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Covid protocols at Maplelag

The comfort and safety of our staff and guests is of highest priority. A few items of note:

We will be seating people of only the same party or group together. We will space people apart as far as possible. We will use all available space and rooms to keep folks spread out. We have been accommodating larger groups in the side rooms when serving meals upon request. Please keep in mind this takes extra staff. We have difficulty finding enough staff to fill each shift and we appreciate your patience. Takeout meals will be available with advance notice.

We do not have a mask or vaccination requirement. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please do so. Most guests are testing before coming and we appreciate those that are staying back if positive. Each weekend we have 20-30 people that are not able to come. Cancelling because of COVID is beyond our control and we are not able to refund deposits. We can transfer forward to reservations later this season.

At this time, there will be no variety show or dances planned. Select weekends we have live music on Saturday afternoons.

Checking out or making payment online is an option for those not wanting to come to the lodge. We do not have credit cards on file. Let us know ages and if ski rental if doing remote checkout. We invoice via PayPal. You do not need to be on PayPal to use this service.

Takeout meals can be delivered outside the lodge kitchen making it possible to not even come to the lodge at all for those not comfortable doing so.

Day skiing is available to guests not staying at the resort. Protocols will be similar as last year, purchase pass online and parking in the far parking lot. Porta potties in far parking lot for bathroom. NO bathroom use in lodge and there are no lodge services available for day pass users. There is no ski rental available to day skiers. Please respect this policy so Maplelag can operate safely and remain open. Ski rental for overnight guests is available and is mostly self serve. Directions in the ski rental shop.

We are continually monitoring our staff and of course, if there is  any remote sign of any symptoms we are asking staff to stay home and test. We are doing everything we can to operate safely in a community environment. There is no way we can control everything and everybody and have made the decision to be open and operate knowing there is risk among ourselves, the Maplelag family and staff that are here 6am to midnight, among many guest each day. Any of our visitors must understand and assume there are risks when being out in the public. We always tell people that are not comfortable coming to Maplelag during this pandemic, it is best to stay home. COVID is nothing we can control and have made the decision not to let it control us.

This page will be updated as we move through the season. As always, please reach out with any questions. Thank you and be well.

Laddies Loppet Recap 2021

Another great weekend of racing and mountain bike fellowship for Laddies Loppet 2021. This was the 31st year celebrating mountain biking at Maplelag.

With that first race in 1990 we forged relationships that we continue to maintain and treasure the new and old ones made throughout the years. Thanks to everyone who visited us this year making it another memorable weekend amongst amazing weather. Special shout out to our staff, volunteers and sponsors that help make it happen.

Saturday Cross Country Results

Sunday Short Track Results

Recap on Skinnyski.com

Sponsors

Beautiful weekend for Laddies Loppet 2021
Always great seeing the kids on the line!

Maplelag Mountain Bike Team Members racing Laddies Loppet 2021

Jake Richards
Steve Wenzel before the start of his race. Steve hasn’t missed a race since 1990, competing in every Laddies Loppet!
Jacob Olson. Congrats Jacob on winning the Comp Short Track race!
Keith Moors. Thanks Keith for all your awesome work this summer helping prepare the course for race day!
Ben Olson
Congrats John Peter on the Sport Short Track win!
Wayne Carlson testing the tracks before race day.
Smiling Bryan Schoenberger heading out at race start in the Comp race.
Pat Crary heading out at the start of the Comp Race.
John Muszynkski on the line

2021 LagChilada Mountain Bike Challenge-Now until November 1st

The LagChilada challenge is a opportunity to ride all the mountain bike trails at Maplelag in one ride/day. We will have t-shirts available for those that complete the challenge. The challenge is open to everyone. Trail pass or season pass required to participate. The course is set on Strava. The course will be similar to last year but include additional trail built last summer and fall. Total mileage will be almost 25 miles and features around 2500ft of climbing!

All participants that complete the challenge get a custom cap! Please contact Jay at 218-849-7669 if you haven’t received your cap !

The challenge starts with the new loop “Feeling Lucky” singletrack loop. Look for pike signs at key intersections. Upon completion of Feeling Lucky, take a right on the starter loop following all the sport/comp/expert/marathon signs and marked singletrack routes. After the “Bear Pass” singletrack, take a right and head on Bullhead Lake trail to access the Goat Ranch rd (county rd 110) Take a right and continue to the pavement, hiway 26. Take a right and look for access to Bootleg singletrack loop. Upon completion of the Bootleg loop, double back on hiway 26 and county road 110. Enter on Bullhead lake trail again and continue on taking all the marked singletrack segments.

Start of the LagChilada challenge with the new “Feeling Lucky” loop. Look for the pink signs at key intersections.

After the start of “Bjorp’s” singletrack, take a right where marked to access the trail across 110 “North Loup Gnar” riding this segment east to west. Upon completion of North Loup Gnar, cross 110 again and pick up Bjorp’s. Shortly after, look for access to Sukkerwest. A connector trail is used to complete Sukkerwest. Use connector to get back on to Bjorps. Follow rest of trail to Twin Lakes, back across to complete!

Trail reports on the trail report page. Good luck and have fun!

Virtual Lotvola Cup 2021

Nice job to everyone who completed the Virtual Lotvola Cup this ski season. A wide range of conditions made for memorable skiing. Below are the participants from Strava recording and submitted times/completions. Anyone that is missed, please let us know so we can update the page and photo! We plan to do the virtual option again next season along with a mass timed event. A date will be posted in the fall.

The Lotvola Cup was one of the oldest cross country ski races in Minnesota, starting in 1977, and had grown to be popular among not only local skiers but enthusiasts from around the country.

Start of Lotvola Cup on Little Sugarbush lake in front of the original main lodge, 1980.

We have established a new course for classic only technique. We are not able to host a mass start race but will have the virtual race now open through the remainder of the 2020-2021 ski season. A 14km course has been set using Strava to track skiers. If you are not on Strava, we suggest loading the app. If not using Strava, you may submit your time and we will add all the skiers on a final spreadsheet. In keeping with the spirit of the original Lotvola Cup, the idea is not to be the fastest skier but “simply” complete the challenge. Partnering with ski shops, we will provide random awards to skiers upon completion of the Cup.

There is no entry fee to participate but a season or day pass is required to ski the trails.

Start of the 2021 Lotvola Cup challenge. Sukkerbusk ski trail, just across the parking lot near the legendary orange tractor!

The course starts on Sukkerbusk ski trail at the “orange tractor”. Continue on Sukkerbusk until Twin Lakes trail. Left on Twin Lakes. Upon completion of Twin Lakes, continue back up to Sukkerbusk. Take a left on Sukkerbusk to North Loup. Left on access to North Loup. Upon completion of North Loup, take left on Sukkerbusk and finish out Sukkerbusk back to the start area. Continue on through and finish out on Sap Run trail to the right. The finish is back at the flag pole.

Most intersections take left except near the end of Sukkerbusk stay right to finish out the course on Sap Run trail. Most intersections will be marked with the original signs like above that read “Maplelag Ski Tur”.

The original Lotvola Cup course was 12 kilometers. The 2021 version will be around 14km, classic only technique.

The 12 KM classic technique only race was named in honor of Elias Lotvola. A Finnish pioneer in the local Sugarbush township who was famous for his skiing abilities as well making classic wooden skis in the Finnish tradition by hand.   Even is his 80’s Elias would ski thru the “bush” and woods checking his trapline of over 30 miles in length. His skis and poles were on display in the lodge, but sadly they were lost in the fire of December 1999.  However, many examples of similar wooden skis made by Elias Lotvola, are on display in the lodge.

Newspaper article by local paper Detroit Lakes Newspapers of first Lotvola Cup in 1977.

The race honors the tradition of Nordic skiing in Minnesota and up to the most recent race, had a wood ski division. Past Lotvola Cup participants included not only recreational skiers but Olympic athletes including biathlete Wynn Roberts of Battle Lake area who competed in the Vancover Winter Olympics in 2010. 

Old school and new school, US Olympian Wynn Robert competing in the Lotvola Cup 2009 with wood skis.

Maplelag has always promoted a healthy and environmental friendly use of the land with a minimal footprint to conserve and promote our wonderful natural resources.

Snowy start to Lotvola Cup 2010.

Newspaper article from early Lotvola Cup.

Archived results and photos on skinnyski.com