Maple Fest Creates 'Stir' Around Poultney

By Larry Dressell

On an uncharacteristically balmy March morning, students, locals, and enthusiasts showed up in force to enjoy the Maple Fest activities at GMC. The official tree-tapping honors went to Governor Jim Douglas, who was all smiles and handshakes after the ceremony. According to Pat Corcoran and friend Lil Georg of Middletown Springs, VT, he had good reason to.

"We've been coming to Maple Fest for years. That's the first time we've seen sap actually come out of the tree," Corcoran mused.

While Governor Douglas' presence was certainly a big draw for Maple Fest, the star of the show was the maple sap and the sweet syrup it yields.

Since the beginning of March, galvanized pails have been appearing on the sugar maples around GMC's campus in preparation for the live boiling demonstration at Maple Fest. In a large plastic drum by the campus ice-rink, 35 gallons of volunteer-collected sap sat awaiting a cauldron hanging on a medieval-looking tripod.

"Basically, we're doin' it old-school style," said Maple Fest volunteer Eric LaPoint. LaPoint had been specially recruited for the boiling demo given that his family runs a 1500 tree maple operation in Craftsbury, VT. The scene was reminiscent of Shakespeare's Macbeth as VT native LaPoint explained the process of sugaring over the large black cauldron, steaming over a wood fire.

"Fifteen gallons have been boiling here for four hours. In two more we'll have about a gallon of sap." While affectionately stirring the sap with a stick, LaPoint maintained his narrative for the benefit of curious observers.Amidst various sugaring anecdotes, he noted that recent weather patterns have ushered in this year's Maple Fest with an abundance of sap.

"You need it freezin' at night and warm in the morning,"LaPoint went on to note that recent conditions (should they hold) promise to bestow his family's maple operation with upwards of 450 gallons of pure maple syrup. Though last year's sugaring season was lower than average across VT, LaPoint believes this season will "make up for last year and then some."

From Governor Douglas' tree tapping to Eric LaPoint's boiling demo, Maple Fest 2005 ultimately brought a bucolic flavor of excitement and education to GMC.