One, two, three.  

Standing on the edge of a natural spring-fed cold plunge, I count down, hoping to get courage to immerse myself in the water. It is 26 degrees in January and, standing outside in a swimsuit in the snow, the feat seems daunting.  

But after a 30-minute sit in the adjacent sauna, the task was less terrifying.  

One, two, three, I say. 

I drop my body into the frigid, crystal-clear water. It is not an easy task, but the accomplishment and feeling after the plunge is clarifying.  

The Cabins at Blacktail, located on a unique plat of land off Blacktail Road featuring a sauna, cold-plunge and six separate cabins nestled in the forest, wants to foster a place for community to gather, grow and challenge themselves – whether that be through a cold plunge, a retreat or just a mid-week staycation getaway.  

Owned by Somers residents Julie and George Darrow, the space is a family endeavor. After finishing treatment for a cancer diagnosis a few years ago, the Darrows sold everything they owned and bought an RV. With their four young children, the family left their home state of Florida in 2021 with no end destination in mind.  

A few weeks later, the family was on their way to Kootenai Falls west of Libby when they drove through Polson and saw Flathead Lake for the first time. They altered their plans and stayed at an RV park in Ronan, adventuring to see what the area had to offer.  

They tried to leave, George said, multiple times. Each time, the family was drawn back to the valley.  

“We knew wherever we landed we wanted to be a part of the community, we always have been, and there are just incredible small business owners here, and people... it just felt right,” Julie said last week, sitting in a cabin on the property.  

They purchased the property for The Cabins at Blacktail on Blacktail Road before they bought a house, Julie reflected and laughed. But when she saw the property which is on the way to Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, with a stream running beneath its forested canopy, it was too perfect to pass on.  

“We realized just how special this place was and so from there it was history,” Julie said.  

In May of 2021 they purchased the property and started construction in spring of 2022. The six cabins — each featuring a hot tub, fireplace, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom — were previously used as man cabins from an oil field in North Dakota. The rounded roofs grant a sense of rustic modernism among the surrounding nature.  

Each cabin is 400 square feet and is themed differently. One cabin’s decor features boating images, lifejackets and boating-related knick-knacks. Another, ski themed, features old skis, poles, flags, old snowshoes and more to create an après vibe. 

Each cabin can sleep up to four people and features local coffee and other goodies handpicked by Julie.  

An important aspect of the endeavor, Julie said, was recruiting local companies and businesses to help create the space. The sauna, built by Missoula-based Stone and Plunge, is a custom-built Finnish cedar sauna heated by an electric stone stove.  

Each mural on the six cabins was hand painted by Scout and Script, a local artist, and pieces by local artists Pointer and Pine and Mandy Mohler are seen in multiple cabins. A local couple helped the Darrow’s make the tables in each cabin as well.  

The cabins first opened in the winter of 2022 to house Blacktail Mountain employees but have operated as a short-term rental and event space since the summer of 2023.  

“I think our biggest goals for this property are to continue to facilitate community involvement, activities. I think in our next phase, we’d love to create some sort of community building where we can have a space where people can come together, no matter the season, and continue to make great memories,” Julie said.  

Last summer, The Cabins at Blacktail hosted five weddings, a hiking group, Legacy Bike Park goers and more. A watercolor retreat took place at the cabins in the fall. 

Outside of an overnight stay, The Cabins and Blacktail allow public use of the sauna and cold plunge. The sauna is open from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, unless a group event is occurring. A one-hour session pass is $25, and an unlimited monthly pass is $125. The sauna is also available for private rentals.  

The property offers options for many possible events including corporate retreats, wellness retreats, charity events and dinner parties.  

Including, if one is brave enough, a cold plunge in a natural spring. 

The cabins are located at 1400 Blacktail Road in Lakeside. To book a stay, inquire about an event or check out the space, visit blacktailcabins.com.  

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com. 

    The sauna features a view out over the spring-fed cold plunge pool at The Cabins at Blacktail on Friday, Jan. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    The living area inside the Tree Haus cabin at The Cabins at Blacktail on Friday, Jan. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    The Camp Haus, one of six cabins at The Cabins at Blacktail on Friday, Jan. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    The sauna features a view out over the spring-fed cold plunge pool at The Cabins at Blacktail on Friday, Jan. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    One of two bedrooms in the Tree Haus cabin at The Cabins at Blacktail on Friday, Jan. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Each cabin features a hot tub on the balcony at The Cabins at Blacktail on Friday, Jan. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider