The 4th Annual Dawg Daze took place at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge on March 2, 2024.  Dawg Daze is an event that celebrates winter, trails, and dogs and is associated with the annual Copper Dog Festival. Even though the main races of Copper Dog were cancelled this year due to snow, we were able to still hold Dawg Daze at the Lodge. 

In keeping with the traditions of past Dawg Daze, three main events were held for dogs who brought their humans out to celebrate the day.  The Forest Dog Derby, The Dog Costume Contest, and the Best Trick were open to the public.  This year, due to the Perimeter Trail being closed due to inconsistent snow, we modified the derby track to be on the forest trails (a 1.1. mile track). This provided a different experience for the participants — humans and dogs.

The winners were awarded a certificate and a Pooch Pouch containing 6 dog biscuits made in house by the kitchen team. 

The 2022 & 2023 Perimeter Dog Derby champion team Bobbi and Thor held on to their winning streak again this year with a skijoring time of 6 minutes flat.  Second place went to Kay and Milford with a time of 10 minutes and 30 seconds.  Kristen and Tak came in for third place with a time of 12 minutes and 25 seconds.  Team Blaze (Milford and Rex, and Tom) won first place in the costume.  Second place in the costume contest went to Bat Dog and Bat Woman (Thor and Bobbi).  Third place went to Bugs and Monica who were dressed as Gamers.  The most impressive trick was done by Bugs.  All the contestants were very good dogs and everyone walked away with treats for coming out to celebrate. 

The weather for the event was sunny and unseasonably warm with temperatures in the upper-40’s.  The forest trails were well groomed and offered a smooth race course for the skijoring teams.  Considering the warm weather, the trails did start to get soft with each pass.

After conclusion of all the events, everyone was smiles and drools as awards and treats were presented and photos were taken.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholderDawg Daze takes the opportunity to support the Copper Country Humane Society by accepting monetary and supply donations.  Participants provided their donations, and we will deliver their donations to the Copper Country Humane Society.  

We look forward to seeing our human and dog friends again next year for the Fifth Annual Dawg Daze in 2025.  Keep an eye on our calendar for future events. 

Last Friday, September 22nd, the golf course maintenance crew finished up the aerating and top dressing the greens on the golf course.  On Sunday, September 17th, we closed the course and aerated all the greens. Then throughout the following week we top dressed the greens, finishing up no Friday, September 22nd. 

Doing the aerating at this time of year is now our regular schedule, with this being the 5th year in keeping with this schedule.

Yes, at the top of the Keweenaw, we still have good weather to play golf. So some golfers question why we are aerating the greens at this time. We would like to continue to have a quality putting surface to play on.

The reason for performing the aerating is because of the good weather. We should not aerate when there is poor weather (e.g. rain, snow, etc.). We need to take advantage of this weather when we can. Prior to 2019, aerating was pushed back as far into the fall season as possible. As a result, aerating would not take place every year because the weather would turn wet before being able to aerate.

[ USGA: Why do golf courses aerate putting greens ]

If we are to continue to have quality greens on the Lodge golf course we need to improve the probability the golf course maintenance crew we can do a quality job. Aerating in mid-September is part of that strategy. This strategy also means greens will be ready earlier in June (rather than in mid-July if not later). [ see the aerating / top dressing schedule for next season, 2024 ]

If you are still wanting to play this week, the golf course will be open during the aerating and top dressing process. Golfers will need to play around the green which the crew is working on, and then come back and play that hole or play another hole to ensure you get your full 9- or 18-hole round completed.

The green fees are still the regular green fees as they stay the same throughout the season (June 1st to October 15th). You can find them online here.

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The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) holds the International Dark Sky Week each year to put focus on minimizing light pollution, and for people to understand the beauty and the benefit of the dark skies. This year International Dark Sky Week is April 15-22, 2023.

In the state of Michigan, the governor has made a proclamation this year that April 15-22, 2023 is DARK SKY WEEK in Michigan.

And the resolution SR-30 offered by Senators Lindsey and Bayer and adopted on April 13, 2023.  [ pdf ]

As part of International Dark Sky Week, we will be holding the 2023 Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival, April 21st and 22nd, 2023.

Nate Bett, professional landscape photographer and Cannon expert, once again delivered an excellent Northern Lights presentation during the March 2023 Photo Workshop at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge.

March 19, 2023 had a KP of just 0.38% and the sky was slightly overcast with clouds rolling in from the south. Chances of spotting the northern lights or a bright starry night sky were low, but the two guests that came for the workshop were still able to step out onto the golf course in Keweenaw’s International Dark Sky Park and practice their night sky photo techniques under Nate’s tutelage. This month’s participants used i-phones and a tripod to capture some great images of the western sky and the lodge with stars reflecting out from some clouds with the lodge and tree silhouetted against the skyline.

The photo workshops held at the Lodge take place each month and are available to members of the public as well as Lodge guests. During the workshop, Nate Bett delivers a presentation on the phenomenon of the Auroras and explains the optimal camera settings and techniques required to capture beautiful images of the night sky and all its wonder. Although Nate’s specialty lies with Cannon devices, he is also very knowledgeable with the camera settings on smart phones, Nikon, Sony, and other high tech cameras and equipment. Nate also touches on other photography techniques such as light painting, moving subject images, photoshop, and layering. He also provides guests with advice on the types of equipment that can be used to enhance the shots that they’re working toward capturing.

When guests come into the lodge for a workshop or another educational event, and they can step out into the world a couple hours later, and apply the knowledge they acquired, I know that we’ve done a great job. Every opportunity to refine their skills after that point is a personal endeavor. It feels good to be able to help plant the seed that allows people to grow closer to becoming who and what they want to become.

If you are interested in future photo workshops or other educational opportunities offered by the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, check out our calendar under the Events section of the website.

Visit the KML calendar for the 2023 Photo Workshop dates.

The 3rd Annual Dawg Daze took place at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge on March 4, 2023.  Dawg Daze is an event that celebrates winter, trails, and dogs and is associated with the annual Copper Dog Festival. Dawg Daze also takes the opportunity to support the Copper Country Humane Society by accepting monetary and supply donations.

In keeping with the traditions of past Dawg Daze, three main events were held for dogs who brought their humans out to celebrate the day.  The Perimeter Dog Derby, The Dog Costume Contest, and the Best Trick were open to the public.  The winners were awarded a certificate and a Pooch Pouch containing 6 dog biscuits made in house by KML chef, Widad Mueller.  The 2022 Perimeter Dog Derby champion team Bobbi and Thor held on to their winning streak again this year with a skijoring time of 6 minutes and 25 seconds.  Second place went to Kay and Milford with a time of 8 minutes and 45 seconds.  Terry and Goose came in for third place with a time of 10 minutes and 40 seconds.  Roomba and Wesson, two canine brothers, won first place in the costume contest sporting matching cowboy costumes.  Second place in the costume contest went to Bug, a pug dressed as a beanie baby.  Third place went to Bugs and Monica who were dressed as Mickey and Minnie.  The most impressive trick was done by Wesson who was able to spin in circles for a delicious treat.  All the contestants were very good dogs and everyone walked away with treats for coming out to celebrate. 

The weather for the event was sunny and unseasonably warm with temperatures in the mid-30’s.  The trails were well groomed and offered a smooth race course for the skijoring teams.  Seven dog/human teams came out to enjoy a beautiful day on the trails.  The race is meant to be a light hearted competition for dog/human teams of all athletic abilities.  The rules are simple and few:

1.  The race runs from 11 AM-1 PM.  Any teams on the course before or after those times will not have official times kept.
2. Only one dog and one human at a time are allowed to make up a team.
3. Dogs must be on a leash or harness tethered to their human at all times.
4. A team is not permitted to leave the course during the timed event.

A team can complete the course as many times as they’d like.  The best time is the one kept for score.  

At 2:00 PM, everyone gathered at the front of the building under the porch for an awards ceremony.  Everyone was smiles and drools as awards and treats were presented and photos were taken.  

The Copper Country Humane Society donation table is set up in the Little Cabin Cafe area all week.  Anyone wishing to donate items or money or to learn more about how the Humane Society helps animals, can stop by the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge until Friday, March 10, 2023.  

We look forward to seeing our human and dog friends again next year for the Fourth Annual Dawg Daze in 2024.  Keep an eye on our calendar for future events. 

This weekend the 14th Copper Dog 150 is being held.

The race starts in downtown Calumet on the evening of Friday, March 3, 2023. The dog sled teams will get to Eagle Harbor in the evening. Then on Saturday, March 4, 2023, the teams will race from Eagle Harbor to Copper Harbor. And on Sunday, March 5, 2023, from Copper Harbor to Eagle Harbor. This is for the 150- race. The event also has 3 other races this year, the 80, 30, and new this year, the 15.

Dates: March 3-5, 2023

You can watch the CopperDog starts and finishes live using Zoom (new this year) or Facebook Live.

We are one of the supporting partners of the event, as we believe in what the event stands for, and that it supports outdoor activities in the Kewenaw.

The February 2023 Northern Lights Photo Workshop had a great turnout and, although the KP for Northern Lights viewing was 0%, the sky was clear and offered a beautiful view of Orion and the Little Dipper from the east edge of the golf course.

The 9 guests first participated in a lecture on night sky viewing, the science behind the Northern Lights phenomenon, and the optimal camera settings for capturing night skies. This talk was led by Nate Bett, professional photographer, fine arts professor, and Cannon spokesman.

Nate and the guests then checked out snowshoes and stepped out into the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park for a chance to view the night sky without the disruption of modern light pollution. The group used red lens flashlights to navigate in the dark so as not to hinder their night vision. A picturesque area on the east side of the golf course was selected where Orion and the Little Dipper were visible through the branches of a tree.

Not to brag, and I am no photographer, but I was able to capture my first ever recognizable night time shot. Unfortunately, without the stability of a tripod, there is quite a lot of movement in my photo. Nevertheless, here is my first ever, non-professional, moving nighttime night sky photo.

At the end of each workshop I always walk away with a great feeling that guests were able to learn more about photography and their equipment from a professional who is passionate about his art. It feels good to know that our workshop guests take away skills and techniques that will allow them to capture the beauty of the night skies and auroras wherever and whenever they might come across the opportunity to do so.

If you are interested in future photo workshops or other educational opportunities offered by the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, check out our calendar under the Events section of the website.

Visit the KML calendar for the 2023 Photo Workshop dates.

Ryan Anderson has stayed at the Lodge while participating in the 2021 and 2022 CopperDog150, and will also stay with us during the 2023 CopprDog150. I recently interviewed Ryan to learn more about him and his philosophy for dog sledding. Below is his bio.

Ryan Anderson, Bio, Musher

Ryan Anderson, originally from Pine City, Minnesota, knew he wanted to pursue professional mushing since he was in high school. When Ryan was about 4 years old, his father brought his own dog sledding hobby to life, inspiring a love for dogs and mushing in his son. Ryan began driving his own sled team in 1992 and made the move to become a professional musher in 2002. Currently, Ryan’s family includes his wife, two children (aged 2 and 4), and about 30 Alaskan Huskies, which he breeds and trains. The 30 dogs include members of his active race pool as well as retired dogs and new puppies.

During the summer months, Ryan works as a carpenter while the dogs take the summer off to rest and relax. Alaskan Huskies are prone to heat exhaustion in temperatures above 50 degrees so training doesn’t begin until temperatures begin to drop. Once the temperatures drop below 50, Ryan uses an ATV with applied brakes for added resistance to begin training his teams. Each week he adds a mile or two and changes up the route so the dogs don’t lose interest and become bored. It takes about 8 inches of snow accumulation before the sled can be used for training. During the winter, Ryan is a full time, professional musher. He rotates his race dogs during race season so no one gets too tired or becomes prone to injury. Ryan and his teams have completed dozens of races which include the Iditerod, Junior Iditerod, the UP 200, and Bear Grease, just to name a few.

When asked what happens to older dogs, Ryan explained that dogs are generally considered retired between 8-12 years old or if a dog has sustained a problematic injury. Ryan keeps his old friends around and they are free to roam around his property and through his house. He keeps them feeling employed by allowing the local YMCA to use them for short dog sled rides in the winter months.

Ryan and his family enjoy a simple, easy lifestyle that centers around love for animals and nature. He loves to spend every day with his dogs. Ryan believes in goal setting and working hard to achieve personal goals. He also believes that teamwork is a huge key to success. Teamwork is more than just getting along with your co-workers, though. Just like humans, dogs have individual personalities which bring strengths and weaknesses to their teams. Often times, training dog sledding teams isn’t just about teaching commands, it’s a lesson in canine camaraderie as well. Currently, Ryan’s young daughter has begun dipping her toes into the sport by learning how to drive her own team.

The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge is proud to support sportsmen like Ryan, who value nature, family, and team, and believe that what you work to accomplish today will be what you love to enjoy tomorrow.

The 2nd Annual Snowshoe Hare event took place at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge on February 4, 2023 with a slightly overcast sky and temperatures holding steady at 9 degrees for most of the day.  The schedule of the day included a 1.5 mile adult snowshoe race, a 100 meter dash kids’ race, a “History of Snowshoeing” presentation from Iverson Snowshoe owners, Jim and Victoria Baker, a traditional snowshoe demo, and a “Snowshoe Hare” presentation by local MTU ecologist, Tom Oliver.  An in-house, German influenced Rabbit Sausage Stew with homemade croutons, served with a chilled Blackrocks Grand Rabbits Ale was served throughout the day in the Little Cabin Cafe.

Jim Baker, one of the owners of Iverson SnowShoes, discussed the history of snowshoeing across North America, beginning with models developed by North American Indigenous people.  Jim and Victoria discussed the intricacies involved in making hundreds of pairs of snowshoes by hand each year as well as the different materials used for production.  Currently, there are 7 different styles of traditional snowshoes on loan from the Iverson SnowShoe Company for guests to use during visits to the Outdoor Activity Center at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. 

Tom Oliver, of the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Michigan Technological University (MTU), led an informative lecture on the snowshoe hare, its habitat, and lifecycle.  Participants learned about the differences between hares and rabbits and the influencing factors leading to the drastic decline in hare populations across North America in recent years.  

To close out the event at 8pm, Amy Oestreich, Chris Guibert, and Max Collings led a 22 person group on a wilderness, moonlit snowshoe hike.  The moonlit hikes are a chance for guests to venture into the undisturbed winter wilderness by moonlight and stargaze without the disruption of light pollution and maybe even have the chance to spot some wildlife, such as the rarely seen snowy owl. 

To round out the Snowshoe theme, the Little Cabin Café offered rabbit sausage soup, as a lunch special, to help warm snowshoers coming in from the cold. The flavors of the sausage in the soup were complimented by those of kale, root vegetables, and chickpeas. The restaurant at the lodge offered Hasenpfeffer (marinated, slow-cooked rabbit), served with broccoli and jeweled rice. The Hasenpfeffer was tender and delicious and accented perfectly by the dried fruits in the jeweled rice.  Grand Rabbits Cream Ale by Blackrocks was also available – and on theme.

The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge partnered with Iverson Snowshoes for this event. Iverson Snowshoes provided promotional materials as well as  a variety of their snowshoe models which could be used by patrons, free of charge. 

We receive a number of donation requests from organizations and individuals throughout the year. And we are very intentional in who we partner with, which is based upon our values and what we stand for at the Lodge. Thus, we have recently implemented a donation application process, where we ask organizations / individuals to complete a basic form that outlines the request and the reason for the request.

When we evaluate a donation request, this helps us first focus on how the requesting organization and the purpose of the donation fits our value system at the Lodge. Secondly, it helps us focus on how the event relates to what the Lodge is focused on. which is outdoor activities, rustic worldly food, and education. From there we ask more specific questions to better understand the event. 

We have contributed to various organizations and causes over the past several years, We are reevaluating them to make sure they fit our values and that our donation process will be beneficial to help us follow those values with those organizations that we support.