A normal day in Bemidji.
Ehren was born and raised in Bemidji, Minnesota, as an only child. And no, his parents did not go easy on him. Already wearing multiple hats as business owners, volunteers and holders of multiple jobs and degrees, they were also Boy Scout troop leaders. They ran the troop the old-school way, meaning everyone had a job to do so you had better do what you could to get it done. Long after attaining his Eagle Scout, that is still the mentality Ehren has when faced with any problem he encounters. He is also wildly ambitious and handy with a wrench.
Enjoying the Swiss Alps in Lauterbrunnen.
While attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth for a B.S. in Geology, he decided to sign up for a yearlong study abroad program in England his junior year. His freshman year at UMD, however, had been a challenge. Despite bettering himself academically as a sophomore, he didn’t have a high enough GPA to be accepted into the program at first—but after an earnestly-pleaded case in a letter written to the program director, he was able to join. Problem solved. Little did he know he would soon be meeting his future wife, Brittany.
Overlooking the spit and Kachemak Bay in Homer, Alaska.
After a year conquering the sights of Europe together, Ehren and Brittany returned to Duluth to finish their degrees. Ehren, having had years of motorcycling under his belt by this time, brought Brittany out dirtbiking to teach her the basics. After she got her endorsement, they both took some time off from their summer jobs in 2009 and 2010 to motorcycle the perimeter of Lake Superior and spend six weeks exploring Canada and Alaska. Also during this time Ehren was able to take part in two field research trips: a two-week stay in Malawi and a five-week trek to the Philippines.
After riding across the Black Rock Desert.
Ehren graduated college in the spring of 2010 and found a job in early 2011 out in northern Nevada working as a mine geologist. While living out in Nevada, Ehren kept himself busy with trying to find the perfect bikes to use for the eventual trip to South America. He also did a solid axle swap on a 2007 GMC Sierra Classic 2500HD among many other modifications to make it the ultimate desert explorer. Both Ehren and Brittany got into paragliding the summer of 2015, and in preparation for future motorcycle endeavors they both took an EMT-Basic certification course (previous medical knowledge for Ehren consisted of 10 years being involved with ski patrol). In the summer of 2016 he quit his job and moved back to Minnesota in order to prepare for the South America adventure.
Impromptu truck fix in Death Valley N.P.
When asked, Ehren would say motorcycle adventure is his biggest hobby if not his life. Other hobbies he also enjoys include metal fabrication and design, working on bikes, camping, hiking, skiing, fixing things, paragliding, and terrorizing the cats.