This weekend the 40th 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 7, 2020
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.
This afternoon the Men’s Golf League played the second day of playoffs with the championship match. Below are the results of the match:
| Match # | Results | Team | vs | Team | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 - Championship Match | 1 Up | Coppo / R. Patrick | Samela / Langdon | ||
| 49 - Consolidation Match | DNP | Oja / G. Patrick | Bohlson / Peterson | DNP |
Coppo / R. Patrick won their match against Samela / Langdon. They were tied after 9 holes and played an extra hole, with Coppo and R. Patrick taking it all.
Congratulations to Bruce Coppo and Ryan Patrick for being the winners for this year’s Men’s Golf League. Congratulations!!
We have decided not to be open to the general public for the 2019-2020 winter season at the Lodge.
Up until this week, we were working towards being open from December 26th to March 30th. Doing so would have marked the 3rd winter season that the Lodge would be open during the winter (the Lodge was open during the winters of 2008-2009 and 2009-2010). However, we were not able to answer several questions that we wanted answered before making that final decision to be able to stay open during the winter season.
The main questions that we wanted answers to before being open in the winter for the general public were:
During this winter we will do some more tests with the facilities, including keeping 6 cabins and 6 hotel rooms heated, keeping the water going to those units, and snow removal for those units. This will provide us more data for when we do open to the general public during winter, and thus more assurance that we will be able to offer a fun.joyous.adventuresome experience for guests during the winter.
Our last day during the 2019 summer season for Lodging will be October 27th. That weekend, a Cyclo-cross event will be held in Copper Harbor, with one of the races being on the Lodge property (on October 26th).
Once we select the date in May 2020 that we will open for the general public for next year’s summer season, we will let everyone know.
[ Update: May 1, 2020 will be the first Lodging date for the 2020 summer / fall season ]
The week of July 29th marks the 7th week of the Men’s and Women’s golf league for the 2019 summer season.
Tomorrow the course will open at 10am for play for the Women’s Golf League . We will have a large group of golfers, who are not part of the league, going off at 8am. This is for an event, and will be a shotgun start; thus, the group will be out of the way for the 10am league play.
The Men’s Golf League will meet at 5pm, Wednesday, July 31st (see the link to see who you are playing this week). The overall current results can be found on the league page. The top 3 teams after the July 24th matches are:
In March, we hosted our very own photo contest and picked the winners which showcase the images of the Keweenaw. We selected a number of winners and sent off the photos to be printed on wood.
We are excited to inform you that our wood prints have been delivered. The photos have been carefully printed on wood by Ross Sergio at Unrefined Art. It took some time as we had a large order and it was during the busy season for Ross; he does wonderful work, and ensures the quality is top notch.
If you are one of our winners and would like to claim your prize of a night’s stay in the cabin your photo is hanging, reach out to us at 906-289-4403. Grace Schmitz will be getting in contact with all winners as well.
The week of July 15th marks the 5th week of the Men’s and Women’s golf league for the 2019 summer season.
For the Women’s Golf League last week, we saw more players join us, as the the 4th of July brought more people to the Keweenaw — 8-9 individuals. Tomorrow the Women’s Golf League will meet at 10am, tomorrow, Tuesday, July 16th. We still have not solidified who wants to play in the competitive schedule for matches; we will want to figure that out soon so we can get multiple matches in before the end of August. So of the individuals want to play competitive matches, some want to have leisure play.
The Men’s Golf League will meet at 5pm, Wednesday, July 17th (see the link to see who you are playing this week). The overall current results can be found on the league page.
For the week of July 1st we will not have league play, due to this week being the week of July 4th. We will resume league play next week.
Last week for the Women’s Golf League, we saw Laura and Clarrisa join us. Suzi, her niece (sub for Nan), Laura, and Clarrisa played. We are still in the mode of fun play in the league, and haven’t started competitive rounds yet.
For the Men’s Golf League, the 2nd competitive matched were played. Results of the June 26th matches have been posted. The overall point results have been updated to reflect results the June 26th matches.
The next league play activity will take place on Tuesday, July 9th (Women’s League) and Wednesday, July 10th (Men’s League).
Enjoy the 4th of July holiday.
We are now selling hand crafted birdseye maple in our Lodge Life Shop here at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. These products are made by Keweenaw local Frank Kastelic from Gay, Michigan. Frank is born and raised in the area, but after a number of years away, he has retired back in the area. Frank and his family have some background with the Lodge, with his grandfather serving as groundskeeper in the 1950s. He remembers coming to visit the Lodge with his family as a child and holds on to the fond memories he has associated with the building and its grounds.
Frank is a tool maker by trade, so when he retired he decided to combine his love for birdseye maple and making tools into his own business, Great Northern Art. He could have chosen anywhere to establish his business, but Frank decided to return home to the Keweenaw to be in an area that he loves, doing something that he enjoys on a daily basis.
For the uninitiated, birdseye is a distinctive pattern that resembles small swirling eyes disrupting the smooth lines of grain, usually in maple trees. The cause of this has not been discovered, but Frank believes that it is caused from stress caused by trees that surround a birdseye tree. Birdseye is very uncommon, with only 1 in every 400 maple trees having birdseye patterns. Of those trees, over 70% of all birdseye is grown in the UP, which makes it a very distinct product of the UP.
There is no way to know whether a maple tree has birdseye until it is cut down and is then separated into a different pile than common maple wood. Frank finds birdseye maple by finding a supplier and biding of the wood. After receiving the wood, he lets it dry for 2 years before ever making anything products. When it’s ready, Frank makes many different tools and products that you can use daily. Here at the Lodge, we sell a few of his products, including an ice cream scoop, butter spreader, wine bottle stopper, candle holders, and a cheese cutting board.
Frank even goes a step further in his products and incorporates another element the Keweenaw is known for; copper. A souvenir that combines birdseye and copper that can be used as a paperweight, or just be displayed in your home or office to remind you of your trip to the Keweenaw. This product is made of a piece of birdseye that Frank has electrified to make a beautiful design on the wood, with copper on top and a locally made plaque that states it is Keweenaw copper.
Although Frank does not sell his products online or have a website, you can visit him at his shop located at 1490 Gay- Lac La Belle Rd. Gay, Michigan or by calling him at 906-296-9926.
Widad Mueller, a guest chef at the Lodge from June 26-30th, 2019, will hold a culinary arts workshop on Friday, June 28th from 10am – 12pm.
She will teach guests how to make the following Lebanese dishes:
Registration required. Call 906-289-4403 or email us at info@keweenawresort.com to reserve a spot. Call today!
Fee: $50
At the Lodge, we have been making the move to more sustainable business practices. When taking into account our back-country roots behind the shadow of Brockway Mountain, we want to focus on our environmental footprint. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge is working for a more progressive and environmentally viable operation.
While visiting the Lodge, you may have already noticed some changes going on in regards to our supplies and appliances. In our restaurant, we have switched from using styrofoam to-go containers to paper-based ones. These containers are biodegradable, which serve to decrease our environmental impact and are quiet enough to sneak a midnight snack without your significant other knowing.
Our cabins and hotel now feature energy-star fridges. These vintage-inspired mini-fridges not only remind guests of the historical longevity of our Lodge, but also promotes our mission of being a sustainable business. Our cabins have sustainable cups that can be used for both warm and cold beverages. We have decided against having plastic cups inside our cabins in order to prevent extra waste and reduce our environmental impact. Throughout the main Lodge and in various cabins, we have installed smart thermostats that allow efficient scheduling and modifications of the cabin temperature based upon guest activity.
We are going forward with more eco-friendly operations as the summer continues on. In the future, you may see less of straws and more of eco-friendly supplies. We are working toward moving away from unsustainable plastics and toward either paper or compostable materials. Our efforts toward sustainable initiative is help reduce our total environmental impact in the Keweenaw.
Come see how else we are respecting our beautiful surroundings by booking a stay or enjoying a meal, and be sure to check out our healthy, environmentally friendly plant-based choices. We can’t wait to see you up here!
Updates: We forgot to mention that we used eco-friendly adhesive and carpet tiles for the carpet in the Lodge [ Hat-tip: Valerie ]. As well, we are now using dressing containers that are reusable (stainless steel) rather than plastic throw-away containers. Plus, you will find recycling bins showing up around the Lodge for guests to help out with recycling.