Trail Report

Winter storm watch! We are keeping an eye on the forecast with potential snow going into the weekend. We will groom select trails if enough snow and have the trails open for skiing if possible. There will be no services in the lodge, meals, or lodging. The trails will be open for skiing however if adequate snow.

Beautiful fall weather to start off November. Despite the dry and mild temps, we have been freezing many mornings keeping the water cold and the ground chilly.  It won’t take much to get in winter mode with the short days keeping the key elements for early season skiing set for the first snowfalls. Overall it has been a great fall at Maplelag for trail work and recreation. Good to see folks on the trail hiking, biking and on the water canoeing the past few months. We are clearing leaves from the trails and fine tuning, preparing for the first snows which won’t be long!

 

We added an extension of skaters waltz extension in October and also resumed work on new bike trail on the Maplelag property we started last fall a few weeks ago.

We have been busy on the trails this fall, clearing deadfall from the summer storms, mowing and have been clearing/blowing leaves off select trails. Trail clearing will continue right until the ground freezes and snow starts flying!

Earlier this fall we did bulldozer work on the north side, creating a second option for the start of Roy’s Run and also removing deadfall from the trails.

The mountain bike trails are closed until Thanksgiving week.  Full bike trail report

Fog peeling off Little Sugarbush, thanks to sub freezing temps. November 9th, 2016.
Fog peeling off Little Sugarbush, thanks to sub freezing temps. November 9th, 2016.
Ready for snow! Intersection of Poki Loki and Sap Run ski trails. November 7th, 2016.
Ready for snow! Intersection of Poki Loki and Sap Run ski trails. November 7th, 2016.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6345403337569034497

Tamaracks included in the thousands of trees we've planted over the years. Glowing nicely near the ice rink, the only coniferous tree to change color each fall and loose its needles. October 18th, 2016.
Tamaracks included in the thousands of trees we’ve planted over the years. Glowing nicely near the ice rink, the only coniferous tree to change color each fall and loose its needles. October 18th, 2016.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6342430382386501601

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6341318873571129729

Start of Mother North Star ski trail, October 10th, 2016.
Start of Mother North Star ski trail, October 10th, 2016.
Fall grooming on Skaters Waltz, October 5th, 2016.
Fall grooming on Skaters Waltz, October 5th, 2016.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6337613839057043553

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Fall color at the start of the Maplelag driveway, September 30th, 2016.

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Fall color along Skaters Waltz Extension ski trail. September 27th, 2016.
Fall color along Skaters Waltz Extension ski trail. September 27th, 2016. Trail mowing and clearing will continue right up until the snow flies!
Beautiful fall color on the Maplelag driveway. September 26th, 2016.
Beautiful fall color on the Maplelag driveway. September 26th, 2016.

 

Beautiful fall morning as the leaves around the lodge hit their peak. September 26th, 2016.
Beautiful fall morning as the leaves around the lodge hit their peak. September 26th, 2016.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6334649774354817953

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6334665774012727857

Mountain Bike Trail Report

The mountain bike trails are now closed. The trails will be open again Thanksgiving week, weather permitting. We will have the main Twin Lakes open for fat biking this winter grooming when possible. We will also be grooming a short track for fat biking around the lodge and cabins and soccer fields. We will have five fat bikes available for rent.

We resumed new mountain bike trail work on the Maplelag property this fall east of Bullhead lake and making good progress. The plan is to have a 3 mile singletrack loop that will be signature Maplelag hand built classic singletrack with sections of machine built flow like trail. We hope to have this new trail open for riding late spring/ early summer of 2017.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6347447662092426049

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6345403859463723377

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6343939142984726257

Fall scene near Twin Lakes as capture by Bryan Shoenberger. October 15th, 2016.
Fall scene near Twin Lakes captured by Bryan Shoenberger. October 15th, 2016.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6342267924001828993

 

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Mountain bike trail
Riding on Twin Lakes singletrack, October 2nd, 2016.

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6336134263319054945

https://plus.google.com/photos/117475008862763984699/albums/6334661101154718945

 

The trails are always open, closed only when raining. After a rain event, the trails are usually rideable 2-6 hours after, depends on humidity and dew points. Contact us if any questions.

The Maplelag singletrack is mostly hand built and entirely hand tuned. It can be described as raw, natural, “old school” and mostly technical riding. We are riders ourselves that have been racing and riding around the world for over 25 years and have a deep passion for mountain biking. We have built all the trail on our own time with no outside financial assistance. The Laddies Loppet mountain bike weekend is the main source of funding for new trail build. Bottom line we are happy to share this passion with our signature trails that represent our personal taste for types of trails we like to ride. We are glad to see people get into the wonderful sport of mountain biking including the type of trails that exist at Maplelag.

The Citizen/Beginner loop is mostly ski trail with a few short sections of singletrack and adequate for beginners. This loop starts near the flag pole and head out on skaters waltz ski trail to the left. The sport/comp/expert loop is for experience/advanced riders. Sport/Expert loop starts with the lakeside singletrack south of the main lodge near start of Sap Run ski trail. Twin Lakes singletrack can be accessed from the Maplelag driveway. The mountain bike trail is marked with red signs at key intersections. There is no charge to use the trails the remainder of the season. Park by the gate at Twin lakes or the soccer field parking lot and ride! Enjoy!

Note: all trail users assume responsibility and responsible for their actions if riding on the mountain bike course. Be aware there are unmarked obstacles and hazards that may lead to injury. Often times trees will fall across the trail after we have cleared on the course earlier in the day and we have no control when this happens. Use caution! There are a few changes on the DNR AMA land that we have marked at the start with yellow tape to avoid. Stay on the ski trail that is marked with yellow tape at the intersections.