Winter Journey into Maple Country

Working the sugar bush off the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota is a deliberate choice in lifestyle. The region is removed from the wireless fuss of urban life. With a ski resort serving as its closest link to community, the sugar bush of Wild Country Maple Products is beyond rural. I realize this as I turn onto the Caribou Trail, following hand-written directions. Before me stretches a snow entombed landscape exposing the isolation of winter. I cannot tell if this Forest Service road is paved or not; it is simply compacted snow. "Seven miles" takes on new meaning as I shift into to 4-wheel drive. Maneuvering my rented Explorer across terrain best described as a snowmobile trail, the falling snow captivates me with its silent wonder. I stop and get out of the vehicle just to listen to absolutely nothing.

It is January and I am on my way to meet with Larry Waddell of Wild Country Maple Products just west of Lutsen, its tourists and the craggy shore of Lake Superior. The Waddell and Cordes families are the largest producers of maple products in Minnesota, tapping 320 acres of sugar bush. A sugar bush is the stand of maple where the trees are tapped to collect sap. It is not measured by the number of trees or acres, but rather by the number of taps set. Waddell says they were amazed at the abundant potential of this property when they bought it back in 1995. Today, they manage over 60 miles of line, tapping 12,000 trees. The blue tubing of those lines is the first indicator that I have driven the Caribou Trail seven miles and have reached the edge of the sugar bush.

The driveway is more like a winding road that narrows through an endless stand of bare trees. The snow, I notice, is falling harder and looks deeper than it did in the village of Lutsen. The sugar bush is thrust into a deep freeze, storing sap for warmer days. I am encouraged by the man-made blue lines that soon I will find the people who work this remote stand. A small wooden-sign straddling two trees points left, reading 'Maple Syrup.' A few more turns through trees and I sight chinked log buildings weathered gray by many winters such as this. The low, sloping roofline of one building is obscured in a drift of snow and what looks like a delivery truck is buried past its bumper. It is "wild country," indeed.

Waddell steps out the door of a rustic home to greet me. He takes me on a tour of the operation and I can see that while the buildings look worn by age, they are clearly solid, functional and well preserved. First we walk into a small store with door and window frames trimmed in russet. Inside, slender shelves hold various bottles of maple syrup. With the floor boards creaking under foot, I feel as though I stepped into a setting from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods. Other visitors have experienced this quintessential sentiment, too. Waddell relates that a few of their regulars are seasonal outdoor enthusiasts who stop in over the summer to buy a bottle or two of succulent maple syrup. It's like purchasing a taste of north woods adventure to bring home and savor. These returning customers appreciate the nostalgic appeal of buying maple syrup from a log store nestled amidst the sugar bush. And, they appreciate the award-winning flavor of Wild Country Maple Products.

We continue our tour, stepping into the sugar house that accommodates surprisingly modern equipment. The sugar house is the heart of the operation where blue lines merge like veins to carry sap from the sugar bush. Here, Waddell and family members transform the watery deposit into thick amber sweetness. A vacuum pump draws the sap into large stainless steel tanks. From there, simple gravity feeds an evaporator sap which boils off the water, cooking the finished product-pure maple syrup. A consistently high quality of flavor rewards their efforts in the sugar house. From the beginning Wild Country Maple Products has won national competitions for their Grade A syrup. True to their down-home nature, they have also collected numerous Minnesota State Fair blue ribbons including "best of show."

Maple sugaring is labor intensive. It begins in the sugar bush, tapping trees when the perfect mix of temperature warms the air by day, but still freezes at night. It's nature's ancient call for trees to awaken; sap flowing with life-force. Each year a new tap needs to be drilled at least 6" from the previous year's tap. That's 12,000 taps to replace. With deep snow drifting through this region, even early spring requires snowshoes for managing the sugar bush. Yet, weather and snow cover can be unpredictable. Waddell says that the old-timers remember the earliest flows starting towards the end of March. However, for the past three years the sap has flowed three weeks early. Waddell is unsure if this trend is long-term or cyclical. He has theories based on his observations, living in the sugar bush, but no scientific proof. Waddell anticipates that this year's season will begin mid-March and run for 5 to 6 weeks. Their peak flows can yield up to 13,000 gallons of sap in 24 hours, but it will take 30 to 40 gallons of sap just to produce one gallon of maple syrup.

The finished product is stored in drums labeled with the date and grade (by color). Waddell takes me into a rebuilt dairy barn rescued from dilapidation to show me the bottling operation. Here he works year round filling bottles, applying labels and processing distribution. Wild Country Maple Products found an immediate niche producing local syrup. Waddell was surprised at their company's immediate popularity. He calls it a weird business because in other businesses, making a product is easy while getting rid of it is hard. However, with maple syrup the adage is backwards: it's hard to produce, but easy to sell. The difficulty of large production is why most maple syrupers remain hobbyists with less than 30 taps, earning their living through tourism. Even big labels are merely distributors, collecting maple syrup from many smaller sources. To Wadell, producing maple syrup is a lifestyle, not a money maker.

This lifestyle is reflected not only in the remote region, but in the historic buildings recovered and rebuilt on Wild Country's property. All eight of the rough lumber buildings, including family homes, give a multi-generational look to the operation. Some might call the building materials 'recycled,' but it is deeper than that. These Minnesota buildings honor the tradition of the sugar bush-enduring, hearty and sustainable. Waddell is the sort of person who sees purpose in a rotting building. He loves the rough hewn lumber that cannot be found in modern yards. Instead of driving past rotting buildings, he bought them. Relocating and rebuilding these structures became part of the lifestyle Waddell has settled into.

Leaving Wild Country Maple Products, I feel alive-like a tree running its first jolt of sap. I understand the attraction to live sustainably with the sugar bush of northern Minnesota. This journey has made my weekend pancakes taste all the better.

SERVING IDEAS
In addition to topping pancakes, Wild Country Maple Syrup can be a versatile addition to your pantry. The producers suggest maple syrup over:
-Ice cream (try local ice cream such as Cedar Summit Farm)
-Yogurt
-Fresh fruit
-Cooked oatmeal
-Sweet potatoes
-As a glaze on ham, chicken wings, pork chops and pot roast
-As a substitute for honey in recipes

MAPLE DIJON SALAD DRESSING

1/3 C maple syrup
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C dijon mustard
1/3 C light olive oil
Mix or shake thoroughly. Serve over chilled spring greens.

MORE INFORMATION

Wild Country Maple Products
Waddell & Cordes Families, owners
Established 1995
Greater Lutsen, MN
1-877-663-8010
www.wildcountrymaple.com