Ushuaia - With a Little Help from a Friend


Every picture has a story. This picture has a story very important to me that I'd like to share with you.

Just over two years ago my friend Bill (on the left) and I went moto camping in Mendocino forest in northern California. We spent three days rinding single track, ripping up hill climbs, bouncing through rock gardens, climbing mountains and searching for gas through snow and ice with full packs. We bush camped next to our bikes in freezing temps sharing homemade Russian Whiskey made by the grandfather of Bill's girlfriend. This wasn't a big trip, this was just a weekend ride and my first ride on the KTM 690 (on the right). Around the camp fire Bill talked about his trip to South America and we planned our next big trip to Baja California for just after Christmas.

Tragically, the following day Bill was killed in a motorcycle accident with a car, on his way home from work. It was a tough time for so many people. My personal way of dealing with this and honoring Bill was to go on our planned ride to Baja, in his memory (blog). Two of Bill's close friends (Jonny and Jimmy) decided to join me and Jonny had the idea of attaching pictures to our bike during our ride. This picture above is the one I chose to have during the ride.
My adventures with Bill prepared me faster and better for my own big trip south than I could have imagined. I left the following summer, heading south with no plan on time or destination. Almost a year and a half later I find myself in Ushuaia always with that picture in my mind. My picture couldn't have happened without his.

So this picture is for Bill's memory and proof of his impact on my life.
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3 comments:

  1. I was with Bill and his friends on the Steel Rat as we crossed from Panama to Colombia. His infectious smile was everpresent. I could tell that he was itching to ride south to Patagonia. I was saddened to hear of his untimely death at the hands of a cager. RIP...

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  2. Im so glad you took this trip. It would have brought on that fantastic smile which makes me smile now just thinking about it. Thank you for sharing.

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