The remote sauna

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Sunset in Voyaguer's National Park

In August the Man of 3 Name and I took a canoe trip into Voyaguer's National Park in Northern Minnesota. To our surprise we were the only canoe we saw in the park (notwithstanding the canoe party from Illinois that was leaving as we were entering the park.). Voyaguer's is a big water kind of canoe area. Most of the smaller lakes are interior to the Kabetogama Penisula. We traversed the eastern bays of Lake Kabetogma to the big waters of  Namakan Lake and base camped in Junction Bay.
The weather was pleasant but did drop in the 30s one night. We also had a spectacular show in the evening skies- meteor showers.

I digress as this post is about the sauna we found in the wilderness.
On our way to Junction Bay we passed through a narrow gap between 2 islands. As we got closer I thought I saw some type of building on one of the islands. However, we paddled on without investigating.
The Sauna
On our way out we came through the area again and this time decided  to disembark and poke around this island.
There were quite a few building on this property including a sauna just a few feet from the lakeshore.
Apparently it was an old resort for a time- I.W. Stevens Pine Cove Resort- and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Here is a write up about the place and the man, Ingvald, who lived on this island. The article does mention the sauna and that it was built in 1935 with the help of 2 Finns- Waino and Eino Lahti. Or at least I think they are Finnish- the name sounds Finnish. For its' age the sauna appeared to be in great condition. The red door was a nice touch. It just needed a sauna stove and you would be set.


The Sauna Bench

Comments

Anonymous said…
Ingvald Stevens was my great great uncle. We called him Uncle Steve. I saw him twice when I was a child, once in 1968 when I was born and in 1978 when I was 10. He immigrated from Norway when he was19 and bought the island in 1931. My father and aunt visited the island as children as they were born in MN. Thanks for sharing his sauna. I imagine him sitting in it skinny and naked as a jay bird!
14 March, 2015 18:14
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