The co-owners of Borderland Lodge, Dave and Steph.

Borderland Lodge on the Gunflint Trail – Steph and Dave’s Story

By Joe Friedrichs

April 12, 2026

Located on the shores of Gunflint Lake, the young business owners are in need of support during a challenging time. Dave was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma, an aggressive cancer that has spread across many bones, organs, muscle tissue, spine and his brain.

Your support can help them during a challenging time. To do so, book a stay at Borderland Lodge. Cozy cabins in the woods, on the shores of Gunflint Lake. Also, stop by this spring or summer or fall and enjoy a meal (damn good food!) at Borderland’s restaurant. The food is made from scratch and is some of the best on the Gunflint Trail.

Another way to help, and the most immediate, is to buy some merch from their website at this link

Joe Friedrichs stopped at Borderland Lodge and spoke with Steph about life on the Gunflint Trail, Dave’s situation with cancer, and their journey to the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

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