Copper Harbor needs your help, and it’s a super simple task. They are currently working on getting the most votes in a Pepsi Refresh Project to win the money to build an ambulance garage in da Harbor.

Paul’s Plunge is one of the reasons why Copper Harbor should have an ambulance garage.

The Harbor has tremendous support as they are currently moving up through the ranks rather quickly, but they still have a long way to go. Visit their Pepsi Refresh Project page and simply click on the “Vote for this idea” button, at the bottom of the page.

How the Pepsi Refresh Project Money Will Be Used in Copper Harbor

Should Copper Harbor win the vote for September, they will receive a total of $250,000: $50,000 for site preparation; $100,000 for materials; and $100,000 for construction and labor.

Remember to vote every day through the end of September!

Vote now!

Tim and Craig shooting video of Johanna for a promotional piece.

Johanna’s task was to provide a quick introduction to the numerous activities that are enjoyed in Copper Harbor.

Someone thought we were dinner.

The Isle Royale Queen is where I and many others watched the fireworks. Oh yeah, the kayakers were getting ready for their sunset tour.

Kayakers setting out for their sunset tour that would end under the fireworks.

Copper Harbor Fireworks Display

Liz, Tim, and me. We weren’t drunk. Really, we weren’t. We were too sunburned and tired from the day’s events that alcohol didn’t really go down quite as easily as the previous nights. That’s a good thing.

I also got some great pictures from our little Brockway Mountain excursion, but those will have to wait until I can get them from Johanna.

You can read about the sunset tour from last year’s Fourth of July here.

Life never works out as planned; at least not for me.

Long story short, two people I know walked into the Harbor Haus and the drinking progressed, along with some excellent dining (hummus – yum). We moved onto Zik’s bar for some more imbibing. I was a bit of a mess by the end of the night. I definitely do not like getting that drunk. Shame on me.

Friday, I woke up feeling not so well. I can’t really remember what I did, that morning, but I eventually got myself into a pleasant enough state for the Friday night grrlz ride. Two men and two women set out for a nice ride on the [legendary] Copper Harbor singletrack. This was followed by a nice potluck at Johanna’s house. Johanna is pretty awesome because she’s one of my only friends who is actually about my age. It’s quite a breath of fresh air to have her as a friend.

I already had plans to hang out with my friend, Nikki, who hunted me down at Johanna’s potluck. Not just Nikki and I, but most of our potluck crew moved onto Zik’s bar, where we, you guessed it, drank. I would like to make the disclaimer that I did not get as drunk as Thursday night. I wasn’t slurring my words, but I was still doing quite well.

Friday night was great fun hanging out with my Copper Harbor girlfriends and our camera man for the weekend, Tim. You’ll learn what Tim was doing in Copper Harbor, tomorrow.

My friend, Amanda, and I took a little snowshoe journey out to the Copper Harbor Lighthouse last Sunday. It was during that excursion that we acquired the photos for Monday’s photo essay and Tuesday’s lighthouse story.

We began the day with a little ski excursion up at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, where new ski trails were created over the last summer. There is also a Perimeter Loop, which is a groomed track around the golf course.

After 45 minutes of skiing, we returned to Amanda’s house for sandwiches made by yours truly. These wonderful sandwiches were made with love and consisted of whole grain bread embracing turkey, provolone, tomato, lettuce, sprouts grown by Amanda, guacamole, and mayonnaise. This is my favorite sandwich.

After sandwiches, we set out for a snowshoe hike around the Copper Harbor Lighthouse. We spent quite a bit of our time hiking on Lake Superior, mostly within Copper Harbor. We acquired a lot of great photos, and we even made it in a Copper Harbor Cam photo – something that Amanda has been trying to do for a while.

After snowshoeing, we ran errands in town. We actually had a list! We finished the errand-running with nachos at the Mariner. I was craving fake cheese from another place, but Amanda gave me a pretty awful look, “Do you know what’s in that stuff? It’s not real cheese!”

“I know, but I like it anyway.” Anyway, that’s how we made it to the Mariner for nachos with real cheese. I like cheese.

We finished up the evening with a moonlight hike around the local ski trail running along Lake Fanny Hooe. We ended up on Lake Fanny Hooe. It’s was a pretty cool experience. If I had a camera I knew how to use, I would’ve gotten some pretty nifty moon shots. Ah, well, the moon will be full, again.

I think Amanda liked the Triple Header, as she called it. I hope we do it again. It felt really good to get out and do so many wintertime activities around the Harbor in one day.

See Amanda’s account, The Energizer Snow Bunnies.

The Copper Harbor Lighthouse is one of more than 115 lighthouses that dot the coastline of Michigan’s peninsulas. Standing at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, it is the state’s northernmost lighthouse along Lake Superior.

The Copper Harbor light has resided in three spots over the course of the last 160 years. The original light tower was built in 1848 adjacent to the keeper’s dwelling. While the light tower no longer stands, the keeper’s dwelling remains and currently serves as a museum.

It is unknown why the current lighthouse, built in 1866, was constructed so shortly after the original light tower (18 years). It was the second structure to house the lighting apparatus until 1933, when the current steel tower was built.

For More Information

• Copper Harbor Lighthouse Tours: Lighthouse History
• Copper Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan Historical Center

We started on the Copper Harbor loop. It runs from town to Ft Wilkins State Park, through the park, and back to town, again. It turned out to be the perfect beginner loop. It offered great views of the park and Lake Fanny Hoe and had nice stretches of easy skiing for practicing technique.

I am oftentimes quite vocal when getting outside and having a great time. I think it has to do with my ability to be easily amazed and entertained. I would ski a bit and then ask Johanna how I was doing. “You’re doing great!” she would say. I would remark on how I got a good glide or beam with pride when I could ski uphill.

After lunch, Rachel and I headed up to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge to meet a photographer and a videographer for some promotional work for recreation in Copper Harbor. No one else showed up, so Amanda, Rachel, and I were the models by default. Now, when the three of us get together, it isn’t exactly a G-rated meeting. We are sick, twisted, giggly, fun-loving, aggressive women who play off of each other quite well. It didn’t take long for our true colors to shine through, and the photographer loved it.

You know the joke about being so ugly the camera breaks? Well, I can tell you that I have no business being a model. Oddly enough, the photographer’s camera wouldn’t work, so he had to borrow from the videographer.

We started the photo shoot with a snowshoe hike. After the first few pictures, the photographer wanted us to “go back and do it again.” We all turned around to head back to our starting point when I encouraged Amanda to run. She started running, tripped, and flew face first into the snow. I start laughing at her, tripped, and flew face first into the snow. Rachel just stood there and watched and laughed at us like the idiots she knows we are. It was great fun!

After the snowshoe hike, it was time to don the cross country skis, again. What is really funny about this whole photo shoot thing is that none of us have been classic skiing for long, and this was, in fact, my very first day. Fortunately, skate skiing turned out to be a great foundation for practicing classic skills.

I really enjoyed the Mountain Lodge trails. We didn’t do many of them because we were only looking for the potentially great photo ops. We skied down a pretty exciting hill on the golf course. Rachel insisted on going first, so I followed her down. She got going really well; so did I. As I flew downhill, I began to yell, “Whooooo!” while laughing at the same time. It turned out to be more like a staccato “Woo hoo! Woo hoo! Woo hoo!” much like Daffy Duck. Yeah, I’m a dork.

I saw Rachel approach a corner and go flying off the trail. I, of course, laughed. The remarkable part is how I automatically picked up my right ski and used it to plow down the hill and slow the pace a bit. I safely navigated around Rachel and enjoyed the ride down the rest of the hill.

When all was said and done, Rachel and I had both completed two hours and forty minutes of skiing along with an hour of snowshoeing. It was a pretty busy day that is definitely worth repeating.

Last weekend’s snowshoe adventure onto Copper Harbor was the setting for my destined meeting with this chunk of ice. I saw something quite special in it and decided it had to leave the lake with me, so I set it atop my vehicle for careful transportation home.

Try to resist the temptation of staring at the cute face and focus on the block of ice on my head. Yeah, that’s my ice.

Wednesday, I decided to place the block of ice on a box in my garage. I was going to decorate my porch with it so my dinner guests, also my snowshoe companions, could enjoy a nice little chuckle as they entered my humble home. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the chunk of ice sitting on the box until Friday – that inevitable forgetfulness thing. That is when the ice was moved to its new home on a table on my porch. I know – silly.

I told my boss about the chunk of ice sitting on top of my vehicle when I went to work on Monday. Man, did he ever have fun with that one! Aside from giving me the customary shit for it, he also laughingly inquired about the fate of the ice. “Are you going to put it in the freezer?”

That’s funny.

I replied that I wasn’t going to put it in the freezer since water evaporates even though it is frozen. The block of ice may not be the same come next fall. I don’t know. I am a bit of a nut, so I wouldn’t be surprised if little Lake Superior ended up in my freezer come spring.

Sunday, I decided to carry through with one of my splendid hangover-conceived ideas: snow angels! “We have to make snow angels on the way back, after we take off our snowshoes,” I remarked as we began our journey across the frozen Copper Harbor towards the gap. The gap is the little bit of water between Porter’s Island and Hunter’s Point – two land masses dividing the harbor from Lake Superior. We ventured across the ice to the snow mountains formed within the gap by waves carrying ice and snow toward the harbor. It was a pretty neat experience, and my first experience walking on a frozen body of water.

I also found it amusing that we were the official dog walkers for the ladies of the Harbor, as well. Not only did Amanda and I bring her dog, Duce (as in deuce, like dropping one), but we also took with us Tiki and Eos…I think those are the names, and I’m not sure about the spellings.

Tiki was a pretty interesing dog with some sort of snow complex. She would stare at our feet as we walked, hoping we would kick snow up in the air. When snow went flying, so did she:

On our return to land, Amanda and I removed our snowshoes and lay on the harbor ice to make some beautiful snow angels. I can tell you that they are like none you have ever seen. They were simply amazing! Unfortunately, they were destroyed seconds later by prancing pups, so proof of their splendor could not be obtained.

***

Tourist Park, Marquette, October 19, 2008

The UP Cyclocross Series regular season met its end this past weekend at Tourist Park in Marquette. Riders of all abilities lined up at the start for an anaerobic sprint that is as much a battle of the minds as it is a true test of physical strength and speed.

The UP Cyclocross Series is a special race series for the Red Jacket team as it marks the birth of the team. Last year, upwards of twenty riders were rallied together by Chris Schmidt to form an impromptu cyclocross racing team called The Red Jackets. The team members felt such an amazing sense of camaraderie – and all the benefits that go along with racing with their newfound friends – that several members expressed a strong interest in forming a mountain biking team.

Al Quaal, Ishpeming, September 21, 2008

Over the course of the winter, John Gershenson, Bruce Pletka, Chris Schmidt, Pat Szubielak, Diane Ursu, and Steve Weber discussed the development of the team and the direction they wanted to take it. It was very important that the positive team aspect of the cyclocross season continue into what is now the Red Jacket-Bluesky Health Cycling Team.

One year later, the Red Jackets once again welcomed non-members to race on the Red Jacket Cyclocross Team. This year, weekly sessions were held each week to teach cross skills to new riders and riders of different disciplines, to improve upon the skills of veteran cyclocrossers, and to show that cyclocross in the UP is simply an excuse to get together, have fun, and ride.

ChocoX, Harvey, October 5, 2008

The Keweenaw isn’t the only area bringing new faces to the series. The races have significantly more riders than last year with many new racers from Marquette County. Last year’s races combined the Mens B and Womens divisions in a single time slot. This year, with higher numbers of registered riders – over 90 at the ChocoX race, for example – Mens B and Womens divisions have become separate races. The Mens A race is highly competitive with about 25 riders who manage to stay very close to each other during the first couple laps.

Even with the increasing numbers, the riders have become quite acquainted with each other and many friendships have formed. Rider interactions have moved beyond the cyclocross courses to the mountain bike trails, brewpubs, and even the riders’ homes. Resulting in a network for cyclists who love to share their passion, the UP Cyclocross Series has been a great asset to local cyclists looking for friendly competition, encouragement, and cycling contacts across the Upper Peninsula.

The UP Cyclocross races are primarily run by Kitchi-Mi-Kana Cycling’s Jon Becker, KMK President, and Greg Potvin, KMK Vice President and Mens B racer. They are charged with the tasks of setting up the course, registering racers, timing, and cleaning up. It may not sound like much, but it is an all-day event for these men and any volunteers that may offer their services.

Fit Strip, Marquette, September 28, 2008

This year, the Red Jackets hosted the Keweenaw Cup, a double-race weekend offering double points per race. This year’s races were split between Copper Harbor’s Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Houghton’s Michigan Tech Trails. Sam Raymond of the Keweenaw Adventure Company, assisted with some of the planning for the Copper Harbor race, including the post-race spaghetti dinner hosted by The Pines and served by Sam and several other members of the Copper Harbor Trails Club.

The Tech Trail race offered a rather unusual cyclocross obstacle: snow. With the help of Michigan Tech’s Zamboni and Mark Klein’s mom’s truck, the Red Jackets were able to transport snow to the Tech Trails for a hard-packed, chilly obstacle that offered a rather superior spectacle. Even though the racers weren’t yet ready for winter, the feedback on the snow was quite positive. Red Jacket James Bialas was thrilled to be the first person to track skis on snow at the Tech Trails for the 2008-2009 season which, unbeknownst to James, hasn’t started yet.

The snow provided plenty of opportunities for slipping and sliding. It was Blu Tenbrink, however, who caused lots of excitement when, at the end of his last lap, he endoed on the snow. Blu managed to get up and grab his bike for a sprint across the finish line to narrowly capture first place.

Michigan Tech Trails, Houghton, October 12, 2008

Cyclocross practice will continue for the next two weeks at the Michigan Tech Trails on Thursday at 6:30 pm. The racers have next weekend off and will return to Marquette for the UP Cyclocross Series Championship Race on Saturday, November 1. A dinner and lots of responsible socializing will happen after the race to bring the season to a close.

For more information about cyclocross or any other racing, visit the KMK website, KMK Message Board, or Red Jacket Forum.