Reaching the Goal

It's hard to put into words the amount of gratitude and appreciation Luke and I feel for all the support. With ten days left on our Kickstarter project we have reached our goal!

Luke and I are learning a lot.

It is safe to say this part of our Superior Dream adventure--like certain times on the Lake herself-- almost seems too big to accomplish. Thankfully we have assembled a professional team of people who provide the answers to the questions we have, as well as a community who selflessly give emotional and financial support.

By following this blog, donating your own hard earned cash, visiting the website, and simply asking how the film is coming along on the street, you give your support.

We are currently setting up some intense work weekends where we plan to lock ourselves in an editing suite and begin the knitty-gritty parts of getting this film to print. All involved are excited and ready to see some forward movement on this project. Now that we have some of that financial grease things should move steadily forward.

Keep an eye out for more SD clips and other foolishness coming soon!

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Kickstarter.com

We made it half way to our Kickstarter goal!!!!


Now is the perfect time to pre-order a DVD, or pick up a few SD stickers to plaster on your bumper, water bottle, or around your neighborhood.


The money raised is going towards stellar music by Dave Costello and Chris Beaty of SonicBloom, as well as, getting DVD's pressed and showing our editors how much we appreciate their hard work.


If we don't reach our goal we get NOTHING! So please donate whatever you can spare, as of 1-19 we have 21 days left! 


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/431862868/superior-dream-circumnavigation-of-the-worlds-larg

The SD Experience: Lonely Paddlers

Just two dudes.  Two kayaks.  Two (three, technically) paddles.  Steadily making our way around one huge lake.

Passing wide, expansive peninsulas thick with forest reaching right up to the water and past secret sandy beaches that haven't seen a footprint in weeks or maybe months.  Pulling by deserted islands and empty, overgrown cottages.

Occasionally we'd see a waving hand or a face on shore.  Even less frequently another paddler on the water with us.  In fact, throughout the whole time we were on the water, only a couple dozen times did we see other kayakers, in total, a mere 44 other paddlers in the 97 days it took us to get around the Lake.

Sometimes that brought us a lonely feeling.  Of course we weren't alone, we were together.  But we were astonished to be sharing the whole lake with so few other paddlers.

Had we spent three months in areas like the Apostle Islands or Lake Superior Provincial Park or Pukaskwa National Park, that number would be much higher.  These are some of the hot spot paddling areas of the Lake, among a few others.  During each summer throngs of kayakers and canoeists travel to and enjoy these specific Lake Superior shorelines, and for good reason.  But we spread ourselves thin by moving on and leaving behind these areas, and those paddlers.

And so when we did glide up along another kayaker, they were either too on a similar long expedition like us or just out for a paddle by their home or summer cabin.   A number so few on a lake so large.

We assume, that like us, they were recognizing if they hadn't known already the superb paddling destination that Superior is, in its entirety.

The SD Experience: Fun Facts and Extras

As we lead up to the release of our Kickstarter video, and ultimately the documentary, we'll present an extended series of fun facts, unpublished photos and other extras from the expedition itself and the project overall.  This should give you a more casual peek into the Superior Dream experience.

First in line is this picture.

I thought it would be fitting to start with a photo of the two of us, but there are surprisingly only a few.  This is taken from a public park while we waited out a wind advisory just west of Sault Ste Marie, MI.  We had just turned our cell phones back on (only briefly) after a month and a half in Canada.  Greg is ordering a pizza.  Just kidding.  He's actually calling to confirm that there are indeed 100 wind turbines on the ridge across the river from us.  He counted each one and quizzed me on the paddle by them.

Stay tuned for more...

Back Home

I've made the move. Now Luke and I both live near the sparkling waters that have inspired us for so long. Lu's working up the shore at Lutsen Resort, and I have landed a job at Vertical Endeavors.

A month ago I made the decision that I needed to move out of my car and back into a place of my own. Bouncing seasonally from place to place for four years can wear a guy out. I desired a community and there was only one that I would accept, Duluth.

I found a hole-in-the-wall studio apartment with month to month rent (no need to marry the place) and began the job search. It is an amazing feeling to look out over The Lake again. Now more than ever I sit and try to imagine myself far out from shore, my paddle cutting into the water and the complete silence that 'out there' possesses.

It seems that I am transitioning--starting something new and it is scary at times. I've been in my apartment now for a month and I am already dreaming of  my favorite people and places out west. I'm not used to wrestling with the idea that I will have to request time off, budget money so I can afford rent, and won't be able point my headlights toward the horizon whenever I want.

At this point it all seems like a decent price tag for that sense of community that I've been lacking on the road. I am not clawing at the walls of closet of an apartment--yet anyway. I am getting used to the idea of waking up in a space that I can share with visiting friends and is wholly mine.

I figure it'll be good to have a base camp for a bit. I can focus more on Superior Dream and a list of other hobbies while I have a good space to do so.

On the days when I get that trapped feeling, I find a hidden place next to the lake. I sit and she reminds me that this is where I want to be, this is the community I want to be part of, and you miss a lot when your home travels at 75 miles per hour from place to place.

It's good to keep that in mind.

Superior Dream Team Unites!

Friends,

A pledge: you'll be hearing and seeing more from us.  The website and blog have been pretty low key lately, we realize this.

However, this past weekend the Superior Dream film's editor, Katie Swanson, and Executive Producer, JJ Kelley, joined the paddlers in Duluth to show off the new SD t-shirts, share beers (Kayak Kolsch) and film a short promo video for Kickstarter.  The aim is to raise some funds for post production costs (look for it in a couple weeks).

Over the course of the weekend we caught up with each other's lives and delighted in stories from the past, the expedition included.  The film is moving along.  In the mean time, here are a few snapshots from the shoot and weekend.  They'll be going up on the Facebook page as well.

Back in our paddling hats.

And back in the front of the camera again.

JJ, Katie, Greg & Lucas

Modeling the new SD threads.

Also, check the website (www.superiordream.com) over the next week or two as a variety of albums go up of stills from the expedition itself - it's something we've been meaning to do for a while.  This includes that stellar "teaser" that we've been playing at presentations.

Well, perhaps you've noticed that our webpage is working again!

Many thanks to Luke for getting this put together. We're still working on getting our photos uploaded so that they are available to everyone at their own leisure.

To catch people up on where everything is at, Katie is cutting the nearly 80 hours of film down to, well, less than that this week. We'll be shooting a Kickstarter video in Duluth on October 15th to raise money for some of our post production costs. We're pretty excited about this fundraising opportunity so check back here in November for more updates.

I've been lucky enough to spend the last month or so working on an amazing story involving Joe Stone and Project Life Flight. Swing by his blog at http://www.joesstone.blogspot.com/ to read about his story and our documentary.

Be well.

Upcoming Presentations

Wed, June 1

We have two more presentations scheduled for this summer and would love to see you out there!

The first one is coming up soon, at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN. On Friday night, June 17 at 2pm, Lucas kicks off the annual Wooden Boat Show by presenting on the teams experience building their own Skin On Frame kayaks for the expedition, why they didn't work out, and subsequently about the tour without them.

And then at the Minnesota State Fair, Greg will present the expedition at 4:30 on August 27th on the MN Pollution Control Agencies Sustainability Stage.

Keep in touch with more possible public appearances during this time too. Plus, we're also diving head first into the film. Thanks for your support of Superior Dream!

State Fair 2011

August 27, 2011 at 4:30 pm

Superior Dream will present their journey on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Sustainability Stage at the Minnesota State Fair!

Swing by for an updated slideshow and trailer.

Things are going good with post-production of the film and we are currently exploring fundraising opportunities to produce an adventure documentary the Lake Superior region will be proud of!