Out on the lake

 So much of the culture of growing up in North Idaho is being out at lake cabins.  Luckily, growing up I had a bunch of buds whose families had really cool old school cabins around the lake.  We all head to Noah's parents cabin each summer for a couple day of utter fun.  

Most of, but not all of the lake crew.  Amazing to see the families grow over the years.  

 Boat only access cabins, no roads, means you better grab a nap if you are gonna play on the beach for three hours straight.  

 Enter aforementioned awesome beach!  

 Dash has been up before the sun the last few weeks.  If in the right spot, I dont mind at all because I love watching the world start its day.  

 Completely priceless moment each summer sitting around a campfire with childhood buds shooting the shit and laughing.  

 Speed boats, house boat, wooden boat, SUP's, and an aluminum boat.  Fully covered for any needed adventure.  

Already stoked for next summer boys! 

Home!

 The yearly trip in the summer up to where I grew up is always one of the bigger highlights of our warm months travel itinerary.  It is so awesome up there, seeing friends and fam is great, and, well, the water is a hell of a lot warmer up there then in Wyoming lakes!  

Chels and Dash, swimming at the beach in downtown Cda.  

 Dash the lifeguard.  Visiting back home always makes me nostalgic for the place.  It is super rad.  

 The beach bum.  

 The backyard sanctuary that is where I grew up.  

 Dash didn't know what to do with all the room to roam.  

And friendly dogs to hang with. 

Where there is smoke, there is fire

 I am afraid to report I think the fires and smoke have officially settled until it snows.  I hope that I am proven wrong, but there has been a ton of wind, no rain of late, and a lot of fuels.  There are fires all around the valley right now and the mass of smoke came in yesterday and was pretty brutal today.  

Last nights TNR was a bit rough on the lungs.  

 Seems pretty rare that we can look directly at the sun in life.  

 Chels and Dash normally accompany me over to the start of the ride.   Last night was the first night of practice for some of the soccer teams in town.  It was pretty damn funny watching Dash walk out onto the field and take the balls away.  

 Scooping rocks.  

 Thinking he is pretty tricky no hands'n the water bottle all the while taking one of moms essential oils.  

 Just before the wall of gross hit town.  

Yep, he really does smile this much all the time. 

Just a day at the beach

 The Dashman hanging at the beach, playing in the mud.  

 About as much of a beach as you get here in the 307.

 More moto.  Shannon shreddin.  

Matt Schiller, been way too long since I last got go ride moto with him.  We figured it out, it had been 4 years! 

More camping

 Hazel, Zoe, and Dash, reading books on the dirt road, as you do....

 Dash has recently found the double barrel nose pick sensation.  

 Catching fish right off your campsite rules. 

 Doesn't really matter that Dash couldn't touch both feet to the ground on the borrowed strider bike, he loved it all the same.  

 I seem to be up early, and that meant reading to the early risers.  

 And walking endless laps around the campground.  

 Home is where the truck is parked.  

Middle of August in this part of the world means it is already down jacket season. 

Needed

 A last minute camp and moto mission came together middle of last week and wow....., we are stoked it happened!  Kudos to the Happe's for motivating, bringing the noise, and being awesome.  

Headed over to Swan Valley, ID.  

Dash watching me cook up some elk sausages.  

 Everyone but Dash was interested in the moose that came sauntering by our camp.  

 Riding amazing singletrack in the boonies of Idaho....., it is what we do. 

 Just such a rad sport.  

It isn't very often the two of us get out together on missions, but..., it happened yesterday and we savored every minute of it.  

 

Great to see Chels back twisting the throttle. 

Work wanderings.

 One never knows where work is going to take me.  No sooner did I finish up going to essentially the Nebraska border once a month for about 18 months, ......, now it is looking like I will be getting to go to the greater Denver, CO area for the next year.  

Which rules because it's rad there, and I can stay with friends and fam.  

First go around, thought it would be fun to ride my bike to the top of the highest paved road in the good ol USA.  

 Mt. Evans, near Evergreen, CO.  It was an 8,000 plus ascent, and totally rad.  

 I did pick a pretty gnarly August day to do it on though.  I got snowed, hailed, and rained on, with a bit of lightening and thunder thrown in too.  

The road up Mt. Evans is nothing short of downright amazing.  

 Just before climbing the last 1,000ft to the top.  

 Onward and upward.  

 Climbing looking across at what was to come.  

 Pretty amazing tarmac given the elevation and what winter must look like up at that elevation.  

Cruising by Echo Mountain.  

Thanks to Lins and Jeff for the hospitality and to Lil Kar for the ride in the morn.  Stoked to see you guys every month for a while!