Since the fire on October 10th that destroyed the main lodge, one thing has remained constant: the grounds, the outlying cabins/buildings and the trails. The 90 km of trails service mountain biking and hiking, in the spring, summer and fall. Come winter time, the trails see skiers of course, snowshoers and fat bikers. As mentioned in the last post, we will be grooming the ski trails for skiing this winter, but no lodging available. (Be sure to check the trails page for frequent updates and photos as we transition to one of our favorite seasons) Thank you to everyone that has purchased season passes for the upcoming winter season. This helps to offset costs for trail maintenance, equipment repairs and preparation and property taxes, to name a few.

The past few weeks has been incredible weather for final fall grooming on the ski and bike trails. Keeping nearly 90km of trail maintained keeps us very busy and we are committed to having the best conditions possible with the available snow, like always, for the upcoming winter. The mountain bike trails have seen good traffic for mountain biking before the trails closed on November 1st. It has been great seeing many of our “team” members out on course riding, many completing the “LagChilada” challenge which is riding the entire 25 mile trail system in one ride. Many personal records and our first female completed the challenge.

We also want to give a shout out to our mountain bike team on another great season. The team numbers nearly fifty riders from all ages across the Midwest. The results aren’t what speak volumes but the commitment many team members have to teaching others. Not only in mountain biking but in track and field, cross country and soccer! These folks are leaders in their communities and represent Maplelag and our core values.

One again we want to thank everyone for their kind words expressed on social media, letters, personal messages and all the overwhelming guests. We know some people have taken time to reach out and the touching messages, cards, photos are so much appreciated.

One our our local vendors, Trophy House recently offered the special Maplelag flannels we had in production to celebrate our upcoming 50th year. Thank you to everyone that purchased one. In an upcoming update, we hope to highlight some memories from years past as we celebrate 50 years of Maplelag. (a few sneak peek photos below)

Also a shout out to Lakeshirts of Detroit Lakes who is graciously selling t-shirts to help out Maplelag. We are not accustomed to receiving monies but will put to good use in debris removal and the firefighting efforts on October 10th and 11th. Lakeshirts was one of the first vendors Maplelag associated with, designing the original Maplelag logo that was used and so popular today on the sweatshirts (we hope to get a order or two to sell the next few months)

Updates related to the actual fire and rebuild: we were informed by the fire Marshall the fire cause was ruled to be of an undetermined origin.

As mentioned in the last post, a decision on rebuilding will take some time. There are matters to sort out from insurance, future contracts, family matters and health issues and clarity on best course of action for how to rebuild. We have been meeting with family and friends to discuss building, drafting, architect and planning. We are gathering as much information as possible and being patient in the process to help make the best decision for all of us.

As we move closer to the winter season, final preparations on the ski trails are occurring like a normal fall. We are clearing leaves, sticks, branches and any deadfall. Having the trails as cleared as possible helps us to open up select trails on minimal snow. The ski trails will be open for day skiing this winter (more below)

With the loss of the main lodge on October 10th, we obviously will not be able to feed guests this year and provide the amenities offered from the lodge.

With this situation and other circumstances, we have made the decision to not be open for lodging only. The fire of 1999, we were closed that following winter then opened up for lodging with limited meal service out of the “cat house” building the following winter. At this point, this is not an option considering all the circumstances.

Many of you have already reached out regarding the deposit. We are deeply touched for those reservations that have donated back the deposit. Thank you so very much. For those that wish to have a deposit returned, we will do that, as soon as we are able. The best way to reach us is through email at [email protected]

At this time, we will not plan to carry deposits forward to future reservations with the uncertainty of the lodge being built.

Trails will be open for day skiing on the the ski, snowshoe and fat bike trails. Similar to the COVID season, there will be no services available. Parking in the far lot with portable bathrooms. Click here for ski trail reports.

Ski trail season passes can be purchased on our website. Purchasing season pass now helps with operating and maintenance costs to prepare the trails, equipment repairs to the grooming equipment and property taxes.

Mountain bike trails will be open until November 1st. Click here for trail report. 

Regarding the rebuild, there are still many complex factors to sort out before we make a decision on rebuilding. We appreciate the ideas, the encouragement to rebuild and offers of antique items. Making a decision will take some time. We want to make sure it is the right decision for us, as we always want our guests to have the best experience possible.

Thanks again for all the support of prayers, thoughts, good vibes, financial gifts and our amazing local community of food items. We are at a loss of words and deeply touched.

As the first accumulating snowfall blanketed Maplelag today, we are reminded of the beautiful change of seasons and how fortunate we are to experience this. Nature has always been a huge inspiration for us as we navigate through decisions in life.

We have had a few days to reflect on the recent events and want to say how grateful we are for the overwhelming outpouring of support, acts of kindness and most importantly, the prayers. We have certainly felt God’s presence. Again, we are grateful no one was hurt. The time with family these past few days has strengthened what truly is most important to us.

We want to say a special thanks to the “MLK Six Swedes” group for setting up the Go Fund Me account. We are deeply touched by all the donations and words cannot express our appreciation. We have decided to use a portion of the funds, when the time comes, to disperse among our employees who have lost their jobs and part of their livelihoods. We will also use the funds to host a dinner for all of the firefighters and emergency personnel that assisted during the disaster.

As we move forward, our social accounts and website will have the most accurate information on the next course of action. Many of you have reached out asking what you can do. At this point we simply ask for continued prayers.

Thank you again for all the love, support, acts of kindness and the prayers. We love you all.

On Monday October 10th a fire broke out in the main lodge at Maplelag resulting in a total loss of the lodge. Thankfully no one was hurt and we are all safe at Maplelag. We are at a loss for words and completely devastated. As a result of the fire, we are closed for lodging, meals and guest services until further notice. The trails remain open for skiing, fat biking etc.

Many of you have already reached out regarding the deposit. We are deeply touched for those reservations that have donated back the deposit. Thank you so very much. For those that wish to have a deposit returned, we will do that, as soon as we are able. The best way to reach us is through email at [email protected]

We want to thank all the fire departments that came and their valiant efforts to keep things in control to prevent further damage to the outlying cabins, as well as all the emergency personnel that assisted and monitored the situation days after. 

We are touched by local acts of kindness, messages and heartfelt words and offers of financial support. Please keep us in your prayers as we move forward and follow the next steps for Maplelag. To allow the support teams to perform continued tasks and for our privacy and space, please do not enter Maplelag at this time. Thank you.

Star Tribune Article