Marisa and I are excited to announce that we made it to Deadhorse! We have now completed the line between the southernmost tip of the Americas to the furthest north you can ride!

So it has been a while since our last update. We didn’t get a Canadian SIM card and have been without internet for a while.

​Marisa and I have had an amazing ride through Washington and it’s beautiful rain forest in the Olympic NP then into BC and the Yukon. We’ve seen black bears munching on wild berries on the side of the road, moose down dusty trails, and have camped in some pretty amazing places.

Marisa and I have been on the road again for just under a month, but it feels as if we have been traveling for much longer. We've already stayed with friends in Oklahoma City, attended an Overland Expo in Flagstaff, and spent time with new friends in Phoenix and Sedona. We've chatted with fellow travelers and dream-seekers as we made our way west to California, and are now in one of the most impressive National Parks: Yellowstone.

Marisa, Pegasus (our KTM 1190), and I have been a trio of man, woman, and machine over the course of the last 4 years. We have struggled together, overcome hardships together, and each of us has pushed the others past their limits, urging them to continue on when things got tough.
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All of us have our roles as we navigate the world. I am generally the pilot, with my black chauffeur hat and gloves replaced with my motorcycle helmet and plastic knuckle gloves. My limo is our KTM, but Marisa is no ordinary passenger. Marisa is the true hero of our story. She is my cheerleader, my support crew, and my morale booster when both the bike and I are feeling grumpy and worn down. Between the three of us, Marisa is usually the one with the least amount of 'issues' as we bounce along gravel roads and across rivers.

With the weather warming up, we are getting unbearably excited for our launch date in just under a month and a half!

Our newest motorcycle is still in pieces, some of our new gear is yet to arrive, and I have only put about 20 miles on our newest member of Notier's Frontiers. The 1st real test ride will be 13k miles as we ride around the lower 48 before heading north to Alaska.

​This isn't our first launch date that seemed like we may not hit the target... Four years ago, I didn't even have my driver's license delivered to me in time for our departure date. But everything seemed to sew itself together into a fine silk tapestry that looked fragile at first, but presented a wonderful picture of what life on the road was like when everything ran 'smoothly'.

Just a quick introduction to our newest member of the family...
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Our mighty KTM 1190 had served us well over the past 85k miles, and has taken us across 3 continents and 25 counties. But, it is time to honorably discharge her from active duty.
Marisa and I wanted to stay with KTM, as I was familiar with the bike and how it handled. But we definitely wanted an upgradable suspension.

​So we got ourselves an 1190 R!!!!

It is pretty much the exact same motorcycle, but with larger wheels and a better suspension!
Plus, all of our farkles and racks will be able to be transplanted onto the new bike!

Things have definitely changed since the day we bought our 1190 way back in 2013 as we daydreamed about traveling the world.

As with most things, it was a learning process. Our original set up was... rather interesting to say the least. Our luggage, the way it was packed, as well as our gear, all failed the initial test as we roamed around the Rocky Mountains. But the three things that still seemed eager and willing to travel the world were Marisa, myself, and the mighty KTM 1190.

​This post is our way of saying goodbye to the third member of Notier's Frontiers, and consists of some of our favorite memories as we meandered around 3 continents, over 4 years, while raking up over 85k hard miles that the motorcycle (mostly) took with stride.

Sometimes life can seem difficult, unfair, with uncomfortable situations that seem to have no end in sight. But hopefully some of our own experiences can help shed some light on positive outcomes. That silver lining may seem thin at times, but if you just keep pushing forward, things will turnaround for the better.

The following is an excerpt from the book 2Up and Overloaded.

Marisa and I wanted to provide a little update of our lockdown situation. Sadly, our crew of five has whittled down to three. We said goodbye to Lucy over two months ago, and a couple weeks ago Leo flew back to the States.

Now it is just Braden, Marisa, and me bunkering down here in Kampala. We would much rather be back out on the road, but we are thankful for the time that we have had here. We were able to participate in the Arm Chair Festival and had a blast talking with The Sidecar Guys. In a time where international overland travel has been halted, it was great to participate and to be part of an event that so many world travelers were involved in. Keep the adventure spirit alive!