photos
The last of our five day ride requires only that we make it to our mother’s house in the evergreen hills between Troy and Moscow, Idaho. This day seems always to arrive sooner than expected, four brothers, five days in the blink of an eye.
- September 7, 2015
- 32 photos and a video
The fourth of our five day ride begins with single track. We climb through trees from our meadow campsite to ridges that lead us to the historic Red Ives Ranger Station. Then we speed through showers on the little highway along the St. Joe River for much needed fuel in Avery before continuing back to forest climbs up to Huckleberry Lookout.
- September 6, 2015
- 44 photos and a video
The third of our five day ride has no food or fuel stops. We descend from Shefoot and follow the Idaho-Montana border south to the St. Joe headwaters to camp near Simmons and Washout Creeks.
- September 5, 2015
- 53 photos and a video
On the second of our five day ride, my three brothers and I follow mountain ridges through sodden clouds from our campsite along Big Creek to Wallace for gas and lunch at the Red Light Garage then over Moon Pass to sleep on Shefoot. The weather is entertaining.
- September 3, 2015
- 51 photos and a video
We meet for the eighth year in a row, my brothers and I, to ride and camp off our motorcycles for a few days in Idaho mountains. Fires and a funny forecast mean we aren’t sure what we’re getting into. For the first day of five, we ride from our mother’s house on forest roads to tiny Calder, Idaho, along the St. Joe then up the tributary Big Creek.
- April 19, 2015
- 50 photos and a video
An idea to ride overnight in the Upper Reynolds Creek area gave way to a simpler day ride to check on my old friend Lava Mountain and see if I could connect from there across Bear Gulch for a half-day of riding single track by myself.
- February 8, 2015
- 41 photos and a video
Michael and I take advantage of unseasonably warm February weather to explore roads and histories south of the Snake River. [ Addendum: I’ve added images at the end showing some motorized restrictions we overlooked during the ride. Plan accordingly. ]
- September 1, 2014
- 29 photos and a video
From 9,000 feet to 9,000 feet, my three brothers and I leave Washington Basin for lunch and fuel in Ketchum before beginning our westward leg along the South Fork of the Boise River toward home.
- August 31, 2014
- 44 photos and a video
From our wet campsite along Canyon Creek below Pinyon Peak, my three brothers and I ride over Loon Creek Summit to visit the Yankee Fork Dredge then, deviating from earlier plans, we take lunch in Stanley before finding our way to camp high in Washington Basin.
- August 30, 2014
- 53 photos and a video
Along Deadwood Reservoir, through Bear Valley to Pinyon Peak, our second day of riding treats us to vistas even more vast. We are held up by mechanical troubles but not deterred. Rocks in our path are an integral and expected part of the experience.
- August 29, 2014
- 31 photos and a video
The first day of our seventh annual Abbott Brother Ride, this time, for the first time, in South Central Idaho. We stage at my house then head over the Boise Ridge, from desert to forest, on our way to high mountains.
- July 19, 2014
- 56 photos and a video
Michael and I ride from Boise through Prairie and across the mountains to Pine and Featherville before turning north to camp around a high mountain lake. We cover highway, gravel, dirt roads, ATV and singletrack, a real dual sport adventure.
- June 23, 2014
- 49 photos
Jeremy and I travel from our homes to Farmington, Washington, for some quick riding with our brother Joel around our childhood stomping grounds north of Moscow Mountain.
- May 24, 2014
- 52 photos
Hunter leads us up Rocky Canyon to the Boise Ridge and a great campsite he finds near Deer Point. The next morning, in spite of a warning, he decides to brave Daggett Creek.
- May 19, 2014
- 54 photos and a video
From my secret campsite behind Silver City (disregarding the GPS track), I descend Bachman Grade to explore some lesser known canyons within the Owyhee Front.
- May 18, 2014
- 54 photos and a video
I ride across the Snake up Reynolds Creek to explore roads and routes I’ve not seen before camping somewhere in the mountains behind Silver City.
- April 12, 2014
- 48 photos
Michael and I ride from Succor Creek Road through the Oregon Owyhees in an eighty mile loop around Three Fingers Butte.
- March 16, 2014
- 60 photos
Per my usual process for a solo ride, I pan around Google Earth looking to see things I haven’t seen, consult with the Idaho Trails site and finally lay out a route in the GPS software. It works great thirty percent of the time.
- November 2, 2013
- 43 photos
Hunter and I explore a homestead and ancient petroglyphs along the Snake River across Swan Falls Dam. Heavy clouds darken the sky as we’re close to completing our arid loop. (Before you get excited, note this route is currently closed to motor vehicles.)
- October 5, 2013
- 38 photos and a video
Michael and I make a loop between Idaho City, Rocky Bar and Atlanta, Idaho, down forest roads, through a bit of snow, and finally ridge-top single track. It was a good thing he brought a saw or we might have missed “whoopty hell.”
- September 14, 2013
- 49 photos and a video
I am led by some guy I haven’t met before, Michael, down hours of mountain single track around Deadwood Reservoir. We start up to Bogus, through Placerville and Crouch before hitting narrow mountain trails I’d never ridden before — adventure as usual.
- August 10, 2013
- 32 photos and a video
Plans for an easygoing day go the way such plans usually do. We take an unexpected run at Windy Ridge and make an unexpected visit to one of our 2010 campsites. “Unexpected” is the word of the day. We conclude the day laughing around a fire under tall cedars. All’s well that ends well.
- August 9, 2013
- 18 photos and a video
We are ready to ride, year six. We point our three motorcycles east from Pierce to Weitas Creek across forest roads and trails. What should be a short day of riding turns into something else.
- August 8, 2013
- 26 photos
I haul two motorcycles — one for me, one for Jeremy — to Pierce, Idaho, starting point for the year’s Abbott Brother ride. I am there an evening in advance to secure our spot so I use the extra time to visit historic sites around the town.
- July 20, 2013
- 96 photos and a video
I camp two nights for a local club ride meant to climb the challenging trail to historic Boulder Basin near Sun Valley. There is camaraderie and beauty in the midst of defeat.
- June 22, 2013
- 52 photos and a video
I go alone to follow narrow trails along unexplored Lava and perhaps Rattlesnake Mountains. I hope to reach North Star and Smith Creek Lakes seen on the map. The scenery is the best I know this close to home even as aches and pains remind me of my age.
- June 2, 2013
- 29 photos and a video
Hunter and I trailer to the Eighth Street trailhead then ride the rest of the way to the ridge and Eagleson for his first overnight trip off the motorcycle. We see a skink, sit around a fire, sleep and ride home through some difficult mental terrain.
- May 27, 2013
- 62 photos and a video
My brother Joel and I explore the ATV and single track trails around Skyline Drive in McCroskey State Park before setting up camp in view of Moscow Mountain.
- May 18, 2013
- 27 photos and a video
I explore the hills next to town, up Trail 4, down Humpty and back on Eagleson and Rocky Canyon, looking for a place Hunter and I might do a quick overnight ride.
- May 5, 2013
- 13 photos and a video
Hunter and I trailer our motorcycles to the Hemingway Butte riding area where we spend the afternoon improving our hill skills. Hunter does great, especially considering it’s only his second motorcycle ride.
- April 28, 2013
- 9 photos and a video
I ride over the hills to the Danskin area for my first overnight trip of the year and first time camping from the KTM. Luggage woes and difficult trails keep me from getting as far as planned but morning along Willow Creek makes it all worth it.
- April 25, 2013
- 15 photos and a video
- April 17, 2013
- 18 photos
After a couple months parked in pieces in the garage, I finally get the new KTM out for a first dirt ride on the Danskin trails under patches of blue and between sheets of rain. The whoops are more pleasant than on the GS and the singletrack more inviting.