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Nature's Kennel Nature's Kennel-Sled Dog Adventures and Iditarod Racing Team-McMillan, Michigan. For more information, visit www.natureskennel.com
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We found Musher’s Village! The yurt, cabin and sauna got dug out today. Is it really only December 7th?! Yesterday was o...
08/12/2024

We found Musher’s Village! The yurt, cabin and sauna got dug out today. Is it really only December 7th?! Yesterday was our first reprieve from snow, but this morning we got 4 inches of heavy, wet snow.

Nature's Kennel has partnered with Lake Superior Photo/Shawn Malone for over 10 years for our annual winter photography ...
06/12/2024

Nature's Kennel has partnered with Lake Superior Photo/Shawn Malone for over 10 years for our annual winter photography workshop. Check out this amazing 2025 calendar if you are looking for a unique Christmas gift. If you are interested in joining us for our photography workshop in February, there is still space available https://www.natureskennel.com/winter-photography-tour

2025 Calendar ordering link is up: https://tinyurl.com/274xx48v

Calendars will ship 2nd week in December.

Calendars are 12'x12" full size on quality papers and inks with a thick glossy cover. Quantities are limited.

I bought my crew a bag of Trenary toast to bring out their inner Yooper. We needed our Yooper power as we snowshoed the ...
05/12/2024

I bought my crew a bag of Trenary toast to bring out their inner Yooper. We needed our Yooper power as we snowshoed the trail, broke open the 10 mile trail and shoveled roofs. I thought the economy grade of toast was best for us as we need to be very economical in getting all this snow under control. Another 12” came yesterday and last night and there’s a storm warning until…😳

For those interested in what’s happening in the UP, the snow continues with over a foot of snow coming today. This is in...
04/12/2024

For those interested in what’s happening in the UP, the snow continues with over a foot of snow coming today. This is in addition to over three feet we already have on the ground. Wow, just wow. 😳

Northwest lake effect snow ramps up behind the Clipper low today before slowly transitioning to north wind lake effect snow tonight and Thursday. Watch out for blowing snow over the northern U.P. the next couple of days and for rapidly deteriorating travel conditions!

Shoveling crew 2024. Snow-magedon. If you have left a message about booking a tour, please be patient as we try to get a...
03/12/2024

Shoveling crew 2024. Snow-magedon. If you have left a message about booking a tour, please be patient as we try to get ahead of another foot or more of snow coming tomorrow. If you love to shovel, come on over, we have a spare cabin and lots of snow to shovel!

Keeping up with this snow has been a monumental task. Last night we got another 8”, to bring us close to 40” in six days...
02/12/2024

Keeping up with this snow has been a monumental task. Last night we got another 8”, to bring us close to 40” in six days. Today Elizabeth and I worked on getting our 10 mile trail open. In six hours we covered about a mile. We have a 5 mile trail that is runnable with dog teams and are slowly increasing that. Tomorrow we will be at it again…one mile at a time.

It just keeps coming! We received another 16” in the last 24 hours, most of that after 8 pm last night right after we ha...
01/12/2024

It just keeps coming! We received another 16” in the last 24 hours, most of that after 8 pm last night right after we had the driveways cleared, a trail open and the road got plowed. We now have over 36” on the ground. Elizabeth and Audrey have been taking two snow mobiles on the trails all day, I have been on the tractor and the rest of the girls have been shoveling and running teams. Give us a couple of days to finish digging out and we will be ready to start the tour season!

27.5” of snow over the past three days, and it’s still falling!!
30/11/2024

27.5” of snow over the past three days, and it’s still falling!!

Happy Thanksgiving from Happy, Griffey and the rest of the NK Gang!
28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from Happy, Griffey and the rest of the NK Gang!

We were so busy playing (by “playing” I mean shoveling snow, getting the sleds outfitted, putting the blower on the trac...
27/11/2024

We were so busy playing (by “playing” I mean shoveling snow, getting the sleds outfitted, putting the blower on the tractor, cutting fallen trees and limbs, and getting the snowmobiles out) in the snow yesterday that I didn’t get a chance to share any photos! Winter is here and according to the forecast, it may be here to stay. All of our new staff got on a sled yesterday so they are getting ready for leading guests this season!

Be of good cheer…winter is here!!!
26/11/2024

Be of good cheer…winter is here!!!

Two adorable fluff balls! Aretha (on the left) and Opie. These are two of the most smiley and happy dogs! Sydni is lucky...
25/11/2024

Two adorable fluff balls! Aretha (on the left) and Opie. These are two of the most smiley and happy dogs! Sydni is lucky to have both of them on her team as leaders this season. Be sure to give them extra love if you are here for a tour this winter and run out of Kennel 3!

24/11/2024

Our little dusting of snow last night made for a beautiful run in the woods this morning!

The National Weather Service in Marquette recently reached out and ask that we participate in the Community Collaborativ...
22/11/2024

The National Weather Service in Marquette recently reached out and ask that we participate in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). This is a network of citizens across the US who measure rain, hail and snowfall. Since the kennel is located in a unique microclimate where we receive significant snowfall, they want information from this area. We now have a “super scientific” rain gauge, a snowboard and measuring stick and an app on the phone to input the information every day at 8 am. Hopefully this means that we will have significant snowfall to measure this year! https://www.cocorahs.org/

Thanks Dr. Tom Gustafson, DVM for the hands-on staff training! Dr. Tom has had an extensive career in sled dog medicine ...
22/11/2024

Thanks Dr. Tom Gustafson, DVM for the hands-on staff training! Dr. Tom has had an extensive career in sled dog medicine and covered “all things sled dog” today. We learned about anatomy and physiology, proper harness fit, first aid, massage, canine CPR and more! Our dogs thank you! This training was made possible thanks to Headwaters small business development and grant for staff training and technology for Luce County.

Thanks to Pure Michigan for highlighting Nature’s Kennel in the 2024 Winter Travel Guide. We are #2 (right behind snowm...
19/11/2024

Thanks to Pure Michigan for highlighting Nature’s Kennel in the 2024 Winter Travel Guide. We are #2 (right behind snowmobiling) in the 12 Top Winter Activities in Michigan!!

Happy Monday from Jett and her son Wings. He’s learning to be a great leader from his superstar mama.
18/11/2024

Happy Monday from Jett and her son Wings. He’s learning to be a great leader from his superstar mama.

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Our little dusting of snow last night made for a beautiful run in the woods this morning!

Fern asked me want we talk about when I’m riding with the guides on the four wheeler when running dogs. I told her we talk about all kinds of things and the other day Lydia taught me about how dogs drink water. Did you know a dog’s tongue makes a little backwards scoop to grab water?! I took a video of Watcha drinking and it’s true! Here’s a link for more information: https://youtu.be/Vv73ywyrFlI?si=mqQN9ygdzV-T40IM

Here’s a look “behind the scenes” as we prepare for the winter season. We are often asked by our tour guests how we train the dogs without snow. We use an ATV/four-wheeler and fourteen dogs pull it in 3rd or 4th gear. We use the atv instead of a cart or “sled on wheels” because we need something with good brakes and it needs provide some resistance for pulling. Since we are always training new staff, we have two people ride the atv as it takes a while to learn the new trails and for safety at road crossings. Here is Sterling’s team with Harley and Stripe in lead. You’ll also see Bug (a bright white dog in the back) as she smiles at me as she goes by.

I was sitting on the porch by the kennel and heard this beautiful bird/owl. Turn up the volume on the video. Does anyone know what it is? One of the dogs even gives a little bark back as it was really close. I could hear another bird return the call in the distance and then this one headed off in that direction. Super cool to live in the middle of the forest!

When our sled dogs move to family homes, people often comment about how quiet they are. They rarely bark when they are inside or outside. But, Quill still gets back to her sled dog roots and gets exceptionally noisy when it’s time to get out of the van with Steve and Michele for fun time!

Hurry!! There’s snacks! The Lucky Pups, age 6 1/2 weeks.

Introducing The Lucky Puppies! Wishbone, Horseshoe, Duck, Dice (male), Acorn, Bunny and Charm (male). Nine days and cuteness overload!

Here’s to chilly mornings and excited sled dogs!!

Frank was adopted earlier this spring and he’s become quite a fan of dog parks! It’s just amazing how adaptable Alaskan Huskies are and how quickly they adjust into family life. Frank is an older dog who acts like a puppy at the park! If you’re in need of a companion this summer, I can send you our list of adoptable dogs 😉

On a hot day, even just this sound is refreshing!!

Off into the woods we go, to calm the spirit and soothe the soul. I followed Audrey on one of my favorite sections of trail today near Murray Lake. It was so quiet, just the swoosh of runners and panting dogs. The fresh powder softened all the sounds of the forest. Magical.

I let the staff run on sleds as long as we possibly can for a few reasons: 1. A run on sleds is definitely more fun than a run on an ATV. 2. They learn how to be really good sled drivers. 3. They realize that a dog sled can be run on marginal snow, trails are not always perfect, and should they ever choose to race, they will never complain about a trail. 4. They have a new appreciation for Iditarod dogs and mushers who regularly run on marginal trail conditions with much larger teams than we are running. 5. A run on sleds is definitely more fun on an ATV…and you never know which day will be the last sled run of the season.

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Our Story

Nature's Kennel-Sled Dog Adventures and Racing Team is owned by Ed and Tasha Stielstra. We have owned sled dogs for more than twenty years and love sharing this magical sport with others. We offer adventure tours for guests of any age and ability. We also own a competitive racing team, primarily run by Iditarod and Yukon Quest finisher Laura Neese. We are located in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, near McMillan, Michigan. For more information, visit www.natureskennel.com