This past week, I have been noticing this immature Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) hanging around the forest edge at work. Yesterday, it landed in a tree about 80 yards from me and gave me enough time to grab my camera, rush through the settings, and hurriedly get in position before it flew out across the open space of the golf course’s fairway for Hole 1.

By late summer, young red-tailed hawks “fledge” from the nest. This can cause a shift in hunting territories for all individuals of the species due to the influx of competition. Of course, newly fledged birds are far less experienced in hunting and likely pose little competition with older birds. Red-tailed Hawks feed primarily on squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and other small mammals. So, it really comes as no surprise to see a redtail appear here during this time…the entire property of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge has no shortage of squirrels and chipmunks.

The grounds crew and course superintendent at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge have been working hard all summer long to keep the golf course in excellent shape. If you look closely at the underside of this red-tailed hawk, you can see that, even after a month of lower than normal rainfall, the fairway for Hole 1 is still green enough to reflect off the bird’s white feathers, making them look green.

---

Tom Oliver who works at the OAC is a bird/nature photographer and avid outdoorsman. He shot this image on the 1st hole of the golf course. To check out more of Tom’s photography visit his Instagram: @theupwell .

This summer we have had three night sky photography workshops at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge as part of our stargazing activities. These workshops taught night-sky and photography enthusiasts how to take high-quality pictures of the dark sky.

Our third night sky photography workshop was held this past Sunday, during the month’s new moon on August 8, 2021, and a couple of days before the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower. 

For the first half of the class, Nathan Bett shared his techniques in a classroom presentation. The second half of the class we journeyed out onto the ninth fairway and had some hands on learning.

The “class room” portion of the workshop lasted around 1.5 hours, during which time several of Nate’s nuggets for taking night sky photos were discussed.

After finishing up the indoor lecture portion of the workshop, we journeyed outside with our cameras onto the ninth fairway for some hands on learning. To be able to see the stars at night, good weather is needed. It had rained earlier in the day, and was cloudy for most of the afternoon. However, the evening had some glimmer of hope.  It was not the clearest of nights, but attendees were able to see some stars, take some pictures, and get some specific experience with Nate. Nate spent time walking around to each attendee’s setup on Hole 9 and talking about their different settings. The sky was thick with moisture and haze from distant wildfires, however, we all walked away with more insight into night sky photography. 

Below is a map of the stargazing locations on the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge property. The location on Hole 9 where the outside portion of the workshop was held is identified on the map with the black camera icon.

About the Instructor: Nate Bett

Nathan Bett is a photographer and educator in Hancock Michigan. Although originally from Marquette, Michigan, Nathan recently relocated to Hancock from New York City, where he taught at the City University Of New York, and represented a major camera manufacturer as a technical specialist in photography. He now spends his time indulging in the over abundance of natural beauty in his native UP and spending excesses of time outdoors with his family. Nathan maintains a passion for photography and the outdoors that he delights in sharing with students. His work can be viewed at nathanbett.com and @natebett and @artmonstermedia on Instagram.

This summer we have three night sky photography workshops planned at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge as part of our stargazing activities. These workshops are to teach night-sky and photography enthusiasts how to take high-quality pictures of the dark sky.

Our second night sky photography workshop was held this past Friday, during the month’s new moon on July 9, 2021. We met in the Lodge’s conference center, as the workshop started with a classroom session discussing topics such as: camera settings, camera equipment, and locations around the Keweenaw that have clear viewing points. Other night sky photography topics that were discussed were: Northern Lights, Moon, Lightning, Meteors/Fireballs/Shooting stars etc. The classroom session was about an hour long.

To be able to see the stars at night, good weather is needed. We had wonderful weather. So after finishing up the indoor lecture portion of the workshop, we stepped outside with our cameras.

The group split into two, with one group going to one of the prime locations on the property to view the Milky Way (hole 9 green), while the other group headed to the top of Brockway Mountain.

Instructor, Pam Dyl, was able to show the group on hole 9 green how she works with the settings on her camera. For example, here are two photos she took during the outdoor session of the Milky Way. In the second photo, you can see the flag stick on hole 9 green, with the Milky Way above the treeline.  As a bonus, there are 5 shooting stars in that picture.

The second group headed to Brockway Mountain, where Scott Ochodnicky, from Copper Harbor Observatory, showed how the Stellina telescope can highlight. Lodge team member, Chris Guibert, was part of the group on Brockway Mountain with Scott was able to take some pictures of the Milky Way on Brockway Mountain and Scott’s Stellina telescope. 

There will be one more workshop this summer, August 8, 2021. Reserve your spot by emailing outdoor-activities@keweenawresort.com or by calling 906-289-4403 ext 4

We have received the final two bikes and are ready to roll! 

The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge has kicked this bike season off with a brand new fleet of ten 2021 Trek Fuel EX 8s and 2 trek Roscoes for the kids. We have multiple sizes of bikes, ranging from small to extra large — allowing customers the ability to have a bike that is the right size for them. And you don’t have to worry about mens vs womens bikes the Trek designed the Fuel EX to be a unisex bike; all measurements are based on height and weight. 

We chose to partner with Trek because of their history in making great bikes and innovation — which goes along with our concept of marrying history with the future in order to get to a vibrant and progressive present. Based in the Midwest, out of Waterloo, Wisconsin, they make all types of bikes and are a great support system for parts and advice. 

The reliability of Trek bikes was another deciding factor in the brand we chose for the fleet. The Fuel EX 8 is the perfect model for riding the Copper Harbor Trail System. We wanted a bike that could be ridden by anyone at any level of riding competence, while still providing the snappy response that advanced riders enjoy. 

These EX 8s have the nicest component package that you can get with the aluminum frame models. They come with Sram 1×12 GX eagle drive trains, Bontrager 150mm dropper posts, a Fox float performance rear shock with RE:activ damper technology, and a Fox Rhythm 34 front forks. All of these high end parts work together to make your ride smooth and seamless when in the cockpit. 

There are a few interesting features on the EX 8s which is good  to highlight. All of the bikes come with Mino-Link Flip-Chip technology, which allows for small adjustments in the frame geometry. This allows one to fine tune their ride. You can loosen and “flip” these oblong bushings, which are housed at the top of the seatstay. Adjusting the flip chip allows for .5 degrees of head tube slack and 5-7mm of clearance or slack on the bottom bracket. The flip chip is an interesting design feature that can make one’s ride on the Copper Harbor Trails system more enjoyable. Feel free to ask any of the Outdoor Activity Center (OAC) staff members about it!

The another feature of these bikes that is of interest is the Active Braking Pivot (ABP) design on the rear triangle. Normally, the point at which the seat stay and chainstay meet at the axle, there is a welded angle that is fixed. With Trek’s ABP, both stays are now independent of each other on their own bearings at the rear axle. This means that when you apply your brakes during a rocky downhill section, your rear shock will not lock on you, allowing for more controlled descents. 

The crew at the Outdoor Activity Center (OAC) has been test riding and tuning the bikes — prepping them for rolling around our beginner trails and ripping the advanced downhills that Copper Harbor is known for. We welcome all levels of riders and look forward to meeting you. Let’s get rolling!

This summer we have three night sky photography workshops planned at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge as part of our stargazing activities. These workshops are to teach night-sky and photography enthusiasts how to take high-quality pictures of the dark sky.

Our first night sky photography workshop was held earlier this month, during the month’s new moon on June 10, 2021. The workshop started with a classroom session discussing topics such as: camera settings, camera equipment, locations around the Keweenaw that have clear viewing points, other night sky photography topics that were discussed were: Northern Lights, Moon, Lightning, Meteors/Fireballs/Shooting stars etc. The classroom session was about an hour and fifteen minutes long, next was the hands-on part of the workshop.

To be able to see the stars at night, good weather is needed. After finishing up the indoor lecture portion of the workshop in the Outdoor Activity Center, we stepped outside with our cameras to find the weather being cloudy and foggy. We were hoping the weather would break during the classroom session but we were not that fortunate.

That did not deter the enthusiasm of the group. We decided to go on an adventure and headed up to Brockway Mountain in hopes of being able to see some stars. It was eerily foggy on the drive up to the mountain, and we regrouped at the top. We hung out and chatted and patiently waited for the stars to come out. The stars did break through the clouds every little while.

Just as we were all getting ready to call it a night, one of the group’s participants, Misael, got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, Jessica. She of course, said YES!!

What a great way to end the evening. Congratulations Miseal & Jessica!!

There will be two more workshops this summer, July 9 and August 8, 2021. Reserve your spot by emailing outdoor-activities@keweenawresort.com or by calling 906-289-4403 ext 4

The 2021 Back 9 Endurance Run hosted and organized by the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge went off without a hitch at the Lodge on May 29th and 30th! 

The inaugural running of this event had perfect weather (50-60 degrees during the daytime and 40-55 degrees during the night time), and even the bugs cooperated (for the  most part)!

The race is a 3.5 mile loop around the Lodge property. Runners choose to run for 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 head out for another lap or X out on the board and call it a race!

Below is a summary of the results. 

• 12-hour solo: Kate McCloud, 16 laps (57.6 miles)
• 24-hour solo: Janelle Gomez, 20 laps (72 miles)
• 12-hour 2-person team: The Lone Rangers , 14 laps (50.4 miles)
• 12-Hour 4-person team: The Heavy Breathers,  13 laps (46.8 miles)
• 24-hour 4-person team: Total Hardness, 29 laps (104.4 miles)

More detailed results and pictures from the race can be found on the Back 9 Endurance website.

It was wonderful to see runners meeting and exceeding their goals, running their farthest distance yet, cheering each other on, and having fun. And the medals (hand made by Aaron Maki of Old Hand Design Company) and shirts (printed by Beau Warren at Tee See Tee) were a fun benefit for the participants.

We are looking forward to the 2022 Back 9 Endurance Run, and hope you are able to join us!

 

The new fleet of fifteen E-Z-GO RXV ELiTE carts have arrived, bringing a new experience for getting around the course at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. With the supply chain backlog in the outdoor activities industry, we didn’t know if these new carts would arrive in time for the June 1st course opening. E-Z-GO, and the local distributor, Versatile Vehicles, were able to finish manufacturing our fleet of carts and deliver them two days before golfers began enjoying the course for the 2021 season.

Powered by advanced Samsung SDI Lithium Technology batteries, these carts provide golfers with excellent mobility without sacrificing the wilderness golfing experience, which is unique to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. The quiet function of the RXV ELiTE’s electronic drivetrain eliminates the loud chug of a gas engine – meaning you can easily have a conversation with your playing partner while driving down the fairway, and hear the birds and the breezes in the pine trees at the same time.

 

Here are some of the advantages that the lightweight lithium ion battery provides: 

1. The batteries substantially reduce the overall weight of the cart, leaving our turf in better condition following steady use throughout the summer.
2. They are energy efficient for charging and still provides enough power to run the cart for, on average, 72 holes with a single charge. 
3. They are nearly maintenance free, which reduces the cost of cart upkeep (e.g., no oil changes, no gasoline refilling, no battery terminal post cleaning, and no watering).
4. Simple, easy, and safe for winter storage – which is a critical consideration for electric vehicles in the Upper Peninsula.

The platinum color of our carts was chosen to exemplify Sisu, a Finnish concept best described as resilience, and hardiness…a solid strength, while still blending in with the rugged wilderness surroundings. Now, when you play the Lodge’s course, these carts provide an environmentally conscious option to fully enjoy your golfing experience at the top of the Keweenaw.

Please Note: We have other tools at our disposal to help you get around the course: Tempo Walks. Our next golf post will provide more info about these robo-caddies that promote walking.

On Tuesday the golf course maintenance crew ventured out on the golf course to survey the condition of the golf course. Bill, Karl, and Ron are now working through the schedule for the next 4 weeks to get the golf course ready to open on June 1st.

The crew is starting to clean the debris on the golf course, as we have fallen limbs from the snow and wind over the winter. Cleaning up the limbs and residual leaves are one of the main activities over the next several weeks. With the course being soggy after the snow melt and April rains, we are gingerly using equipment on the turf at this time.

Overall, the turf looks good for late April. The limited amount of snow (170 inches compared to the average of 250-280 inches) and the rains in April have allowed the grass to shine through earlier than normal. The grass has begun to green-up already. 

We do have an unusual amount of snow mold on the greens — probably caused by the freeze-thaw cycle we experienced in October-November-December before the snow-base accumulated. This caused moisture to be trapped under the snow.  We will spend the next month working on getting the turf ready. 

Yesterday, we did the first cut of the greens.

We are working towards a June 1st opening, giving the turf at least a month of grow-in for the greens, as well as the tees and fairways. Sun, warmer temperatures, and some rain will be helpful for the turf.

As well, yesterday we received two Tempo Walks from Club Car (via John Bissell, Midwest Turf and Golf). This is part of our initiative to promote outdoor activities and walking the golf course — going back to how the game of golf was started in Scotland, walking.

 

The winter season of 2020-2021 started a new chapter in the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge history book. For the first time in nearly a decade, and only the 3rd time since it opened in 1934, the Lodge and restaurant were open to the public and the cabins were available for rent (the golf course-side cabins). The restaurant continued with their rustic worldly food concept that consists of an ever changing weekly menu. The grand fireplaces were lit and a warm atmosphere was waiting for the guests upon arrival.

One of the biggest attractions for the Lodge this winter was the reopening of the cross country ski trails and designing a dedicated snowshoe route. This process began in October with a meeting with Steve Rowe, the original designer of the cross country ski trails (in 2007). With his blessing and encouragement we began trimming and chainsawing; cleaning up 10 years of unmaintained growth. 

We kept the original trail names and purchased new trail signs. The next step was to GPS the routes and create a map and label them with color coded markers.  

Acquiring grooming equipment felt like a Yooper scavenger hunt. We purchased a 2017 Gator from Northland Sports in Lake Linden and removed the wheels and put on winter tracks. We found a used Ginzu Trail groomer and roller at ABR Sports in Ironwood. ABR’s Eric Anderson consulted on the gear purchase and instructed us on some grooming techniques. 

Now we just needed enough snow to start grooming. It was not until late December that we had enough snow to open the trails. People were excited to see the rebirth of winter sports at the Lodge. Lodging guests, destination skiers, and winter enthusiasts from across the region came to use the trails. We decided early on that the trails would be free for the public to use, and all that we required was for a liability waiver to be signed inside the Outdoor Activity Center (OAC).

One of the big decisions was where to locate the OAC for the winter. Last summer the OAC was located in the building next to the tee box on hole one of the golf course (formerly called the Pro Shop). We decided to move the winter OAC into the conference room in the back of the Lodge. This would keep the staff and guests all under one roof. We also began stoking an outside fire pit for guests to warm up, have a place to connect and to sit for lunch. 

The OAC ordered 20 pairs of Tubbs snowshoes in multiple sizes as an amenity for our lodging guests to use. These along with Altai skis were available for anyone to rent. Altai skis have been around for about ten years and they have recently surged in popularity.  These short, 125mm skis with a permanent skin on the bottom proved to be an ideal way for guests of all ages to explore the grounds around the Lodge. 

We experienced a low snowfall during January. In fact, Keweenaw County set a new low record for January, at 35.1 inches. To lighten the mood, we performed and posted a Heikki Lunta snow dance video to our Facebook page and to our surprise the video was viewed over 9,000 times. Still no snow, but on January 15th our luck changed and the snow began, we received over 30 inches in the next twelve days. The next big system came on February 4th and started a long lake effect snow cycle.  An arctic blast moved in and temperatures dropped below zero.

This low pressure system dumped 20” in the first 72 hours and then snowed every day for two weeks, blanketing the property with close to 80 inches of white powder. A winter wonderland was born and our newly formed snow grooming skills were put to the test. Trail grooming was happening around the clock. 

During February hundreds of trail users explored the cross country trails and the snowshoe trail. Mount Bohemia was open and the snow chasers descended upon the Keweenaw.

On February 27th we held our first winter event called Dawg Daze. This was a fundraiser for the Copper Country Humane Society. Dawg Daze had two events: The Perimeter Dog Derby and Costume Contest. The Perimeter Dog Derby was a 2.1 km time trial around the Perimeter Loop. The one rule was that you and your dog had to be attached and get around the loop together. Eleven teams (one dog and one human) made their way around the loop, times ranged from seven minutes and eleven seconds to fifteen minutes and fifty eight seconds. Costumes were worn by many and the well seasoned team of Christine and Lolo won top honors. The Costume contest was judged by three residents, Zoe, Ava and Kate. Bella and her dog mom took home top honors dressed in a Mardi Gras ensemble. $145 dollars was raised along with multiple donations of food and blankets. Overall it was a fun day and the start of a new tradition at the Lodge.

On March 1st the Lodge was featured on the Discovering show that has been airing on NBC TV6 out of Marquette for three decades. We took host Kristin Ojaniemi on an Altai ski tour which exposed thousands of people to the Lodge and the skis. There was a surge in guests visits and Altai ski rentals for the next few weeks. March was another low snow month with less than ten inches of new snow falling on the grounds. There were many warm spells that caused some issues with grooming especially with the melt and refreeze cycle. Still, people were eager to get outside and enjoy the trails. Towards the end of the month a hard rain and warming spell really accelerated the melt down. By early April the snow on the trails was patchy at best. We officially closed the trails April 7th. 

The winter season of 2021 was not without its challenges. The Covid pandemic was still surging and businesses were under strict state regulations limiting indoor dining and gatherings. It was a low snow year with Keweenaw County only recording 178.4 inches well below last year’s total of 280.1 inches. However, the surge of people enjoying the outdoors was immense. Mount Bohemia sold over fourteen thousand season passes more than any other season of its twenty year history. The OAC had close to 600 people sign waivers to use the trail system in just three months. The Lodge remained continuously open for the winter season for the first time in a decade and one of the few years ever in its eighty plus year history. 

All of us at the OAC would 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. 

We are now getting ready for the summer outdoor activities, while also thinking about how we are going to increase the excitement around outdoor activities next winter.

 

---

This weekend the 41st Great Bear Chase is being held in Calumet on the SwedeTown Trails. It is a wonderful cross-country skiing race that exhibits the winter wonderful of the Keweenaw.

Date: Saturday, March 13, 2021

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.