July 7th AM

I woke up early this morning and sat with a cup of coffee out on the dock. I was preparing to go into Ely to meet up with a guy named Cliff. I had no solid interviews set up for today. In the back of my mind I was prepared for some hard work and possibly leaving Ely without an interview. I got into town and met Cliff. I let him size me up and I told him a little more about the project I am doing. Cliff assured me that I would have a tough time getting anyone in Ely to talk with me, at least any folks who grew up in Ely. I assured him I was in for the ride and I had no problem answer people's questions and would understand if nothing worked out. Cliff first brought me over the the Ely Radio Station, Boundary Waters Radio, to meet the couple who ran the station and the Ely Public Access TV. He wanted to see if they could help come up with any strategies I could use to get an interview.

It was a long shot, but after a few conversations Cliff was willing to drive me out to see a guy named Ropey, a retired miner, veteran and a new Harley rider. Two days earlier Cliff had asked Ropi if he'd be interested. At that point Ropey made it clear he had no interest in doing interviews.

But here I was. Cliff offered to drive me out to Ropey's shack off in the woods, with no running water or electricity. My bike wouldn't be able to make it over the beaver dam dirt roads and large rocks. Slowly Cliff and I chatted about Ely as we road deeper and deeper into the woods. We passed a couple of shacks and piles of stuff Ropey kept on the side of the road for a "just-in-case" moment that may arise. We reached is place. Cliff asked me to wait in the truck while he went to ask Ropey if he'd see me. He once again assured me this may be a waste of time and he very well could tell me to get off his land. I sat and waited.

A few minutes later, Cliff came back to the truck and said, "Ropey will give you a shot." He was surprised. I was surprised as well and jumped out of the truck and walked up to Ropey's place. His place was decorated with lots of animal bones, including an entire rib cage and spine of a deer. Ropi had just woke up.

Once inside I turned on the mic and listened. Ropey was a Veteran, Miner and a guy who had lived some amazing moments in life. A great storyteller Ropey, began to tell a story of surviving a flood and the changes it made in his life. In his heart, Ropey had learned the importance of kindness and the determination to see his way through fear to the other side. I was touched by his stories and felt privileged to be sitting in his home, hearing him talk about the things he knew to be true about the world.

After our interview, he let me snap a few quick portraits of him. He wished me well on my journey and cliff and I headed back out on the road we came in on. Cliff couldn't believe what had happened. Inside I couldn't help but be thankful for the friends that had connected me to Ely, Cliff and eventually to Ropey. I knew I had just had a special experience that would not have happened if the many folks helping out with this project weren't there.

July 6th PM

I traveled back down 61 and got off on Highway 1 towards Ely. Immediately the air warmed up as I headed away from the lake. It felt like how July should feel in my mind - hot. The road twisted and turned through Superior Forest. It was a beautiful ride. Around one turn, I stopped to let a doe and two fawns cross the road. The amount of wild life up hear has blown me away. I have never seen so many creatures everywhere I look.

I reach my friends, Mary and Tom, cabin in Ely on Eagle’s Nest Lake. They have been kind enough to let me use it while I stay in Ely. I arrived and sat out on their dock.

July 6th AM

I woke up to the sound of rain on my tent and hitting the rocks on the beach. I slept in to let the rainstorm pass over before packing up. The storm ended quickly and I was able to break down my tent and get packed up by 10am. I stopped up the road at Naniboujou Lodge for their Sunday Brunch. The lodge was built just before the Depression in the 1930’s. After Breakfast I said good-bye to Kristi and thanked her for opening her life and home to me. Jessi hooked up with me to take her portrait photo and we said good-bye. I was off on the road again.

July 5th PM

I ate dinner with Kristi outside on the beach back at her place. We talked the history of this land since her family bought is in 1954. After dinner I interviewed her and she took me through a story of fighting Breast Cancer, embracing her passion over 45 years as a potter and the determination to create pottery in her cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. I absorbed the lessons of kindness, honesty and relationships as she talked. Kristi found the center of her work, and her self, after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

After connecting with Kristi I met up with Jessi Nicholson at her solar powered cabin in Hovland. I listened intently as Jessi told the story of discovering acupuncture after being confronted with mental health diagnoses. Jessi talked from her heart about living on the Gun Flint Trail and learning about the beauty and balance of nature. Jessi told me the story of self discovery, her root in the woods of Cook County and the decision to become a healer. Jessi shared a powerful story of accountability to oneself.


After the interview Jessi drove me back to my tent at 2am. As we drove down the drive way to where my tent was, we saw a wolf duck into the woods and head in the direction of where I was to sleep that night, Jessi mentioned she’d been seeing this pair of wolves in the area. I had never seen a wolf before, let alone ever thought about camping with one.

Freaked out, I waited in the car a few minutes before heading to my tent. I rationalized that the wolf would be more scared of me than I was of him. And although I was scared, I smiled remembering that this whole trip is about facing fear.

My gut was telling me the wolf wanted to be more of a sign for me to trust the journey I was on, than a threat to my safety. I was scared to spend the night alone, and I figured this was a great opportunity to push myself. Jessi drove off and I spent the night alone in the tent and I asked the wolves to protect me. I am glad I did. I had a peaceful night and I got a little further over my fear of nature.

July 5th AM

Today I got up to the warming of the air after a cool night by the shore of Lake Superior. I was hoping to track down Jessi Nicholson, an acupuncturist in Grand Marais for an interview and visit Kristi at the Hovland Art Festival. The morning was spent in Grand Marias finding Jessi and becoming familiar with the small town. In the afternoon I traveled on my bike 15 Miles east to Hovland, for the Art Festival. I walked around the artists who had created Birch Wood canoes, yarn, quilts, photography, jewelry and pottery.

I sat by Kristi as she talked me through the making of a pot. Beth, a friend of Kristi’s and her bookkeeper, chatted with me about the Gunflint Trail, Hovland and adjusting to living back in the town after years on the Trail.

July 4th PM

After the parade I left town, headed east on 61 until I reached KKD Pottery, the home of Kristi Downing. Kristi lives on the shore of Lake Superior in a modest, but gorgeous little cabin home. I met Kristi when she returned home after showing her pottery work at the Hovland Art Festival all day. I set up my tent on her beach and began to get to know Kristi. That night I went to bed staring at Lake Superior. I was trying to make sense of this lake that I know almost nothing about. The clear deep blue, tells a story, and I have no idea what that story is. But I get the sense that everyone living on it's shore lives by this story.

July 4th AM

I woke up and slowly packed up my things. I had to leave Duluth for Grand Marais today, and I was expecting it to be a 3-hour drive, with a stop to rest. It took me a little longer to get out of town than I expected, but once on the road, the amazing scenery of the North Shore surrounded me. Superior is beautiful, strong and mysterious to me. I am not familiar with the part of Minnesota. A location so defined by this gigantic body of water. A lake nothing like the Minnesota Lakes I am used to, with docks and jet skis. Superior has huge cargo ships and a few fishing boats and hardly even did I see a dock. On the way I stopped at an Industrial little town that reminded me of the work Lake Superiors does for industry and us.

Eventually I rolled into Grand Marais. It was the 4th of July and folks were out wondering around in the sun, while I stopped to put another layer on, because the temper change on the way was amazing. By the Marina, I figured it was 20 degrees cooler than when I left Duluth. I had felt the temperature change through turns and hills all along the way.

I stayed in Town for the 4th of July Parade before heading out to the place I was going to stay a few miles further on 61 near a town called Hovland.

Self-Portrait

On my way to Duluth on 61, in the parking lot of Peggie Sue's Cafe.

July 3 PM

After the interview with Rick I wondered around Duluth, drove over the lift bridge and spent a couple hours in the Rose Gardens. By 5pm I was meeting with Jen Wright, a writer and probation officer, she recently wrote the book Winter Storm, a lesbian mystery that takes place around Duluth. Jen discussed the moment she decided to write I book centered on a lesbian character and weighing the possible aftermath the book may cause her with her job. Through our conversation stories about risk, growth and support came through. Plus I got to see Jen’s new, old bike, a Honda Silver Wing. I had no idea this bike existed. The Silver Wing is the baby to the Gold Wing.

After leaving Jen’s, I hooked up with Kim Griffin, who finished Surgical Tech School, and because of a hiring freeze is working at a group home. When asked to talk about a time in her life when she faced her fears and changed her life, Kim was reminded of her relationship with her mother. She spent the time talking about honesty, love and the struggle to bring her complete self into her mother’s life. Kim’s story reminded me of the importance of family to be real, loving and at times very different.

That night I went to bed reflecting on the stories I had heard so far. It was day 3 and already I felt myself changing. I felt the fatigue of riding. I was settling in to what my life was going to be like for the next three weeks. I decided to not try to make sense of everything too much just yet and trust that it will all come together by the end of the trip in a way that I most likely can’t imagine now.

July 3 AM

I woke up this morning exhausted. I am assuming this is from the long bike ride yesterday. I guess riding all day fatigues my body. We’ll I was up and had a cup of coffee, pulled things together and headed back into Duluth to Canal Park for an interview with Rick Kollath, a graphic designers and Illustrator. I managed to navigate this gigantic 1500cc bike through the streets of Duluth to Rick’s office, a very cool, warehouse looking space that he shares with several other creative minds.

We sat down, moved once for better sound and moved one more time before Rick opened up about his adventures canoeing, climbing, and hiking. What became clear was that even with all of the great stories he had about outdoor adventures, he chose to talk about starting his own business. I sat back and listened as he explained to me how he faced many fears and changed his life when he decided to open a business.

July 2 PM

Danette Kimball, works with youth and lives in Duluth. She showed me around Wed. night. We watched ships come in, had a beer from a local brewery and sat down for an interview. Against the sounds of the waves on Lake Superior and the chirping of birds, Dannette talked about the courage to understand what she needs from relationships and when to recognize she is giving too much and not talking care of herself. We closed the night sitting in a hot tub listening to trains go by.

July 2 AM

July 2nd, I woke up today and was ready to say good-bye to Donna and the folks at Dream of Wild Health farm in Hugo, Minnesota. I packed my bags, joined the group in a prayer of intention for the day, offered tobacco and thank everyone for offering up a place for me to stay and hear stories. I sat down on my bike, started it up… started it up… started it up again… nothing. Day two of the trip and my bike wasn’t interested in getting on the road. Pedro, one of the staff at Dream of Wild Health and a great guy, explored the possible reasons why my bike wouldn’t start. We charged the battery, tried to jump the bike and nothing. Rich, my friend from the cities, called at this exact time to ask how I was doing. He suggested hitting the starter with a wrench to see if we couldn’t start the bike that way. We did. The sound changed a bit, but still no luck. We decided that if I could get the bike started, I would drive it back to Rich’s, drop it off and take his 1500cc Intruder to finish the trip. The only way this was going to happen is if Pedro and I could get the bike going fast enough to pop it into 2nd gear. I rolled down the driveway, popped it and was off… at least until the end of the drive way where is stalled out. Pedro and I pushed the bike up a hill on the highway in the scorching heat, while horse flies entertained themselves by biting our back, arms, necks and legs. We got to the top. I coasted down. Popped the bike in 2nd. Revved the engine as much as I could before a stop sign about to come up. I made a rolling stop, looked quickly and didn’t dare stop the bike. I was off. All I had to do was make it to Highway 35 and my engine would be warm enough to make it all the way. One horse fly had decided to come along for the ride under my jacket. Biting me, biting me, biting me. I swatted at it. It bit me harder. Swatted it again. He bit me again. I carefully tested if I could pull over and keep the bike going. I did. Released the fly. And drove to switch bikes. After repacking, I got on Highway 61 and head towards Duluth.

July 1 PM- wee hours

Late at night on July 1st, I sat down with Pam McBridge on the Shore of Forest Lake. In between Mosquito bites, Pam talked with me about leaping into life when she made the choice to have her son. With each interview I am learning more and more about the human desire to connect and be loved.

July 1 PM

My first stop is a farm in Hugo, called Dream of Wild Health. Donna LaChapelle lives here. Summer youth programs began on Monday and kids are all over learning about healthy food, diets and traditional Native American ways of living. I chatted with the kids, learned about the farm and tasted vegetables straight out of the ground. Later in the evening I sat down with Donna to ask her about a time in her life when she faced fear and was changed forever. I was privileged to hear an amazing story about family, love and the decision to live a grounded life.

July 1

Today I loaded up my bike, checked to make sure nothing was going to catch in my wheel. Packed up, I sat down and felt the start of the next three weeks. I have no idea what to expect. I don't know if this bike will make the trip and if I will find anything interesting in the stories people are about to share with me. Of course, I am betting that the bike will make it, that folks do want to sit down and share their stories about fear, risk and life changes. Today, I will find out. Today I will know if all this planning, equipment, and courage will be worth the adventure. Nothing like making a five year old dream come true.

Sound Check

Carly Zuckweiler, sound engineer with HDMG, goes over the details, tricks and "have-tos" for recording audio with me before I take off. Carly has been the sound expert extraordinaire for the Minnesota Motorcycle Stories by helping me to successfully leap from filmmaking to podcasting. Two very different beasts.

Kick Off Party

June 19th marked the kick-off of the Minnesota Motorcycle Stories project. Folks came by to connect and walk through a 15' x 20' map of Minnesota drawn on the patio. Destinations carved out with sidewalk chalk, marked my intended journey into the stories of people across Minnesota. The crowd raised gas money, ate S'mores and shared stories about life changing events. A special thank you to everyone who helped, stopped by or gave a bit of advise. Over the four hours, many familiar faces came through and some new ones. Each of you reminded me that no project can happen alone. I look forward to seeing you all again on July 25th at the Welcome Home Party!

Harley Patrol

I sat down with Sgt. Rich Jackson of the Minneapolis Police Department to ask him about motorcycles. Jackson led the department to bring police motorcycles back to the streets of Minneapolis after a 50 year disappearance of officers on cruisers. Jackson researched the effectiveness of bikes in a police department, before proposing the department's use of bikes. He found faster response times and efficient use of resources were the results departments reported when utilizing motorcycles. Jackson said he was skeptical when he found research pointing to an increase in positive community response to officers on motorcycles. The same research reflected a change in the officers experience as the public began to talk and relate with them because they saw the bike. Jackson was surprised, but had the same experience himself when the Minneapolis Police Department invested in a fleet of Harley Davidsons for their Traffic Division.

Jackson explained to me that once an officer is outside of a box, a squad car, they are vulnerable to the world around them. The same is true for any motorcycle rider. That when a rider is on the road they see everything. They smell and feel everything. This not only changes the publics experience of the officer, but changes the experience of the public for the officer as well.


Jackson is a motorcycle safety instructor and trains both police officers and the public how to ride motorcycles. To take a course with Rich Jackson visit: www.rideracademy.com

MAP

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Dusting Off the Bike

The Start Line

I am curious. My friends and family worry about my safety. I am a magnet for taboo conversations. Fear has been a constant companion in my life, rational and irrational fears, fears around work, home life or personal reflections. My confrontations with fear have been my most life changing events. What better way to embrace this companion and discover its many mutations, than by capturing the stories of this ill-mannered friend in the lives of Minnesotans who have faced their fears and changed their lives.

This blog will follow the Minnesota Motorcycle Stories project from start to finish. You are invited to observe, participate and share your thoughts about the question: "When have you faced fear and changed your life?”