When Xenia Guido and Jordan Cohen arrived in Montana last fall, they made a rather abrupt landing.

They departed San Diego for what they thought would be a year-and-a-half-long road trip, but when they found themselves on the shores of Stillwater Lake, they decided to stay put.

Only two months into their ambitious road trip, they purchased Bill Montgomery’s longstanding property northwest of Whitefish and set to work creating a wellness retreat there.

Stillwater Landing opened last weekend with live music, yoga classes, outdoor dining and cabin rentals.

“We’re super stoked,” Guido said. “We’re so happy we found this and it all clicked together.”

Both Guido and Cohen bring yoga backgrounds to Stillwater Landing.

The pair has co-led yoga retreats together all around the world, most recently in San Diego, where Guido ran her own studio.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down their California operation, the partners hit the road in their Airstream trailer with their dog, Sage. They weren’t on the lookout for a new base of operation, but they found one nonetheless.

They met Montgomery, the longtime owner of the property, at the recommendation of a friend from home.

“He was ready to sort of pass the torch,” Cohen explained.

But most of the interest in Montgomery’s land — which primarily served as a float-plane landing spot under his ownership — came from potential buyers looking to develop the destination in a resort style.

Guido and Cohen, meanwhile, had a “very minimalistic” concept of Stillwater Landing’s future, according to Guido. Once they shared that approach with Montgomery, it took just a week to sign a contract for the sale.

“He liked our vision,” Guido recalled. “We didn’t want to change too much of it.”

THEY ACQUIRED 24 acres of land along the east side of Stillwater Lake, with 2,000 feet of lakefront access. Stillwater Landing also came with an airplane hangar and an outdoor stage.

Guido and Cohen added lodging, a café and yoga-centered programming. They aimed to make their changes as non-disruptive as possible.

In fact, Cohen promised, “there will be no development.”

To realize this new and modestly improved vision, they partnered with existing businesses in the area.

They joined forces with ROAM Beyond to set up 10 camper cabins spread throughout Stillwater Landing. ROAM Beyond opened at the beginning of the year with two cabin campgrounds in Columbia Falls and the Whitefish Bike Retreat.

They also recruited The Chef Guys, a local private chef outfit, to co-host meals in addition to their regular Friday dinners and Sunday brunches. An outdoor kitchen, inspired by Argentinian chef Francis Mallman, was built to complete the nature-based dining experience.

Yoga, the guiding force in Stillwater Landing’s new direction, will be an inside job. Guido will instruct classes at the retreat, although both partners have the experience to lead guests in the Indian tradition.

But Cohen said he’s taking some time away from the mat to oversee the transition.

Even though he assures Stillwater Landing won’t undergo anymore physical changes, Cohen hopes to develop the site in other ways. Some of his ideas include creating educational programming so visitors gain “a deeper understanding of Montana,” and cultivating additional partnerships in the region north of Whitefish.

“We have neighbors,” he pointed out. “We’d like to collaborate with other businesses in our little area, too.”

Stillwater Landing is located at 6825 U.S. 93 N., Whitefish

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.