The winter that wasn’t is finally waning here in the Northeast, and thoughts turn to Spring and the ensuing warmth that it will bring.   With the warmth comes the annual ritual of the running of the maple sap.  The Upper Hudson Valley woods come alive with activity, as maple men and women set their taps to gather up nature’s nectar, and boil it down to create maple syrup and other maple delicacies.  If you haven’t witnessed the maple run for yourself, then now it the time to do it.  The Maple Weekend Open House is scheduled for March 20 & 21, and 27 & 28.  The sugarhouses of the region are opening their doors for you to see this annual ritual up close and personal.  It’s a sensation of sights and sounds, but most importantly, flavors.  Nothing beats fresh made maple syrup poured over a stack of pancakes, and many of the producers on the tour will be serving up a portion just for you.  You just gotta go!  See our special Maple Page or sampling of participating locations.
Speaking of maple, we feature a story about the Man that Maple Made.  Smitten by the maple bug as a child, Steve Rascher of Salem has made maple perfection his life’s work.  He is one of the original tree huggers, embracing stewardship of the forest long before it became a trendy environmentalist moniker.