About:
My name is John Garrett.
In 2023 I left my career to pursue my passions full time. I love exploring on my motorcycle and rediscovering remote routes and historic places where important events once happened. I also love epic adventures through remote and forgotten spaces. With my brother, I have explored vast areas of the western U.S., and Canada, traveling to its most northern destination accessible by public road, some 250+ miles north of the Arctic Circle.
But my interests don’t end there. I have made a conscious decision to live the life that I love. I now make my home in the mountains of central Idaho, living in a log cabin surrounded by forest. In the high-country—far from an office— I am living my most authentic life.
I also love owning and restoring classic automobiles.
How it all Started
I have ridden for most of my life. In 2011 I bought a copy of Neil Peart’s book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road. It changed my life. I have read the book at least three times and with each reading I have become more inspired to ride and discover. While I never replicated his overall journey, I have learned valuable life lessons reflecting through some of the lonely segments that I followed. I hope this thirst for self-discovery is never quenched.
At about this same time, my brother and I began earnestly taking rides on our KLR’s to some of the more routine destinations common on many rider’s bucket lists. By most standards, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks themselves do not qualify as adventure rides, but they were easy, multi-day rides that helped us prepare for more.
In 2014, still inspired by Ghost Rider, my brother and I took extended leaves from work and headed north through Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories.
Roughly following part of Neil Peart’s famous route, we rode the Dempster Highway. Round trip, the Dempster is a 1,000-mile slog of slippery mud and misery. This magnificent road took us through the Arctic Circle and the vast wilderness that is the Arctic tundra. Alone and surrounded by nothingness, the world feels big. Very big. It’s not a comfortable feeling—but I’ve never felt more alive and appreciative of nature and the world around me.
We rode more than 8,000 miles, continuing through Alaska and back home to Idaho. This was perhaps one of the most memorable events of my life. We were frequently cold, wet, and tired. Yet, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for a week at a beach-side resort.
In 2020, after more than 35 years at my career, I took a sabbatical. With no real responsibilities or obligations, this was my first real summer break since I was 13 years old. This was healthiest thing I had ever done for myself. I realized—at that moment—that the trappings of a successful career were no longer important to me. What counted more was time.
I have been able to take every summer off since and, in 2023, I permanently left my position as a Director of Financial Risk at one of the Big Four accounting firms to dedicate myself to building the life I love.
Family, log cabins, old Corvettes, and Riding my Adventure.