Holzinger Lodge

From MORC Wiki

Contents 1 Getting There 2 History 3 The Details 4 Land Manager 5 Overall Impression 6 Trail Maps 7 Pictures & Multimedia

[edit] Getting There

Traveling on Highway 61 South, proceed to the stop light at Huff. Turn right, followed by another quick right onto W Lake Blvd. Follow W Lake Blvd past the cemetery, keeping an eye out for Holzinger Lodge on the left side. Drive up the fairly steep driveway and park in the small lot next to the lodge. Parking lot coordinates: +44° 2' 27.24", -91° 39' 44.76"

[edit] History

The Holzinger lodge trails were originally built as ski trails back in the early 1980's by the City of Winona. The original trail was the 3.5 mile lower loop, known now as "The Rollers". Due to the extremely rocky nature of the trail, it never took off as a ski trail. However, at this time there was a small group of people in Winona that had discovered mountain biking, this trail lent itself beautifully to this new sport.

In (I believe) 1990 (ish) the Wildwood Climb mountain bike race was moved from O.L. Kipp (now Great River Bluffs) state Park to the Holzinger Lodge trails. In 1994(ish) a group called the Winona Area Mountain Bikers formed and built the trail known as Wildwood Climb. This trail scales a valley wall and takes riders to the top of the bluff. Once on top of the bluff there is a wonderful area of singletrack to the right, or to the left riders can take the Rock Quarry trail which is a rocky technical singletrack trail which eventually descends back to the bottom of the bluff.

[edit] The Details

From the parking lot, follow the tree line away from the lodge. You will come to a small opening where two trails exit the bluff. Turn left and head up the trail on the top side of the hill. After several short, steep, rocky climbs you will come to a quick downhill left switchback. Follow this trail, staying to the right. Watch your speed or you willl miss the trail that shoots to the right. You will cross a small creek bed armored with rocks. Just after it, stay to the right and keep staying to the right until you reach the bottom of the Wildwood Climb. Look for the big concrete cistern at the base. To your right is the climb, to your left is a cemetery. Take the climb. When the climb reaches an intersection, take a left up the hill for about 30 feet, then take a right into another short climb. Take a left at the top of the climb, or for more challenge, take a right. the routes cross each other not too far away. At the junction, stay to the left. Keep staying to the left until you come to a flat spot that has a few trails intersecting. These are the flats. Pick a trail and ride. It will eventually lead you back to where you were, then pick another. Lace these loops together to make the ride as long as you want. When you are ready to exit, go back on the trail you came up on. When you reach the steep climb that intersects with Wildwood, you can stay right and go down the Rock Quarry or take Wildwood down.

[edit] Land Manager

[edit] Overall Impression

[edit] Trail Maps

[edit] Pictures & Multimedia

Holzinger Action Pictures

Holzinger Lodge.	Some riders entering Wildwood Climb. It's a sharp right turn off the main trail. Look for the big cement cistern at the base.	The start of Wildwood Climb.	A rider finishing the horseshoe located about halfway up Wildwood Climb.	A closer view of a rider finishing the horseshoe section.
A rider on the last bit of trail leading to the "flats" on top of the bluff.	A view of the valley from one of the lookouts in the flats.	A rider negotiates one of the steep sections of the Rock Quarry, eventually leading back to the base of the Wildwood Climb.

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