As spring arrives in the North Country so does the annual tradition of producing maple syrup known locally as "sugaring". The warmer days and below freezing nights cause the sap in our maple trees to run. The process of gathering of sap and boiling it down to syrup and sugar dates back to the earliest Native Americans in the area with documented examples as far back as the 1500's. This small seasonal industry fires up for only six weeks each spring when the conditions are just right. It is a labor of love that requires hard work and long hours. It takes 40 gallons of sap to create just one gallon of syrup! Once the sap starts to "run" you have a limited time to gather, boil and stock the syrup. Over the years the gathering of the sap has evolved from hanging buckets from "taps" bored into individual trees to high tech vacuum systems connected to hundreds of trees and piped right to the sugar house.But the end result is still the same, a unique and delicious treat that is wonderful on pancakes and waffles and has so many other ways it can be enjoyed. If you've never had maple syrup in your coffee you are in for a treat! How about syrup on snow? If this sounds too good to be true you are in luck, this weekend is the annual New Hampshire Maple Sugaring Weekend and many of the states sugar houses will be open for tours and offering samples of their delicious products. Here's a link for more information. The New Hampshire Maple Producers site has a wealth of information on this unique regional industry and it's worth a visit!