A Cozy Northwoods Retreat in Minnesota

By Fran Sigurdsson Jacen James has vacationed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northeastern Minnesota since he was a small boy. His parents owned a cabin on White Iron Lake near Ely, and the family would make the 10-hour drive from their home in the Chicago suburbs every summer. Jacen’s wife, Jenny, fell in love with the area, too. So 10 years ago, shortly after the young couple started their own family, they purchased a two-acre property in Ely and built a garage with an apartment above it. But the “garbin” (garage + cabin)* was deep in the woods, and Jacen longed to be on the water. Then in 2013, they heard of a beautiful 5-acre property heavily wooded with white and red pines for sale bordering Shagawa Lake in Ely. So, they sold their woodland retreat and purchased not only the land by the lake but a cabin to go along with it. “An older guy was retiring and had used it as a model,” explains Jacen. The 12x16 foot, one-room cabin was jacked up and moved four miles to its present location on the couple’s new property. “People that live in the area tell me that it fits right in,” Jacen says. The hand-hewn, chinked cabin was constructed of local red pine and has a 4-foot porch in front. Though electricity is available in the area, the couple opted to be off-grid. They intend to convert to solar in the future; but for now, a small generator provides power. Unlike most generators, the small Honda EU2000i is “super-quiet,” says Jacen. The model runs 8-plus hours on a single 1-gallon-tank of gas. When it’s time to head home, he loads the almost 50-pound generator into the back of his pickup truck. A Jotul F602 woodstove keeps the cabin cozy. There’s no shortage of firewood either, since a massive storm hit the area last summer, toppling multiple 75-year-old red pines. Luckily, no one was hurt and damage was minimal. “It pays to have a structurally sound log home!” says Jacen. The cabin has both kerosene and solar lights. An under-the-counter beverage cooler doubles as the family fridge. And the couple prepares meals on a two-burner cooktop or in the microwave. However, there’s no running water, since it would be costly to drill a well (“our last well was 500 feet deep,” notes Jacen). So, the couple brings along 5-gallon containers, which they fill with water in Ely en route to the cabin. The Jameses stay at the cabin 4 to 6 times a year, in every season. When they arrive, they light a fire in the woodstove and go into town. “For a small town, there’s a lot to do … lots of good restaurants and shopping,” Jacen comments. The couple’s sons – Colin is 12, Shawn is 10 – sleep on bunk beds, while mom and dad take the pullout couch. But this active family doesn’t mind the tight quarters, since they’re usually outdoors, having fun. In winter, Jacen shovels off an area on the lake for the boys to ice skate and play hockey. “Our favorite thing is snowshoeing,” he says. The Jameses also love going on dogsled adventures with Chilly Dogs in Ely (elydogsledtrips.com). Jacen or Jenny drives the huskies, while the boys are bundled in the sled. When iceout occurs in spring, everyone hikes in the woods. While the area is also home to deer, bear and wolves, the family likes to see evidence of wildlife while exploring, notes Jacen, rather than the actual animals. Summer is lake time. “We’re on a good area of the lake,” he says. “There’s no traffic, and the water’s not so deep.” They fish for bass and walleye and do a lot of paddling in their canoe and kayak. Additionally, the couple likes to relax on the dock, while the boys and the family’s two cane corso dogs (Italian mastiffs) swim. “We also have taken several Boundary Waters trips,” says Jacen. “As a kid growing up, I participated in several of the same outdoor activities.” “The fall is also beautiful,” he continues. “Sometimes I wonder why we live in Illinois.” But Wilmington is home to this family, as well as Jacen’s custom woodworking business, Wilderness Woodworks. While most of his work is cabinetry, he also crafts rustic furniture. His skills come in handy at the cabin. This past summer, he added skirting and antique barn tin to the cabin exterior and put the finishing touches on the outhouse. And he plans to construct a bathing sauna, like the one he built at his first retreat in the woods.