I got addicted to motorcycle trail riding at the age of 9 when my friend was given a Briggs&Stratton-powered mini bike. At every opportunity, I would make the 10-mile bicycle ride up the highway to his place to go riding in the bush.

My first "real" bike was a 1976 Harley-Davidson 125cc 2-stroke dual sport bike (yes, a Harley!). Before I even had my driver's license, I found sneaky ways to get to the back country trails and spend as much time as I could riding in the mountains. It finally died from the abuse, and I never repaired it. I still have it. In boxes. A project for.... someday.

Fast forward many years during which I didn't ride (skiing, climbing, hiking, etc.) Then I found myself in northern Thailand and decided to rent a Honda XR250L for a few days.

Game on!

I couldn't believe I hadn't been riding for all those years!

The moment I got home, I found a used XR250R and got fully back into the riding. Trails, fire roads and mining roads in Western Canada became my playground once again.

Then a two-month adventure motorcycle ride in Colombia 2-up on a Chinese 200cc enduro bike sealed my fate as a traveler. I was hooked.

The XR250 is a wonderful woods bike, but I began to lust for something with more power. That lead me to buying a Honda CRF450X. It's a bit of a princess, but worth it!

I now ride year-round (ice/snow spikes in the winter) and continue to explore the wilds of the West with my friends.