The ice cracks beneath the frozen lake.
It’s the kind of sound that seems to rise from the earth itself. Deep. Hollow. Echoing across the snow-covered shoreline.
Out on the trail, Nordic skiers glide quietly through the woods. Snow drifts across the forest floor. The air is sharp enough to wake every sense.
Just beyond the ski trail, a warm glow spills through a wall of glass.
Inside the Model 5+ outdoor sauna at Maplelag Resort in Callaway, Minnesota, guests sit shoulder to shoulder watching the winter landscape unfold outside. Steam rises from the rocks. Jackets hang near the door. Boots rest in small piles on the deck.
Then someone opens the door.
Cold air rushes in.
A few guests step out onto the snow, walking toward the hole cut in the ice that morning.
For the people who come here, this ritual is not extreme.
It’s simply winter at Maplelag.
Recently, Cedar & Stone Co-Founder Justin Juntunen visited Maplelag to sit down with owner Jay Richards and talk about how sauna, Nordic skiing, and hospitality come together to create an experience guests return to year after year.
Watch the full conversation below.
A Resort That Grew From the Woods
Long before Maplelag became a destination for Nordic skiers, it began with maple syrup.
In the 1960s, Jay Richards’ father purchased the land with a simple intention. Collect sap, produce syrup, and spend time in the quiet of northern Minnesota.
Trails were cut through the woods to reach the maple trees. Log cabins were moved onto the property.
People started staying overnight during the winter months.
At first, the accommodations were modest. Guests paid five dollars a night. Meals were served out of the sugar shack.
And there was one building everyone depended on.
The sauna.
“We didn’t have hot water for seven or eight years,” Jay recalls.
“The sauna was where we would go to bathe.”
Sauna was never introduced as an amenity at Maplelag.
It was simply part of life.
Over time the maple syrup operation faded, and something else began to grow. A quiet reputation among Nordic skiers looking for peaceful trails through the forest.
Today Maplelag spans 650 acres with more than 90 miles of Nordic ski trails, welcoming guests from across the country each winter.
Yet the spirit of the place remains remarkably unchanged.
Hospitality That Helps People Leave Better
Ask Jay Richards what hospitality means and his answer is simple.
“When you go to a hospital, you go there to get better. That’s how we look at hospitality. We want people to come here and be better when they leave than when they came.”
Spend even a short time at Maplelag and you begin to see what he means.
Guests gather in the lodge after long days on the trails. Stories move easily between tables. Some visitors have been coming for decades.
Many return every year.
One guest described the feeling of arriving at Maplelag this way:
“We would literally move here if we could. It’s hard to find someplace that’s peaceful and done as well as Maplelag.
“You can’t replicate this anywhere. What Jay and Janelle have done with this place… when you come here you feel like you’re coming home.”
That sense of belonging is not accidental.
It’s the result of decades spent shaping a place where winter becomes something to enjoy rather than escape.
The Quiet Power of Nordic Skiing
Nordic skiing is different from most winter sports.
There are no lift lines, no crowds rushing downhill, no loud music echoing across the mountain.
Instead, skiers move quietly through the forest.
The sound of skis sliding across groomed snow becomes part of the rhythm of the woods.
Wind moves through the treetops. Occasionally a branch cracks in the cold.
Jay describes the experience simply.
“You still have that essence of being in the woods, experiencing nature, hearing the trees crack when it’s cold. Nordic skiing is the only sport you can experience that.”
It is the kind of winter experience that stays with people long after they leave.
And after hours in the cold, there is one place everyone eventually ends up.
The sauna.
The Ritual That Brings Everyone Together
At Maplelag, sauna is not an add-on.
It is the natural conclusion to a day outside.
Skiers finish their loops through the forest and make their way toward the lake. Jackets pile up near the door. Conversations pick up where they left off earlier in the day.
Water hits the hot stones.
Steam fills the room.
Outside, the winter landscape stretches for miles.
Sometimes an eagle sweeps across the lake. Other times a beaver or otter moves quietly along the shoreline.
Guests sit in silence, watching the world beyond the glass.
Then comes the moment many have been waiting for.
The plunge.
Each morning Jay chops firewood for the stove and walks onto the frozen lake to cut a hole through the ice so guests can move between heat and cold.
“It’s worth getting up in the morning and cutting a hole in the ice to allow that to happen for your guests.”
For many visitors, the contrast between hot sauna and cold water becomes the highlight of their stay.
A Sauna Designed Around the Landscape
The newest sauna at Maplelag introduced something that guests immediately noticed.
A wall of glass facing the lake.
From the benches inside, guests can watch snow drift across the frozen water while steam rises from the stones.
For one visitor, the experience felt unlike any sauna they had encountered before.
“Something I really love about the new sauna is the window. That is huge. It’s like this treat at the end of the ski when it’s super cold...The contrast of watching the cold and the snow outside while you’re sitting in the sauna… it was magical.”
The design does something powerful.
Instead of separating guests from the landscape, it draws them deeper into it.
Why Sauna Is Becoming Essential for Hospitality
Across North America, more resorts and retreat centers are rediscovering something Nordic cultures have long understood.
Sauna creates connection.
It slows the pace of the day. It brings people together. It transforms a simple building into a shared experience guests talk about for years.
At Maplelag, sauna works because it is woven into the rhythm of the place.
Ski through the forest.
Warm up beside the lake.
Step into the cold water.
Sleep better than you have in ages.
For hospitality operators, the lesson is clear.
Amenities attract guests.
Experiences bring them back.
Maplelag continues to welcome skiers from across the country each winter.
Experience Maplelag for Yourself
Whether you come for the trails, for the quiet, or to reconnect with loved ones, Maplelag is a place that will stick with you.
As Jay puts it:
“Anybody that comes to Maplelag is like Maplelag family.”
And once you experience it, you understand why. Book your stay: https://www.maplelag.com/
Considering an Outdoor Sauna for Your Property?
Maplelag offers a simple reminder.
The most memorable places are often built around simple rituals.
A trail through the woods.
A hot room beside a frozen lake.
A place where people gather, slow down, and leave feeling better than when they arrived.
For resorts, retreat centers, and homeowners alike, outdoor sauna has a unique way of creating those moments.
At Cedar & Stone, our saunas are designed to do exactly that. Built with solid cross-laminated timber construction, expansive views, and materials meant to last for decades, they are made to serve both private retreats and high-traffic hospitality environments.
Explore our outdoor sauna models
If you are considering an outdoor sauna for your home, resort, or development, the best place to start is often a conversation.
A sauna consultation is a chance to talk through your property, your goals, and the kind of experience you hope to create.
