Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
Memorial Day Weekend brought runners from across the region to Copper Harbor to challenge themselves on the wilderness trails that surround the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. The weather was nearly perfect for the endurance runners that participated in the 3rd annual Back 9 Endurance Run. Capped at 40 runners in order to provide a quality experience, we have 39 individuals participate this year.
Everything came together smoothly the last few days with the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge team marking the course and getting the staging area set up. The course was well marked with reflective flags every 40 feet. We plan on keeping the course the same so the race times can be compared year to year. However, we did make a few minor adjustments including not using glow sticks as part of the course markings for the nighttime part of the run. Using the plastic, disposable glow-sticks didn’t align with our core value of Value our Environment. Instead we spent our lighting budget on some solar lights which we were able to put out on the course every 100 feet. Glow-sticks and solar lights Lights like these aren’t powerful enough to have participants run without lights but they are more of a reassurance that you are on the right track, as one runner described them, “friendly beacons of the night.”
Another issue we wanted to address was the exact distance of the race course. Over the last few years there had been some debate; Strava was stating one distance while other gps units were saying another. This year our team was able to get out and measure the racecourse with an analog measuring wheel and we determined the course is 3.68 miles. I am sure that varies a little bit with where people run on the trail, however we now have an official number to calculate the total distances of people’s accomplishments.
The race format stayed the same where individual runners or teams chose to run for either 12 or 24 hours. In that time, they run as many laps as they can. Each lap started and ended at the gazebo next to the historic Lodge building. As runners completed each lap, they recorded their lap time, and then either headed out for another lap or X out on the board and 
called it a race! This race is designed to let individual runners and teams push their limits and see how many laps they can go around the course. This is where our slogan for the race “Just One More Round” comes from.
Near the start and finish line, the timer was set up to reflect the actual time and as runners completed a lap, they recorded the lap and time on the white board. It’s cool to see the board progress through the day and into the night, watching lap after lap recorded with dry erase markers. An indication that this was an endurance run, the handwriting became sloppier throughout the race!
The race started right on time at 8:00 AM on 27 May 2023. The sun was shining and spirits were high. Most of the group stayed together for the first part of the first lap, but with each stride from each runner the group slowly broke apart and the runners were soon on their own.
Throughout the day, as the runners worked their way around the course, the temperature continued to rise. Temps briefly reached into the mid 70’s in the afternoon, which had everybody monitoring their hydration, but then dropped into 50’s as night approached.
A few years ago the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge installed an Ambient Weather Station so our team and guests could have accurate weather information. This is a great resource for individuals planning on visiting the Lodge to check what the current conditions have been. Memorial Day weekend has been nice the last few years but you never know what kind of weather the Keweenaw can have during this transitional month. In fact Keweenaw County received a foot of snow on May 1st and 2nd, just 25 days before the start of the race.
“I can’t wait for the good food items – the anticipation keeps me going,” I overheard one runner say to another. At the Lodge we are working to build a culinary experience for our guests that is built around a Rustic Worldly Food concept. We apply this food concept to all of our offerings and events. The day started with mini quiches baked in cups and a sweet muffin with zucchini, nuts and dried cranberries. In the afternoon runners replenished calories with a turkey wrap and a pasta salad (made with roasted sweet potatoes, beans, corn and feta) and finally in the evening a warm soup (made from chicken, vegetables and pasta in a tomato broth) and served with a homemade, herbed naan bread. Throughout the day and night the kitchen team replenished the food table to the delight of the runners. “We wouldn’t have been as successful without all this good food”.
Between 7:00pm and 8:00pm runners of the 12 hour race finished up their final lap and headed to the finish line. I could see the look of accomplishment on their faces as they examined the lap board and discussed the results. Yes there is a winner of each race category but these types of events are more about personal accomplishments. These individuals and teams rose to the top for 2023:
[ see the results ]
When you are as far north as the Keweenaw Peninsula nighttime comes late in the early summer. At 10:30pm the blue of twilight hour engulfed the Lodge with the moon high in the sky.
Our team frantically was out on the course getting the rechargeable lights hung in the trees and the solar lights on the ground. The air was calm and the forest was quiet except for the gentle sound of runners’ feet hitting the dirt. As darkness settled in, runners got out their lights and started another time around the course. On this clear night the moon offered an additional light source.
Morning came quickly with the sound of birds singing in the morning sun. Around 7:00am runners are deciding if their tired bodies can handle another quick lap. When the 8:00am end comes all runners are off the course. Partial laps do not count so that is always part of the last decision of whether you and your team can make it another time around. These individuals and teams rose to the top for 2023:
[ see the results ]
More detailed results and pictures from the race can be found on the Back 9 Endurance website.
It was wonderful to see the runners meeting and exceeding their goals, running their farthest distance yet, cheering each other on, and having fun.
We are looking forward to the 2024 Back 9 Endurance Run, and hope you are able to join us!
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
The winter season of 2022-2023 was the third season of winter operations for the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge since new ownership took over in the fall of 2018 (and the 5th winter since the Lodge opened in 1934; when the county owned and operated the lodge, they had the resort open the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 winter seasons).
The resort in the winter time is a wonderful place for guests to come and enjoy the winter wonderland of the Keweenaw. This winter guests were able to stay in the historic rustic cabins near the cross country ski trails and the historic lodge building was open everyday for adventurers to congregate around the warm fire to share their plans and daily adventures. The Little Cabin Cafe offered breakfast, lunch, and warm beverages throughout the day; while the Tasting Post provided a slow dining experience where couples and families were able to enjoy the atmosphere of a WPA-era Lodge and learn about the rustic worldly food that Chef Wi created and served to them.
The 2022-23 winter season was an interesting and learning experience for the KML team and especially for the outdoor activities crew. Winter came early to the Keweenaw with 108” falling before December 31, 2022. A multi-day storm in November provided enough snow to get outside for some early adventures but a warming spell that happened during the last week of the month melted most of this early base. This trend continued throughout the winter with periods of heavy snowfall followed by warming spells. Keweenaw County received 275.75 inches of snow for the season including 12” in May; on average, the Keweenaw Peninsula receives 270 inches of snow each winter. The biggest snow event of the year was Winter Storm Elliot which hit the Keweenaw from 12/23-12/26. The Lodge’s winter trail system was majorly impacted due to heavy winds with snow drifts 4+ feet in places. It took us two days to dig out the trail system, with our grooming equipment getting stuck too many times to count.
The team started prepping the trails in November by using a newly acquired stump grinder. Over the last few seasons our John Deere Gator suffered damages to its axles and tracks by hitting stumps buried in the snow. This year we were proactive and the team started to grind the culprit stumps across our cross country ski trails. Team members from both the OAC team and the Facilities team took turns trying to master this machine. Let us just say persistence and tenacity were needed on the hard wood stumps found here in the North Country.
Another lesson learned from the previous years is that we needed to have redundancy in our equipment. We have two John Deere Gators, a 2016 and a 2017, in our fleet. These hardy UTVs are shared by multiple departments, both the housekeeping team and the OAC team use them in their day-by-day operations. In the past, only the 2017 machine had tracks installed on it, so for this season we ordered another set of tracks and had both machines up and running. This made a huge difference because we had no down days due to equipment failure, a big change from the previous season.
We also assessed and modified all of our cross country ski grooming equipment. We fixed the baffles on our 60” Ginzu Groomer from YTS Track Systems and added two wings to help eliminate the tracks left from the Gators and to provide a smoother skiing surface. Our team also uses a compact drag made by ABR that had a surface actuator motor that wasn’t operating properly which was fixed and modified. And finally we added some cross bars to our roller that was bending after hitting many trees on our narrow trails. These projects were executed by the Facilities team and our new mechanic Adam Bory who joined the KML team in December.
Over the last few years we learned that having a set opening and closing dates for our winter trails gives our lodging guests the ability to plan when they want to come to enjoy the Keweenaw winter wonderland. Our goal is to open the trails on December 15th and close them on April 15th, we communicate this information and the daily conditions on our Winter Trail Conditions page on our website. This season we were able to open our snowshoe trails on December 15th and our cross country ski trails on December 23rd.
Some of the great things about our cross country ski trails is that they are narrow, hilly and surrounded by the wilderness. For the 2022-23 season we wanted to add an easier trail that would be a first step for skiers getting used to our style ski trails. This season we added the In There Loop that is relatively flat and open as it cuts across holes 5, 6 and 9 of the golf course. This brought our total amount of ski trails on the property to almost 11km.
Overall the quality of our cross country ski trails was a significant improvement over the previous season with the biggest component being the consistency in grooming. Many factors contributed to this including: the addition of Adam the mechanic, having two Gators available which allowed one to be worked on while the other was grooming and the constant maintenance of the grooming equipment. But the single biggest component was the commitment of our lead groomer, KML team member John. Groomer John and I constantly talked about snow quality and grooming strategies, both of us on a long-term learning-mission to understand the nuances of laying good classic tracks and smooth corduroy at the tip of the Keweenaw. His pre-dawn-commitment and relentless around-the-clock dedication to the cross country ski trails at the KML created a consistent ski experience. Having an individual that lives on property with the willingness to make the trails great, yielded some of the best skiing since we started grooming in the 2020-2021 season.
Snowshoeing is probably the most approachable winter sport at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and again for this season’ snowshoe rentals were included as an amenity for all lodging guests. The OAC team was on an early mission to expand the snowshoe routes available to visitors. We changed the name of the existing snowshoe trail to the Adventurer Snowshoe Route because we realized that our main snowshoe route involved multiple trails and using the term “route” described it better. This opened the door to creating new signed routes, the first one was the Explorer Snowshoe Route located across Hwy 41 in the Garden Brook watershed. This 2.5 mile route offers views of the Brockway Mountain ridge line, a cedar forest and some large white pines along the valley floor. It has a remote feel that brings you closer to nature.
The second addition was the Trekker Snowshoe Route, which takes off from the Adventurer Snowshoe Route. This two mile route follows the Dancing Bear Trail under conglomerate cliff faces and connects with the Red Trail Ridge. The Trekker Route provides snowshoers a remote wilderness experience with views of Lake Manganese, East Bluff, and the Keweenaw Ridge.
Our monthly, moonlit snowshoe hikes were popular again this year. We offered them four times, once a month in January, February, March and April. With over 20 adventuresome snowshoers on the first three offerings we learned more about what is the right number of participants to keep these events personable and allow the guests to be able to get in touch with nature( if you are wondering, we think that number is around 15 participants). OAC team member Amy Oestreich took over as the lead guide and brought her passion for the sport and the Keweenaw wilderness and wove them into talking points on these interpretive excursions.
Another winter event that saw some transformation was the Snowshoe Hare. The 2nd Annual Snowshoe Hare event received a makeover with a new logo. It 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. This fun, joyous and adventuresome day celebrates snowshoeing in the Keweenaw and consists of a race, guided hikes and interpretive discussions. Similar to the event in 2022 there was little participation in the race. 
One of the highlights of the day was the presentation “History of Snowshoeing” by Iverson Snowshoe owners, Jim and Victoria Baker. This informative talk almost brought tears to Jim’s eyes as he discussed his passion for snowshoeing. The Bakers also brought a large selection of snowshoes for guests to demo. As we look forward to 2024 the event will continue to evolve and focus on the educational components associated with snowshoeing, so people will leave the event with more knowledge than they came with.
Dawg Daze, a fundraiser for the Copper Country Humane Society, is an annual event that celebrates winter, trails and dogs. This years event took place on March 4th and was officially added to the Cooper Dog event schedule. The weather for the event was sunny and unseasonably warm with temperatures in the mid-30’s. The Perimeter Dog Derby offered a smooth race course for the skijoring teams and the costume contest brought smiles and wagging tails.
Another project the OAC team has been working on is revitalizing the Snow Terrain Park. In the fall our team cleared the underbrush from the slopes to open up the terrain. The park is located behind cabin 23 and to our surprise most of the park lights were still working when we flipped on the switch. This gentle sloping area was first cleared sometime in 2009 and operated from January 2010 – March 2011 (at least this is our best estimation) as the Ocho Potter Terrain Park. Our team rode sleds, snowboards and snow skates to try to figure out what the best usage of this area might be. We haven’t settled on a master plan but we hope to come up with a vision for next season and open up this area for lodging guests to play in the snow.
[ Picture of Snow Terrain Park ]
This was also the first winter that the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park was open to the public. The Lodge’s property is open every night for stargazing and aurora hunting. Winters can be a great time to view the night sky with our long nights, in December and January we can have almost 13 hours of darkness. We do get socked in frequently with lake effect snow storms that form over Lake Superior, but when the night is clear the stars shine bright overhead unlike anywhere else in Michigan. There were two major northern lights events that happened this season. On February 26th a G4 solar storm lit up the sky above the lodge in a spectacular display of colors.
Then on March 23-24 the solar storm of the season hit a KP of 8 and rocked the whole night unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. This event was seen across the country and was a mesmerizing display of celestial colors.
The winter season of 2022-2023 was filled with challenges, learning, and joy. The KML team is starting to settle into a groove with running a four season historic resort. This winter season we got better at planning for the challenges of operating in a remote area that receives on average 280” of snow a year; this is a far better strategy than operating in a reactionary way. Since the new ownership took over the Lodge we continue to work on our goal of helping individuals get closer to nature. We do this through our lodging services, outdoor activities, dining services, and event and education offerings. At the Lodge, our core values are like a pyramid, we build from the bottom up and this winter season was another building block of the Lodge’s transformation into a destination wilderness resort.
[ getting people closer to nature ]
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
Chasing northern lights is a fun and exciting hobby that I have become passionate about in the last few years. When I first moved to the Keweenaw, I met night sky photographer Jeremy Rowe who has been taking aurora photos for over a decade on the Keweenaw Peninsula. His images were both stunning and intriguing to me, seeing his images made me want to learn how to capture the beauty of this celestial phenomenon.
Over the last few years I have been honing my night sky photography skills. I have read plenty of online articles about the subject, taken multiple workshops with Nate Bett at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge (his next Stargazing: Northern Lights Photography Workshop is on March 19, 2023), and even attended the Aurora Summit last fall to learn more about using a tracker and space weather. My “chasing northern lights skills set” is slowly expanding – lets just say I might check the Aurora Forecast app daily. However, my main tool has become checking the Michigan Aurora Chasers Facebook Group. When the group administrator, Melissa F. Kaelin, posted a G3 Storm warning for Sunday, February 26, my heart began to beat fast.
Throughout the afternoon I watched the aurora global map on the Aurora Forecast app. I could see the aurora map showing strong activity above Northern Europe and watched its progression as it moved around the globe towards North America!
I checked the Michigan Aurora Chasers group and saw this post, my mouth began to water like Pavlov’s Dog.
At 9:30 pm I headed to the Lodge to see if the activity was strong enough to be seen above the ridge of Brockway Mountain. I parked the car and headed to one of the stargazing viewing areas by hole 1 of the golf course. To my delight I could see the Auroras above the cabins and the ridge, and I quickly began taking photos!!!
After taking a few test images I was excited to see the northern lights on the back of my Canon 5D Mark IV. I took multiple compositions and grabbed my phone to check the Michigan Aurora Chasers group again. I could see images pouring in across the state! Experts in the group were excited with the space data that was being reported.
I knew I had a chance for an image that I have been thinking about for the last couple years – a photo of the northern lights above the Lodge. I moved locations and set my camera up on the East Steps of the main Lodge building and snapped an image. I waited for the image to appear on the back of the camera. YES!
The image looked in focus and I could see the lights above the Lodge. This was the shot I had pre visualized and it had finally come into fruition. I knew I had to make a color adjustment in Photoshop to the external lights of the Lodge itself, but I captured the Raw data in the camera and looked forward to seeing it on the computer later that night. I used the natural light setting for the sky and adjusted the color temperature of the building. I did not increase the saturation of the colors at all, the long exposure of the shooting process richly captured the vivid colors of the northern lights above the Lodge.
I checked the app again and the earth diagram was exploding with color. I ran to my car and headed to another spot I have been wanting to capture.
I arrived at the parking lot and quickly made my way to the Lake Superior Shoreline. The lights colorfully danced above the lake as I watched in awe. I set up the camera and took some of the best northern lights photos I have ever shot!
The night was cold (single digit temps) and I was getting tired after working all day then shooting half the night. I packed up my gear and headed home to Lac la Belle completely stimulated and exhausted at the same time. The next day I watched hundreds of magnificent images pour in from across the state. OAC Team member Amy O pointed out that we all shared a collective experience that enriched our lives. I dug inward and realized that people from across the globe witnessed this celestial event, and for one night this group of individuals put aside our differences and shared in the beauty that our universe creates.
If chasing northern lights is something you are interested in learning more about please join Melissa F. Kaelin [ her book ] and others presenters at the 2023 Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival in April during the International Dark Sky Week at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge.
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
The OAC team and guests of the Lodge had a fulfilling and educational year of hiking and biking. One of the Lodge’s visions is to provide and foster outdoor activities on the Keweenaw. Everyday we continue building the metaphorical and physical paths to create opportunities for guests to experience the wilderness on the Peninsula. In the Spring of 2022 the Lodge was asked to acquire the neighboring land from Keweenaw County. This 380 acre parcel had 11 miles of long established trails built by the Copper Harbor Trails Club. The Lodge spent a considerable amount of time negotiating with the Michigan DNR, Keweenaw County, the Copper Harbor Trails Club and KORC to draft the terms of the sale. When the sale was completed both a conservation easement on 310 acres of the land and a separate trail easement for the 11 miles of trails were added to the new KML property. This left 70 acres for a future development envelope. The acquisition brings the Lodge property close to 560 total acres and ensures the trails and the wilderness will be here for generations to come.
After receiving 325 inches of snow during the 2021-2022 winter season we were not sure when the trails were open. Mount Bohemia had their lifts running until May. Fortunately we had a relatively warm May and the snow was melting quickly. We were able to open the bike wash and trails were rideable on May 22nd. Our first bike rentals happened on May 29th. Hikers and trail runners were eager to hit the trails for the Back 9 Trail Run. This 12/24-hour endurance run brings runners from across the region. For 2002 thirty three runners came out to enjoy the trails and challenge themselves in this all-night runathon!
The Lodge is a four-season historic resort at the top of the Keweenaw, focused on outdoor activities, rustic worldly food, and education. For the summer of 2022 we wanted to bring an educational component to the Morning Miles hikes. Tuesdays with Tom were interpretive hikes led by Tom Oliver, the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge’s Naturalist and also the Lodge’s Education and Events Specialist. Tom led 2-4 mile long hikes with discussions about plant and animal identifications, local geology, weather, and the use of nature apps. Tom’s most frequent hike was down the Dancing Bear Trail and up the historic Red Trail. This 3 mile loop has some fascinating geology as it runs under some bedrock cliffs and along two different ridges. We also began to incorporate Leave No Trace ethics into the talks and pushed for guests to be mindful of their surroundings and other guests. These nature hikes are a good opportunity to practice mindful quiet moments and to listen for birds and animals. OAC team member Naya Mueller added another educational component by creating a nature guide for our Morning Miles hikes. This is currently used internally as a reference for our hike leaders but we hope to make this public pamphlet for 2023.
The Group Bike Rides were offered on Friday evenings and Saturdays during the day.. The Saturday beginner rides were also focused on mountain bike fundamentals from the PMBIA teaching methods. Each week Coach Chris chose a fundamental such as body position or braking and would spend the first part of the ride demonstrating the proper technique. Guests would then have a chance to practice throughout the ride. The Lodge continues to strive to become a destination mountain biking learning center. We spent some time working and planning a mountain biking pump track and skills loop with Rock Solid Trail Contracting. After months of going back and forth we decided we wanted to work on the project ourselves. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge has a dedicated team that maintains 25 cabins, a grand historic lodge and a acre golf course. Be fearless and persistent in learning on a daily basis is one of our core values and our team decided we wanted to learn the skills to build our own mountain biking trails. We shelved the project until 2023 when we hope to purchase a mini excavator and begin the gratifying process of building our own trails.
Supply chain issues in the bike industry finally leveled out and we were able to round out our fleet of full suspension Trek Fuel Ex 8s, we added an extra small, another small and another extra large bike to our quiver. We feel this is an ideal bike for guests to explore the rocky and rooty trails of the Copper Harbor Trail System. For kids bikes we added another two Roscoes 24 bringing our total to six Trek Roscoes 24s and 2 Trek Precalibers. Our first bike rental was on May 29th and the last was on October 7th.
The summer of 2022 was a dry one. From June 1st to September 1st the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge received only 2.77 inches of rain. This led to the trails being much drier than normal. This was a factor with three major trail rebuilds on the schedule for 2022. The Daisy Dukes Trail which is on Grant Township’s property was able to be completed on June 17th. Overflow Trail which is on both the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Property and Grant township was opened on July 28th was extremely dusty making it extra challenging. The rebuild of Flying Squirrel Trail, which is solely on the KML property, had the trail closed for the whole season. The dry summer along with Rock Solid Contracting and the Copper Harbor Trails Club’s priorities focused elsewhere; the trail didn’t open until November 4th. We look forward to riding this new and improved gravity trail in 2023.
The first big mountain biking event that took place at the Lodge was the Big Boy Clinic on June 3rd, 4th and 5th. A group of over 50 men and multiple instructors come together to improve their mountain biking skills. On Friday June 3rd the group met at the Lodge and based their learning sessions around the trails on the Lodge property.
This is the little brother event to the Women’s Weekend which took place at the end of July with 82 participants and 24 staff. Similar to the Big Boys, the Women’s Weekend started their weekend utilizing the Lodge property and the surrounding trails to work on fundamental mountain biking skills.
Run the Keweenaw is a multi day event that took place on July 10th and brought runners to different trail systems on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Events included a 6k Mt. Baldy Summit Run, 10K Copper Harbor Trails Challenge, 10K Copper Harbor Trails Non-Competitive Run/Hike, 2K Junior Trail Run, 25K Carl Olson Memorial Adventure Run, and 50k Keweenaw Trail Ultra. The runs in Copper Harbor used parts of the KML property and we were happy to help host this fun event.
The biggest silent sports event in Copper Harbor is Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Copper Harbor Trails Fest held over the Labor Day weekend. In 2022 the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge was the title sponsor again for the second year. This was the 29th year of Trails Fest and it felt like old times. The weather was great, the races went off almost flawlessly and the music was rocking. Oh yeah, did I mention the northern lights loomed over the bands each night during the festival? This year the The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge hosted the kids mtb races and a new addition to the event, KML Learning Experiences. Before Trails Fest started we worked with Copper Harbor Trails Club to bring more non-competitive and educational opportunities to the event. The events at Trails Fest are mainly races yet there are 100’s of people in town with no desire to race, we saw this as an opening to offer something different.
KML Learning Experience – Interpretive Hikes were led by Tom Oliver. He chose an interesting route hiking down the Dancing Bear Trail across the historic golf course and up the Blue Trail. Discussion topics included geology, plant and animal life and history of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. After the hike, many people expressed gratitude about the learning opportunities that these experiences provided.
Kelly Raber and Jared Hlavac of Revolve MTB Coaching handled the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Learning – Mini Mountain Biking Skills Clinic during the festival. They provided a group of 8 enthusiastic beginners a two hour clinic covering a few of the fundamental mountain biking skills. They started on the KMl tennis courts and quickly moved the class to the Cabin Life trail where they had participants practiced cornering around berms and how to roll over rocks. Once again, the students were thankful to have an opportunity for a learning experience at Trails Fest.
After the excitement of Trails Fest ended we rolled into the Fall Season at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. This is some of the nicest times to come and hike and ride on the trails that surround the Lodge. The fall colors peaked out in early October and the Keweenaw Peninsula slowly became a quieter and quieter place. This allows people to get in touch with nature and have peaceful experience getting out into the woods. We closed the bike wash and tool tree on November 13th and started to prepare the winter trails for the upcoming season of cross country skiing and snowshoeing. First snow should be upon us soon….
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
When the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in June individuals passionate about astronomy reached out to congratulate the Lodge. One gentleman from Marquette called us and said he would like to donate his telescope for our telescope lending program. On August 11th Steve Mahaffehy and his brother Merv drove to Lodge to deliver the Orion AstroView 90mm EQ. What a joy it was to meet the brothers and accept this generous gift. I put the Steve-Scope, as we now call it, on the shelf in the OAC (Outdoor Activity Center) and returned to helping guests plan their day.
On August 16th there were multiple families staying at the Lodge that were interested in Astronomy. There was a chance for Northern Lights that night and the OAC decided to throw an impromptu Star Gazing Party at the West Overlook on Brockway Mountain. At 10pm we loaded the new telescope, a few blankets and some camp chairs and headed to the viewpoint. Star gazing parties are respectful outings with people minimizing their flashlights, preferably using red lights, and looking through telescopes and talking about stars and planets.
The West Overlook is a popular spot for sunsets and stargazing and you never know who will be there. To our delight there were a few vans and cars, all of which had their lights off and were there to stargaze.
I pulled out the Steve-Scope and set it up in the dark. I can now advise that it is probably best to first set up a new telescope in the daylight. I fumbled with the adjustments and was able to get Saturn in the viewfinder through a break in the clouds. It was small but the rings were visible. The wind kicked up and the group took turns trying to look at Saturn but some struggled with the sensitive viewfinder and shake of the scope from the wind.
After about an hour some of the group headed back to the Lodge, and shortly after the clouds cleared and we put the scope aside. The Milky Way loomed overhead. We pulled out the chairs and blankets, laid back and took in the universe above us. It was a spectacular show. Around midnight the moon rose. We looked at the third quarter moon briefly in the Steve-Scope and decided to call it a night.
The OAC staff learned a lot from our first star party and opened our eyes to how we can continue to improve these celebrations of dark skies.
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
The winter season of 2021-2022 was the second season of winter operations for the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge since new ownership took over in the fall of 2018 (and the 4th winter since the Lodge opened in 1934). The golf course-side cabins were available for guests to rent (13 structures, 16 keys) and the lodge building was available for guests. The dining services offered rustic worldly foods with menu items from across the globe and changed weekly as part of our initiative to keep things fresh. Every winter day the fireplace was stoked and guests congregated around the warm fire to share their plans and adventures.
The 2021-22 winter season was an exciting time for the winter outdoor activities crew. The Keweenaw Peninsula was blessed with 325” of snow. This was quite a significant difference from the 178” the Peninsula had received the year before. It was also a cold winter. For the first three months of our winter season the temperature barely went above 32 degrees. This was a big factor because a lot of the snow that fell kept piling up and there were none of the usual meltdowns that happen on the Keweenaw Peninsula.
The Lodge tracks weather on property through a weather station that we installed on Hole 1 of the golf course. This weather station is part of the Ambient Weather Network and lets us track the current weather and collect weather data to look at bigger trends.
The winter season for the outdoor activities at the Lodge is set from December 15th through April 15th, similar to our set summer season with the golf course (which is open from June 1st to October 15th). Having set seasons allows the KML team and guests the time to plan and prepare for each season of outdoor activities.
During the winter season we groom 10km of cross-country ski trails and a 2 mile snowshoe trail. These are trails that were originally designed by Steve Rowe around 2007 and 2008, and were open the winters of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. Since it was just our second season of winter operations we did not want to add any new trails and we wanted to stay focused on learning the nuances of grooming what we have.
This season we welcomed a new team member, Gary Wurtz, dedicated to grooming during the winter season. His responsibility was to make sure the trails were groomed at least 5 days a week. Having a dedicated groomer was put in place to ensure we improved the skiability of the trails each and every single day of winter season operations.
The large amounts of snow pushed the team and created challenges with our grooming gear, which meant we did not achieve the best skiable trails during the winter season. We use a John Deere Gator with tracks that tows both a 6.5 foot roller, which is used to capture and pack the snow and then we run a 60” Ginzu Groomer to lay classic tracks or to groom a trail flat.
On February 20th the tracks on our John Deere Gator broke because of repeatedly hitting stumps that are buried on the sides of our trails. This was a setback and a learning lesson for our team. We were unable to groom our trails again until March 18th (26 days of downtime). When we did get the Gator back we resumed grooming but we missed a crucial part of the winter season (this affected our winter lodging bookings).
Being a very remote resort has its challenges, and one of the lessons we learned from this occurrence is redundancy. We learned that we need multiple Gators with tracks in case one breaks down. We also realized how important it is for us to prepare the trails in the off season. We are currently looking into purchasing a stump grinder to remove some of the obstacles that caused the damage.
The team was able to groom for the rest of March and into April. Unfortunately we struggled with some electrical issues on our track setter. We could groom the trails flat but did not lay classic tracks at times. With a lot of snow on the ground we wanted to see how long we could groom our trails and test how long of a winter season we could have in an above average snow season. And to put salt into our wounds, we discovered that a small lake was forming below the snow’s surface as temps were rising. This unfortunately was discovered when the groomer was grooming the North Eastern Loop and the Gator and Ginzu broke through the packed trail and became submerged in a shallow lake that had formed. We had to replace the motor in the Gator, along with many other parts in the machine. Argh!!!
Even though the winter operations team was flustered with grooming the cross-country ski trails a majority of the season, we managed to create some special experiences for people snowshoeing and using our Altai Skis. We were able to keep the Snowshoe Trail packed throughout the year and open for our guests to enjoy until April 23rd. We did over 120 snowshoe rentals and continued with the program for lodging guests being able to use snowshoes for free.
As part of working with the International Dark Sky Association on having the property designated as the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, we launched an educational series of moonlit snowshoe hikes. On January 15th, February 17th, and March 19th, Tom Oliver, our Events and Education Lead (and experienced naturalist) led groups of adventurous snowshoers around our trails by moonlight. Each one of these nights brought a unique group of individuals together to experience the Lodge’s property in a way that has never been done before. People left with a sense of accomplishment and an experience they will remember for years to come.
Our love of snowshoeing created another annual event put on by the KML Team. On February 12th The Snowshoe Hare was launched. This free event celebrates snowshoeing on the Keweenaw. The broad list of activities provided something for everyone. In the morning a snowshoe race was held on our Perimeter Trail, this was followed by a mindful meditative hike by Dayna Browning, a certified Koru Mindfulness instructor and wellness advocate. In the afternoon there was an educational presentation by naturalist Tom Oliver. 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. In the evening the dining services team offered Hasenpfeffer (marinated, slow-cooked rabbit), served with broccoli and jeweled rice (food that fit the Lodge’s rustic worldly food niche). And another moonlit snowshoe was conducted in the evening. WOW – that was a fun, joyous and adventuresome day of snowshoeing!
Altai Skis ski rentals remained popular with guests. These unique skis are very approachable for adults and kids and let people explore powder snow off-trail across our golf course and beyond. Over 70 people enjoyed trying these for the first time, many people were delighted by their versatility and functionality.
And yes dogs are allowed on our trails! We saw many people skijoring around the Perimeter Loop. This loop is groomed flat allowing skate skiers and skijorers to test their skills on this hilly trail. Many travelers stayed in the cabins with their dogs last winter. Some came for the second annual Dawg Daze event. This event put on by the Events and Outdoor Activities teams helps support the Copper Country Humane Society. The main activities of the event are a skijoring race around the Perimeter Trail and costume contest for dogs and humans. For 2022, the KML teams added a furriest dog contest and best trick. Even though there was a major ice storm the night before, and the roads were dangerous to travel, people and their dogs had a fun filled day.
The winter season of 2021-2022 was filled with many learning lessons for the Outdoor Activities Team at the Lodge. Growth happens from both successes and failures, and this season was filled with both. We learned that we have to prep our trails better for winter operations and that we need redundancy in many of our essential pieces of winter equipment. We also realized we have to “slow it down” when grooming and treat the equipment and landscape with the respect it deserves (this goes for everything at the Lodge, as we are a historic place). The yin and yang of life suggests that with the bad comes the good, and there were also many great memories of people celebrating an amazing snow filled winter (having 325 inches of snow something to treasure). Guests from across the region came with their families to enjoy the Mountain Lodge’s winter trails. People from age 1 to 80 years old put on their hats and gloves and embraced and celebrated this snowy Keweenaw winter. In fact, Calumet, 33 miles from the Lodge, was listed as the snowiest town in the Country.
All of us on the Outdoor Activities team would again agree that the most rewarding part of this winter was seeing the smiles on the faces of people as they experienced the Lodge and the surrounding forest with their family and friends.
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
Photographing the auroras (also referred to as the “northern lights”) can be a challenging hobby in the lower 48 states of the United States. To be successful you have to have patience, diligence and most importantly the ability to stay up late or get up really, really early. Timing is be a big factor, not just in the solar activity but the timing of what is happening in your life. I am always asking: What do I have to accomplish tomorrow? Do I have to go to work? Am I tired from working or playing all day? Answers to these questions play a factor in my photography activities, along with how the solar winds are interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field all have to align together to get good photographs of the northern lights. Last night, April 9th, everything came into alignment.
The Keweenaw is one of the best places in Michigan to see the Northern Lights. Aaron Spray states in his article, Can You See The Northern Lights In The Lower 48?
“While northern lights most commonly occur within the geographic area beneath what is known as the auroral oval. This is between the latitudes of 60 and 75 degrees north. The lands within that zone include Iceland, parts of Russia, Canada, Alaska, Finland, Norway, southern Greenland, and Sweden. Unfortunately, this Goldilocks zone does not include the Lower 48. While most of the action occurs within that oval, it can appear at lower latitudes. The activity is also not consistent and the auroral oval is constantly shifting. If and when the conditions are right one can catch the auroras in most of the northern border states – like Maine or Montana.”
The advantage that the Keweenaw Peninsula has over other places in the Midwest is that we are the northernmost land mass in Michigan, in which the peninsula is surrounded by a large body of water: Lake Superior. Some of the best places on the Keweenaw Peninsula are just a few miles from the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, along highway M-26 between Eagle River and Copper Harbor.
I live about 15 miles from the Lodge, on Lac La Belle. Last night I was getting ready for bed around midnight and I got a message from a friend, Craig, who lives in Escanaba, 200 miles south of here, “Look North right now AURORA.” I get a spark of energy. He then sends me a picture of the lights visible from his house in the city. Now I am motivated. I quickly checked the two apps on my phone, Aurora Forecast and My Aurora Forecast. Being a visual person (remember, I am a photographer by mindset), I mostly just look at the maps on the apps and it’s looking promising.
The view from my house on Lac La Belle looking North is blocked by the Mount Bohemia ski area. So I put on my cold weather gear, grabbed my camera bag and tripod, and drove to the south side of Lac La Belle to hopefully capture Mount Bohemia with the lights behind it. I scrambled through a friend’s driveway and headed out onto the thick ice of Lac La Belle. Sure enough I can see them over the Keweenaw Ridge illuminating Mount Bohemia. I started shooting photos.
October – April are the best parts of the year to have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the Keweenaw. The best days of the month to shoot the northern lights are as close to the new moon as possible, usually the window that is four days before and the four days after. That is because there is less moonlight brightening the sky and “washing out” the northern lights. I was not in that window last night, but the aurora activity was strong so the lights remained visible. Instead I decided to use the moon in an element of the composition in a self portrait.
After taking almost 40 exposures I become tempted to move locations. I knew the harbor was starting to thaw out in the town of Copper Harbor and that there was a possibility of photographing some reflections in the open water. It is a 15 mile drive to Copper Harbor (close to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge). Some clouds were moving in on the horizon. I quickly decided I am going to “Go For It!” I hustle back to the car, drink a Redbull, and hit the gas to head down US Hwy 41.
I arrive in Copper Harbor at around 2am and I am stoked. There are some clouds but they are being lit by both the moon and the northern lights creating a unique and dynamic scene. I walk the shoreline and find some chunks of ice floating right off shore. I compose the photo and begin to shoot.
I take about 20 shots of the same composition. The ice is slightly moving so I am hoping that in one of the shots it will be still for 15 seconds. I am also slightly adjusting the manual focus on the lens because it is too dark for auto focus. I set the focus to infinity and then make minute adjustments backing out the focusing ring on the lens. I do this again for a second composition. I am getting tired so I set up one more shot of just the open water with Hunter’s Point and Porters Island splitting the image.
At that point I was exhausted. It was past 3am by this time. I pack the camera and start to head back to the car. The northern lights were still illuminating the horizon but I was done. I started my drive back to Lac La Belle excited about the images I was able to capture. I will say I am tired today as I write this, but I am happy with the results and truly enjoyed the experience of being outside in the middle of the night on a not so cold April evening (temperature was between 31 and 36 degrees, midnight to 3am, per the Lodge’s weather station). Oh yeah, I forgot to say, “Hey Craig, Thanks for the message! I have a print for you the next time you are back in the Keweenaw!”
The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge’s next Night Sky Photography Workshop is April 30, 2022. This is on the new moon and an ideal time for a chance to photograph the night sky, or see, the northern lights.
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge’s concept of rustic worldly food provides an unlimited canvas for a chef to paint a culinary masterpiece. Painters know that before a brush touches the canvas a sketch must first be drawn. In the kitchen, before a recipe is finalized, the chef must test different flavors and textures to see if their idea is appetizing. “Be fearless and persistent in learning on a daily basis” is one of the Lodge’s secondary values and the “test kitchen” is where Chef Widad and her team take a concept from the kitchen-counter top to the dining room table.
The other day when I walked near the kitchen a new smell intrigued my senses and guided me through the two-way hinged door. As a self-proclaimed “foodie” it is a joy to work steps from a vibrant kitchen. I poke my head in the door and ask the chef, “what’s going on?” A simple, one word response comes back: “knish” (pronounced ca-NISH). It’s been a while since I’ve even heard that word muttered let alone had a chance to eat one. It immediately brought back memories from my childhood in New Jersey and the Jewish delicatessens that we frequented weekly.
Chef Widad was in the process of rolling out the dough. She listed off the dough’s simple and rustic ingredients: all purpose (unbromated and unbleached) flour, baking powder, salt, oil , egg, vinegar, sour cream and water. She first hand rolled the dough into about a three inch diameter log.
She then chopped the log into three inch balls and rolled those balls flat with a wooden dowel.
You can tell that Chef Widad is very present when she’s baking, she is focused like a painter in front of a canvas. She simultaneously works the dough effortlessly and with intention; skills she learned while pursuing her degree in pastry and baking from Sullivan University.
After the dough is flat she spreads her mixture of seasoned broccoli, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and cheese (mozzarella and provolone) into the dough and then rolls it up and cuts it into knish size pieces. Some people might say that this is not a “traditional” knish filling, and Chef Widad would agree:
“The Rustic Worldly food concept is a starting point, like a solid platform at the KML. I thrive in researching other cuisines and cultures for inspiration. I attempt to go to the roots without pretense nor embellishment: I read, I choose, I test, sometimes making changes, without really touching the essence or the integrity of how other cultures cook. I adapt it to what is feasible and reachable in a remote environment. In the end, I follow my creativity and sense of flavors that are supported by my culinary education.”
Are you wondering how the knishes turned out? They baked in the oven for twenty minutes at 350 degrees. The sweet aroma of fresh baked knishes quickly enveloped the Lodge. Like Pavlov’s dog my mouth began to water. When Chef Wi pulled the first one out of the baking tin and handed it to me it was still piping hot. I ripped her a piece and we both popped them into our mouths. We both decided that the crust needed a few more minutes, back into the oven they went. When they came out of the oven the second time the crust was delicate, soft and just the right amount of chewiness. The savory broccoli filling was well seasoned adding balance and texture to the knish. It was delicious.
If you happen to bump into Chef Widad, ask her what’s cooking next in the test kitchen and she might just give you a taste of her next worldly creation.
About Chef Widad: The rustic worldly culinary flair at the Lodge is led by Chef Widad “Wi” Mueller. She is known for developing dishes using simple ingredients in such a manner that exhibits the flavors from the dish’s country-of-origin. She is a chef, artisan, and watercolor artist. Her interests are reflected in the food, gelato, and paintings that she creates. She is a native of Lebanon, and has lived in multiple places around the world — which provides a a vibrant and progressive perspective to food offerings in the Keweenaw.
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.
I had preconceived the image Moon Over the Lodge the morning of the day I took the image on Saturday, March 19, 2022. I was talking with a fellow Lodge team member and they were telling me about where the moon rose the night before when it was full on March 18, 2022. I visualized where the moon would be over the Lodge and thought it would be a great photograph. I was going to be guiding a moonlit snowshoe hike that evening and the weather report was stating clear skies. It was all aligning for a good chance at a great shot of the moon over the Lodge.
The snowshoe hike had its challenges because the moon was not going to rise over the hill until about 10:00 pm, while the snowshoe hike started at 8:45 pm. Our group used red light flashlights to navigate the slippery trail in darkness. The reason the red flashlights are recommended when participating in nighttime activities is because red light does not impair night vision as much as other colors of light; so they can be used for short periods of time when needed and participants can then resume the activity without artificial light with minimal impact to their overall vision. The group took its time working its way around the 1.5 mile loop. It was a clear, warm night where the stars shined bright.
The hike finished just as the moon began to rise over the Lodge. I ran to my car and grabbed my professional photography gear. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and I only use Canon “L” lenses and chose the 24-70mm (f2.8) zoom lens. I noticed a large unexpected cloud formation blowing over the Lodge so I rapidly climbed the snow banks and attached my camera to the tripod. All pro photographers use a tripod to capture long night exposures. I actually leave my tripod base-plate on my camera all the time so I can quickly attach my camera to the tripod if need be.
One of the issues I was taking into account was the fact that the Clubhouse is usually very dark, in the last year we have changed all of the outside lighting around the Lodge to be dark sky compliant. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge has been working with the International Dark Sky Association to establish the Keweenaw Dark Sky Wilderness. I knew the Lodge would be “dark” but I had a few tricks up my sleeve to make the Lodge appear well “lit up.” The first was that I was going to take a long exposure that would let what little light was available brighten the whole scene. The second was that the snow on the ground would reflect this light making the Lodge look even more brilliant and “uplight” the big pine. The final trick was the moon itself, I wasn’t sure how much it would brighten the scene but I was curious to find out.
I was watching the clouds quickly moving in and was afraid they would cover the moon soon. I immediately started shooting some images. I use a 2 second timer when shooting on a tripod which gives the camera enough time to stop shaking after I push the button. I chose an ISO of 400 thinking this would give me enough light to get a faster shutter speed and still provide a “non-grainy” image. The first image’s exposure was 20 seconds at f8. I then shot another at 13 seconds at f8. I was a little concerned with these long-of-exposures that the clouds would show some movement and not be sharp. I then opened the aperture up 2.8 which gave me a fast 1.6 second exposure. This seemed to stop the cloud blur. I then took about 5 more shots with different settings.
For me a big part of the process is done in the raw converter of Photoshop. I shoot all my images in the RAW format, which gives me the most leeway in getting details out of the highlights and shadows.
Every RAW conversion is different – for me this is a “visual process” and lets my style as a photographer shine through. For this image I opened up the shadows and turned down the highlights. I shifted the color temperature slightly and added just a few points of saturation. When comparing the photos before and after conversion, you can notice how much brighter the shadows of the clouds are in the latter image. I also slightly increased the exposure.
Image after Raw Conversion:
After the RAW conversion the file opens in Photoshop, I added three layers.
The final step was adding some texture to the snow banks under the lights where the highlights were blown out (meaning that the highlights were so bright that details were difficult to see). I did this by cloning parts of the other snow bank with the clone tool. The final image is a dynamic moonlit shot of the Clubhouse. The long exposure let the Lodge seem brighter than it really is and the moonlit clouds captured a dynamic, fleeting moment that is now forever documented.
To learn more about night photography please join one of our photo workshops; the next one is on April 2, 2022. Stargazing: Northern Lights Photography Workshop is instructed by Nathan Bett.
Below shows the light fixture changes that have been made around the lodge building to be dark-sky compliant.
Chris Guibert: I have a strong passion for all things outdoors and have worked as a tour guide and professional photographer for the last twenty five years. As the Lead of Outdoor Activities at the Mountain Lodge I want make sure you and your family have a great experience while staying and playing. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the trails, regional activities and local secrets.