LAMBO Volunteers Restoring Fern Ridge

On April 30, 11 members of the Lakeland Area Mountain Bike Organization (LAMBO) grabbed rakes, shovels, and rogue-hoe trail tools and headed south from Minocqua to lend a hand at the Fern Ridge Trail system in St. Germain, Wisconsin. Although LAMBO didn’t build Fern Ridge, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s mission is to nurture all of the Northwoods’ riding opportunities—and when a neighbor asks for help, the answer is always “Yes!” Keep up with LAMBO on Facebook

Fern Ridge features roughly four miles of one-way single-track flow trail and an additional 1.4 miles of hiking/snowshoe loops that snake through rolling glacial terrain and cedar lowlands. The town of St. Germain owns the property and maintains it through volunteer partnerships, making it a beloved playground for riders of every skill level. Vilas County, WIST GERMAIN SILENT TRAILS

This spring’s freeze–thaw roller-coaster was especially brutal. Repeated temperature swings forced frost heaves to bulge beneath the tread, prying up bowling-ball-sized rocks, collapsing berm walls, and clogging sandy drains. Left unchecked, that damage would have steered spring runoff straight down the trail, carving ruts and dumping sediment into surrounding wetlands. Modern sustainable-trail design channels water off the tread, protecting both riders and the ecosystem; restoring those features before summer traffic arrives is critical.

“Fern Ridge rides like a pump track in the woods when it’s in good shape,” said LAMBO President, Perry Smith. “A few hours of elbow grease today means months of smiles for locals, tourists, kids—everyone who throws a leg over a bike up here.”

The crew berms, resurfaced rollers, reopened drainage nicks, and tamped fresh mineral soil over exposed roots and stones. By the end of the day, the trail was in much better condition. 

"Trails take a lot of work and money to build, and almost as much work to maintain," said longtime trail builder Bruce Drew. “But there is nothing more satisfying than riding through a section of trail you just buffed out.”

LAMBO encourages anyone who loves riding in Vilas and Oneida Counties to get involved:

Volunteer: Watch LAMBO’s Facebook page and events calendar for trail-day announcements—no experience necessary, tools provided.

Join: Annual memberships fund insurance, equipment, and new-trail flagging throughout the Lakeland region.

Donate: Contributions keep work crews fueled and help purchase crushed-stone surfacing, signage, and maintenance materials.

Helping Fern Ridge is just one example of how partnership powers the Northwoods trail scene. Whether you’re shredding zip lines at WinMan, cruising Musky Mountain, or carving switchbacks at Fern Ridge, chances are a LAMBO member had a hand in keeping those trails rolling. See you out there!