All posts by Jay Richards

Woods and Trail Report

October starting out like the end of September….warm and dry! The fall colors around Maplelag hit their peak this last week but still plenty of color to come the next week or so with the woods still thick with woods….great time of the year to stay at Maplelag and be in the woods. Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes ski trails are recommended trails for hiking on this weekend.

Conditions have been good for working in the woods as we begin the big push of Fall grooming and clearing deadfall, branches, sticks etc. in between the big projects at the resort. 

September a very dry month overall, with total rainfall right at 1″. 

It has been a busy summer and fall clearing fallen trees off the trails after strong winds over 80mph brought down 100’s of tree on the Maplelag property during the “Solstice Storm”. We have cleared nearly 400 trees on the trails so far. We were able to get the 25 mile “LagChilada” mountain bike course open a week after the storm. We are extremely grateful for the professional crew that helped us out. Thank you! 

The mountain bike trails are open, click here for report.  

Support the trails! Day and season pass purchases help us offset costs to maintain the trails. Thanks everyone for the support.

Fall grooming on Wavy Gravy trail, October 3rd, 2025.
Tamarac trees showing a tinge of change, September 30th, 2025. The only pine tree to change color and lose its needles. Typically full color around Maplelag mid October. 
Fall grooming on Mother North Star trail, September 29th, 2025.
Clearing deadfall from the Soltice storm on Bullhead Lake trail, September 27th, 2025.
Saturday trail crew! Thanks for the help guys, September 27th, 2025.
Mowing on Eira Bikwadinna hill after tree clearing, September 27th, 2025.
Maplelag driveway, September 26th, 2025.
Fall grooming, September 26th, 2025.
Fall grooming on Twin Lakes, September 25th, 2025.
Late afternoon fall scene at south Twin Lake, September 24th, 2025.
Autumn scene around Norwegian Log cabin, September 24th, 2025.
Mountain bike singletrack, September 24th, 2025.
Autumn scene at Bullhead Lake, September 22nd, 2025.
Fall color in the Switchyard, September 22nd, 2025.
Fall color on the Maplelag driveway, September 21st, 2025.
Autumn scene at Maplelag, September 21st, 2025.
Autumn scene on the Maplelag driveway, September 20th, 2025.
Calm Autumn scene on Little Sugarbush lake next to Maplelag, September 20th, 2025.
Sun breaking through after a cloudy/drizzly day, September 18th, 2025.
Fall color, September 18th, 2025.
Fall grooming on Mother North Star ski trail, September 18th, 2025.
Mountain bike trail, September 18th, 2025.
Fresh batch of “chicken in the woods” mushroom, September 18th, 2025.
Fall grooming on Sukkerbusk, September 18th, 2025.
Coral tooth mushroom along the side of the trail, September 18th, 2025.
Fall color scene on Little Sugarbush, September 17th, 2025. 
Beautiful evening for the local mtb team practice, September 16th, 2025. Some trees are hitting their peak of color already. 
Fall grooming, September 12th, 2025.
Morning scene at Island lake trail, September 11th, 2025.
Mowing on JibFly is trail, September 3rd, 2025. We have begun the big push for fall grooming. 
Morning fog rolling off Little Sugarbush lake, September 3rd, 2025.
Trail tuning on Skaters Waltz, August 21st, 2025.
Tree clearing crew! August 18th, 2025. Thanks for the help boys! 

Mountain Bike Trail Report

Trails are open Beautiful Autumn conditions. The leaves are coming down fast, but still very nice riding. Today we are leaf blowing on the Bullhead Bootleg loop and the Citizen loop which consists of the Twin Lakes Hudson’s Hula loop. Tuesday we cleared out the Sport/Expert loop, Feeling Lucky and SukkerWest.  These trails are recommended to ride, other trails will have moderate to thick leaf covering.

Be aware trees may fall without warning and assume full responsibility while riding.


The LagChilada challenge remains in place which encompasses all the trails at Maplelag. Click here for more details.  Secondary signage is up and the LagChilada course is marked. Click here for the Strava map which can be downloaded. Nice job to everyone completing the challenge this year including the riders doing a double!! 


 Maps: Trailforks and click on Maplelag map for reference of the trails. 
The Maplelag trails are described as classic or old style. Featuring more narrow singletrack with roots and rocks and generally more technical in nature. A good beginner loop is the Citizen Loop and a good intermediate loop is the Sport loop. 


Maplelag is a family owned and operated business. We are one of the few MTB trail systems in the Midwest that maintain the trails ourselves with no outside funding or assistance and pay property taxes that in turn help support other trails locally and in the state! Please consider a trail pass to offset some of our expenses. We love to mountain bike and share the trail with others…what it is all about! Thank you.

Twin Lakes lakeside singletrack, October 3rd, 2025.
Clearing leaves on Twin Lakes loop, October 3rd, 2025.
Gorgeous night for mtb practice, September 30th, 2025.
Autumn scene along the trail, September 30th, 2025.
Blowing out singletrack, September 30th, 2025. Doesn’t take long for the trail to be covered with leaves now! 

Mountain Bike Trail Report

Trails are open Beautiful Autumn conditions. A gorgeous night for the last Wolves (local mtb team in area) practice Tuesday. We always enjoy having the team out and great to see the kids improve so much over the year.

What a month it was. October starting out much of the same. The leaves are coming down fast, but still very nice riding. Tuesday we cleared out the Sport/Expert loop, Feeling Lucky and SukkerWest. We are working on the ski trails this week but plan to blow out Bullhead Bootleg loop Friday morning.

Be aware trees may fall without warning and assume full responsibility while riding.


The LagChilada challenge remains in place which encompasses all the trails at Maplelag. Click here for more details.  Secondary signage is up and the LagChilada course is marked. Click here for the Strava map which can be downloaded. Nice job to everyone completing the challenge this year including the riders doing a double!! 


 Maps: Trailforks and click on Maplelag map for reference of the trails. 
The Maplelag trails are described as classic or old style. Featuring more narrow singletrack with roots and rocks and generally more technical in nature. A good beginner loop is the Citizen Loop and a good intermediate loop is the Sport loop. 


Maplelag is a family owned and operated business. We are one of the few MTB trail systems in the Midwest that maintain the trails ourselves with no outside funding or assistance and pay property taxes that in turn help support other trails locally and in the state! Please consider a trail pass to offset some of our expenses. We love to mountain bike and share the trail with others…what it is all about! Thank you.

Gorgeous night for mtb practice, September 30th, 2025.
Autumn scene along the trail, September 30th, 2025.
Blowing out singletrack, September 30th, 2025. Doesn’t take long for the trail to be covered with leaves now! 

Mountain Bike Trail Report


Trails are open
 Beautiful Autumn conditions. A gorgeous night for the last Wolves (local mtb team in area) practice. What a month it was. October starting out much of the same. The leaves are coming down fast, even more so today with wind but still some awesome fall riding. Yesterday we cleared out the Sport/Expert loop, Feeling Lucky and SukkerWest.

Be aware trees may fall without warning and assume full responsibility while riding.


The LagChilada challenge remains in place which encompasses all the trails at Maplelag. Click here for more details.  Secondary signage is up and the LagChilada course is marked. Click here for the Strava map which can be downloaded. Nice job to everyone completing the challenge this year including the riders doing a double!! 


 Maps: Trailforks and click on Maplelag map for reference of the trails. 
The Maplelag trails are described as classic or old style. Featuring more narrow singletrack with roots and rocks and generally more technical in nature. A good beginner loop is the Citizen Loop and a good intermediate loop is the Sport loop. 


Maplelag is a family owned and operated business. We are one of the few MTB trail systems in the Midwest that maintain the trails ourselves with no outside funding or assistance and pay property taxes that in turn help support other trails locally and in the state! Please consider a trail pass to offset some of our expenses. We love to mountain bike and share the trail with others…what it is all about! Thank you.

Gorgeous night for mtb practice, September 30th, 2025.
Autumn scene along the trail, September 30th, 2025.
Blowing out singletrack, September 30th, 2025. Doesn’t take long for the trail to be covered with leaves now!

Woods and Trail Report

Happy October 1st! First day of October starting out like the end of September….warm and dry! The fall colors around Maplelag hit their peak this past week but still plenty of color to come the next few weeks and a great time of the year to stay at Maplelag and be in the woods.  

Conditions have been good for working in the woods as we begin the big push of Fall grooming and clearing deadfall, branches, sticks etc. in between the big projects at the resort. 

Has been a very dry month overall, total rainfall this month right at 1″. 

It has been a busy summer and fall clearing fallen trees off the trails after strong winds over 80mph brought down 100’s of tree on the Maplelag property during the “Solstice Storm”. We have cleared nearly 400 trees on the trails so far. We were able to get the 25 mile “LagChilada” mountain bike course open a week after the storm. We are extremely grateful for the professional crew that helped us out. Thank you! 

The mountain bike trails are open, click here for report.  

Support the trails! Day and season pass purchases help us offset costs to maintain the trails. Thanks everyone for the support.

Tamarac trees showing a tinge of change, September 30th, 2025. The only pine tree to change color and lose its needles. Typically full color around Maplelag mid October.
Fall grooming on Mother North Star trail, September 29th, 2025.
Clearing deadfall from the Soltice storm on Bullhead Lake trail, September 27th, 2025.
Saturday trail crew! Thanks for the help guys, September 27th, 2025.
Mowing on Eira Bikwadinna hill after tree clearing, September 27th, 2025.
Maplelag driveway, September 26th, 2025.
Fall grooming, September 26th, 2025.
Fall grooming on Twin Lakes, September 25th, 2025.
Late afternoon fall scene at south Twin Lake, September 24th, 2025.
Autumn scene around Norwegian Log cabin, September 24th, 2025.
Mountain bike singletrack, September 24th, 2025.
Autumn scene at Bullhead Lake, September 22nd, 2025.
Fall color in the Switchyard, September 22nd, 2025.
Fall color on the Maplelag driveway, September 21st, 2025.
Autumn scene at Maplelag, September 21st, 2025.
Autumn scene on the Maplelag driveway, September 20th, 2025.
Calm Autumn scene on Little Sugarbush lake next to Maplelag, September 20th, 2025.
Sun breaking through after a cloudy/drizzly day, September 18th, 2025.
Fall color, September 18th, 2025.
Fall grooming on Mother North Star ski trail, September 18th, 2025.
Mountain bike trail, September 18th, 2025.
Fresh batch of “chicken in the woods” mushroom, September 18th, 2025.
Fall grooming on Sukkerbusk, September 18th, 2025.
Coral tooth mushroom along the side of the trail, September 18th, 2025.
Fall color scene on Little Sugarbush, September 17th, 2025. 
Beautiful evening for the local mtb team practice, September 16th, 2025. Some trees are hitting their peak of color already. 
Fall grooming, September 12th, 2025.
Morning scene at Island lake trail, September 11th, 2025.
Mowing on JibFly is trail, September 3rd, 2025. We have begun the big push for fall grooming. 
Morning fog rolling off Little Sugarbush lake, September 3rd, 2025.
Trail tuning on Skaters Waltz, August 21st, 2025.
Tree clearing crew! August 18th, 2025. Thanks for the help boys!