Boasting 100 km of cross country ski trails, 25 km of snowshoe trails and access to thousands of acres of nature, the lodge has long been a place for outdoor recreation, weddings, and more
An iconic ski and snowshoe lodge north of the Sault has new owners.
Tucked into the forested hills north of Sault Ste. Marie, Stokely Creek Lodge has been under the care of Susan and Gaylen Byker for nearly two decades.
Boasting 100 km of cross country ski trails, 25 km of snowshoe trails, and access to thousands of acres of nature, the lodge has long been a place for outdoor recreation, weddings, and more.
Now looking to retire, the Bykers recently finalized the sale to a group of five people who will oversee it moving forward.
“It’s bittersweet, but more sweet than bitter. We’re excited,” Susan told SooToday.
“We know it’s in great hands. Otherwise we would not have sold.”
The new ownership group includes Andy Levin and Mary Freeman from Detroit, Josh and Deanna Plath from the Goulais River area, and Tim Kunin from Minneapolis.
“We’ve been coming here every year since 1986, so we have a long history of loving Stokely,” said Freeman, who brought his four kids.
“It’s become an annual tradition for our family.”
When Levin and Freeman heard the Bykers were thinking of selling the lodge, they joked that they should buy it – but they didn’t anticipate doing so just a few years later.
After meeting Josh and Deanna last year, however, the ownership team assembled after the group hit it off.
“Me and Deanna always had a dream of being part of something like this,” Josh said.
“We were actually skiing here one day, and Deanna said, ‘This would be a beautiful place. We should try to buy this.’”
With the ownership now changed, the group said they have some ideas for Stokely moving forward – like an annual ski race, revamping the lodge as a venue for weddings, and more.
That said, the group hopes to preserve the lodge for what it is – an off-the-beaten-path, small resort where people can get outdoors.
“We really are not buying it to change it,” Levin said.
“It’s almost like a sacred thing. This is such a beautiful place, and it’s such a treasure.”
“We want to breathe a little bit of new life into it, but keep the core the same,” said Plath.
Moving forward, the Plaths will run day-to-day operations at the resort, with Kunin, Levin, and Freeman rounding out the ownership group.
Stokely Creek Lodge can accommodate up to 85 guests at a time, with 10 lodges visitors can stay in.
The lodge formally opens on Dec. 27, but day skiing is already open.
More can be found on the Stokely Creek Lodge website.