McJoppa, The Hut

McJoppa, The Hut Hosts: Chrissie+Rich
6 guests
3 queen bed/ 1+3/4 bath
Epic lake views
No pets We do have well water and provide a Brita filtered water dispenser.

Winter Amenities:

Garage parking
Snow removal service
In floor heat
Heated mattress pads
Gas fireplace
Sleds
Snowshoes (4 adult+2 toddler)
Board games
Hot chocolate


We love animals, but sadly do not host pets

Our place is a 1500 sq ft open loft cabin built in 2016. We're on a quiet bay of Shagawa Lake and just 1.2 hikeable miles from Ely (pronounced Ee-lee), voted the coolest small town in Ame

rica by Budget Travel, one of 20 places to find beautiful sunsets by Expedia, and one of nine of the best towns for outdoor thrills by National Geographic. KITCHEN
Our cabin has a "Cook's Kitchen"
-Everything you need to cook a full turkey dinner and then some (the only thing missing is an ice maker) Please read our reviews to see how happy our guests are with the kitchen supplies. LIVING ROOM
-Huge picture windows overlooking the lake
-Thermostat controlled gas fireplace
-Smart TV with access to Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTubeTV for cable channels
-Well stocked game cabinet with both traditional and current games, puzzles, coloring books, and crosswords

3 BEDROOMS
-One bedroom on main floor,
-One bedroom upstairs,
-and one open loft bedroom with huge picture windows overlooking the lake and the western shore of Shagawa (no curtains lakeside)
-Each bedroom has a queen-sized Tuft & Needle mattress

1 3/4 BATHROOMS
-Full bathroom on main floor
-and 3/4 bath with small shower on second floor

If you enjoy fishing, 2344 acre, Shagawa Lake is managed as a walleye lake and our quiet bay is where the locals cast their lines. Fishing is best at the beginning and end of summer.

.The loft bed and this morning’s view from the loft bedWe just spent two winter weeks .the.hut Airbnb and we didn’t spen...
01/06/2025

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The loft bed and this morning’s view from the loft bed

We just spent two winter weeks .the.hut Airbnb and we didn’t spend any of it hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, cross country skiing, or outside for that matter.

We spent the entire time cooking slow meals, having dinner with family and friends, bingeing movies, playing video games, listening to audiobooks, cross-stitching, watching deer at the bird feeders, staying in pajamas all day, enjoying the new shower, playing board games, and sleeping in.

What a luxury and what a joy!

Click the link in our bio to book winter time at the cabin.

.Open fire restrictions lifted in northeast MinnesotaFrom Minnesota DNR website “Recent rain and improved humidity have ...
10/25/2024

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Open fire restrictions lifted in northeast Minnesota

From Minnesota DNR website “Recent rain and improved humidity have reduced, although not eliminated, wildfire risk in northeast Minnesota”

“Be safe with campfires. Keep it small (3 feet in diameter by 3 feet in height or smaller) and in an established fire ring. Never leave a fire unattended and drown-stir-repeat until it is out cold before you leave. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave”

Photo by the.hut

.I am overwhelmed with emotions as we go through our end of summer chore checklist.I find myself tired for the first tim...
10/19/2024

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I am overwhelmed with emotions as we go through our end of summer chore checklist.

I find myself tired for the first time in eight years of hosting. Fifteen loads of laundry in two days, and I just want to sit, but there’s more to do.

Knowing that at this time next year we will be living here full time looking for new jobs is scary. I’ve been with Rochester Public Schools for 33 years. I need to update my resume. I need to practice being interviewed. I want to do something other than teach, but my resume will scream “I was a teacher!”

I just want to watch the squirrels pack away the walnuts I harvested for them. The one remaining chipmunk is prance-bouncing to the bird feeder to fill its cheeks and running past the sliding glass door and fire pit.

Moving into a lake home, oh, woe is me!

I have all of our regular guests in my heart. I know this place is special to them, too. They have their own memories tied into this cabin and we’re taking that away from them. They tell us they’ll never find a replacement. They won’t. This view. The amount of effort we put into maintenance each time we come up here-prepping for their stay. I hold my relationships with our repeat guests close to my heart and we’ve never met. Crazy, but I have so much love for them.

So many emotions! Exhaustion, anxiety, sadness, love, anticipation

Questions: What do we do with our monthly to do list once we move up here? Do I keep this Instagram page going after we move up here? Do I need a nap?

Delete the lists . Yes keep it and yes, go nap.

Bathroom remodel phase one done. Next, vanity install over Winter Break. Screened porch in June.

.Sweet or savory breakfast preferred?Sunday morning means savory brekkie- eggs, potatoes, bacon, and hot sauceSometimes ...
09/15/2024

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Sweet or savory breakfast preferred?

Sunday morning means savory brekkie- eggs, potatoes, bacon, and hot sauce

Sometimes we use the cast iron frying pan, most times we use the electric griddle.

You have lots of cooking choices in our well stocked kitchen .the.hut

What are you having for breakfast today?

Photography by

Change is comingIt shows up in the early morning light across the lake. The trees reflect warm hues of amber and gold an...
08/16/2024

Change is coming

It shows up in the early morning light across the lake.

The trees reflect warm hues of amber and gold and then reappear green again as the sun rises.

The sun is setting farther and farther south each day

Temps are back to good sleeping weather

School starts Monday (teacher work days)

and we’re currently at the cabin pushing to finish a walk-in shower install by Sunday. Not an ideal way to finish out summer vacation, but there seems to be a pattern—last summer, we were pushing to finishing the new landing.

We will be back mid September, when the reds, oranges, and golds are singing their chorus

These cozy pics were taken by the talented last October.
They make me want to bring a blanket down to the dock.

Are you ready for fall?

.Core memory unlocked!I started getting aurora notifications at nine, but it was too brightMy best friend from seventh g...
08/12/2024

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Core memory unlocked!

I started getting aurora notifications at nine, but it was too bright

My best friend from seventh grade is visiting and we said we’d have a Klondike bar at eleven if we could stay awake. Food rewards anyone? What would you do for a Klondike bar? 🎶

We started looking at ten, but it was too bright-only to realize it was bright because of the northern lights

We went down to the dock just after eleven. The northern lights looked like white dancing clouds. No color except for when looking through the phone camera.

But the dancing clouds lasted for over an hour and even included some meteors from the Perseid showers.

On the lake cam, the northern lights lit up the entire sky at one am. I was awake, but in bed reviewing my pics🤣

Late night. Totally worth it.
❇️💚❇️

.Who are these people?I hear you! It’s been a long time since we’ve posted our mugs.We are Chrissie and Rich, hosts of M...
07/12/2024

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Who are these people?

I hear you!

It’s been a long time since we’ve posted our mugs.
We are Chrissie and Rich, hosts of McJoppa, The Hut Airbnb in Ely, Minnesota.

And yes, it’s true we’re in the home stretch of our hosting stint before we move up here ourselves in September 2025.

The rental calendar is up to date through May 2025.
We have lots of shoulder season and winter dates available. Link in our bio .the.hut

What’s next? Not retirement, but new jobs in Ely. We’ll figure that out then. Rich may continue teaching, but after thirty three years, Chrissie will look for a different line of work outside of education(famous last words?) -definitely something that offers health insurance.

Meanwhile, you can seize the good life at the cabin.

.Several things have to happen for lake season to be official .the.hut :✅Ice Out✅Kayaks out of storage✅Loon calls✖️Boat ...
05/05/2024

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Several things have to happen for lake season to be official .the.hut :

✅Ice Out
✅Kayaks out of storage
✅Loon calls
✖️Boat lift off the dock
✖️Pontoon out of storage
✖️Fishing licenses printed
✖️Adirondacks moved to the end of the dock

.2023 in numbers:16 Airbnb stays -50 nights total13 Airbnb guests left reviews (all 5 stars)8 Airbnb cancellationsBusies...
12/31/2023

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2023 in numbers:

16 Airbnb stays -50 nights total
13 Airbnb guests left reviews (all 5 stars)
8 Airbnb cancellations
Busiest Airbnb season Sept-December

3 nights donated to fundraiser for Q***r Holiday Market
3 nights donated to Save the Boundary Waters

23 repeat guests (direct bookings)-124 nights total
0 repeat guest cancellations
Busiest repeat guest season end of Jan-Feb, May-Sept

Go where you're loved. Stay where it's consistent.
📍 .the.hut

Pics from previous snow seasons

.How are you feeling as we head towards the new year?2023 was a year of recovery from spinal fusion surgery for me. Just...
12/11/2023

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How are you feeling as we head towards the new year?

2023 was a year of recovery from spinal fusion surgery for me. Just had my one year MRI and there is no sign of the benign spinal tumor that caused the mystery pain in my hip, my spine has fused successfully, and my doctor is delighted as are we.

In 2024, I want to take daily deliberate actions towards stability and health: making sleep a priority and getting outside with the sunrise (as I write this it's 9:15am and I'm still in bed).

We will have almost ten days at the cabin for our Winter Break. We're so grateful to be able to reflect on the past year and welcome the new year .the.hut

Thanks for following along and even staying there on occasion. 💝

Address

Ely, MN

Website

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