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Dave and Stephanie Shea are the new owners of Cross River Lodge, purchasing the business from John and Rose Schloot this past winter. The couple wasted no time renaming the business Borderland Lodge, its original namesake.
“The Schloots said they wanted to change the name back to Borderland Lodge, but the name was registered to someone in Ely,” said Stephanie.
“We found out about the original name when we were up here for closing this past February. John [Schloot] mentioned that he had always wanted to change it back, but the name had not been available through the Secretary of State’s office. Dave and I immediately fell in love with the name, the story it tells, and the history behind it. So we checked online, saw it was available and snatched it up.
“We both knew instantly it was something we wanted to do the second John mentioned it. It just feels right, and we’ve received nothing but great feedback and support.”
Hailing from rural North Dakota, the Sheas spent the last decade in the Twin Cities, but the Northwoods were calling. “It’s been a life-long dream of ours to be resort owner operators just like John and Rose, and we honestly couldn’t find a better place to call home for ourselves and our two dogs, Fin and Thor,” said Stephanie.
Dave and Stephanie met while attending college at North Dakota State University (NDSU). “This spring was actually our 15th Anniversary together! We’ve spent the last decade in the Twin Cities – living in Loring Park and then East St. Paul,” said Stephanie.
“Professionally, Dave was doing IT/project management for Ritchie Brothers, a heavy equipment auction company. He traveled across the country and sometimes internationally, setting up their live events, but that slowed down once COVID came. My background is in graphic design, digital communications and fundraising, working with nonprofits focused on reproductive health and gender rights. Waaaay back during college, I was a housekeeper and then front desk worker at the Hotel Donaldson, a very beloved former boutique hotel in Fargo. I think that experience definitely planted the seed for this project!”
Sitting on a hill, the lodge and cabins were spared from all of the high water on Gunflint Lake due to recent incessant rain and melting snow; water that floated a lot of docks off of their moors and sent cabin owners or lodge owners to recapture them. “Because of our late start, we didn’t have the docks in place when the water rose,” said Dave. Today, the lake is about a foot lower than its high-water mark of a few weeks ago, but it is about four feet higher than last year’s drought level.
The Schloots left the lodge in fantastic shape. The floors were redone and shone. The logs are varnished and gleamed. The bathrooms in the guest rooms were updated, and the guest bedrooms were decorated in a Northwoods theme. All of the workmanship is first-rate.
“They also left us with a customer list of return business,” said Dave. “We feel very blessed.”
“John and Rose have grown a business where people come back every year because they feel like family. We definitely want to put our own stamp on the lodge, but we’ve been talking with guests and really listening to the things that they value and appreciate about their time here,” Stephanie said. “I’d say almost every returning guest I have talked with has asked me if we’ll continue serving breakfast (answer: yes, definitely!).
“We plan to continue to provide a personalized level of hospitality so that guests feel cared for, feel connected to the BWCA, and leave having had a memorable experience – whether that’s one of rest, one of adventure, what have you.
“The biggest change that we’ll be making is that Dave and I are excited to live here fulltime and open the resort up for winter guests from mid-December through the end of March. We’re on a fantastic lake for ice fishing and just down the street from the ski trail.”
When asked about the workload of running a resort, Dave smiled and replied, “We get up and go to work and work until we go to bed. But we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
“It’s “all hands on deck for sure,” Stephanie replied. “We just have one full-time staff member, Jeric, so between him, Dave, and myself, we’re making breakfast, cleaning cabins, tuning boats, communicating with guests, etc.!”
As newcomers to the area, the Shea’s reached out and have gotten to know some of their neighbors.
“We joined the Gunflint Trail Association and have been meeting the different lodge and outfitters along the trail. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and welcoming – especially our neighbors John and Mindy at Gunflint Lodge and Shari over at Gunflint Pines. We love that we’re out in the woods but deep in a community,” answered Stephanie.
The couple opened the lodge on Friday, May 13, just in time for the Minnesota fishing opener. On Sunday, June 5, one of their guests had already brought in a limit of walleye by 9 a.m.; a couple were 28 inches long. “Fishing has been great,” Dave said.
One of the newest pieces to the main lodge is the return of a piano. Even though neither play, they couldn’t resist an offer of its return.
“Last month, I was notified of a vintage Lagonda piano on the Grand Marais Sell & Swap Facebook page. This piano had been at the original Borderland Lodge, was sold off, and landed at Voyageur’s Canoe Outfitters. I got connected to Matt Ritter over there, and once the flooding on our road subsided, we hauled a trailer over and his crew helped load it up. It’s awesome that this piece of history could be returned to the lodge, and the way it happened was just as great!” Exclaimed Stephanie.
Dave petted Fin and looked out over Gunflint Lake.
“We spent several years looking at buying a lodge and this one was perfect for us. We really like it here,” Dave said. Stephanie nodded, the view of Gunflint Lake spreading before us on a sunny, warm June day. A light wind kept a few flying bugs away. There was a small blue ripple on the water and deep greening of summer on the hills behind the lake; from the look on Dave and Stephanie’s faces, it was obvious that after years of looking, they were finally home.
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