Spring may still be weeks away, but across Northeast Pennsylvania, the signs are already here. Buckets are filling. Blue lines stretch between trees. And deep in the woods, steam rises from sugarhouses as maple syrup season hits full stride.

“It’s always a pleasure talking to you guys,” says Trevor Tochydlowski, forest specialist with the Wayne Conservation District. “Because I know when I talk to you, that means that spring is just around the corner.”

Tochydlowski is helping organize this year’s Wayne County Maple Tour — a self-guided celebration of a tradition rooted in climate, chemistry and community.

How Maple Syrup Is Made

For anyone who has driven rural backroads this time of year, the most common question is about those bright blue tubes weaving through the trees.

“Most of the time, when people are driving around the roads in the area, the biggest question I always get is, ‘What are those blue lines running between the trees in the forest?’” Tochydlowski says. “They’re maple sap lines.”

At its core, he explains, maple syrup production is simple — at least in theory.

“Maple syrup is one of those things that at its core is very simple,” he says. “But if anyone has ever taken a personal interest, they’ll realize very quickly that it’s a pretty deep rabbit hole.”

Producers tap primarily sugar maple trees — sometimes red maples — and collect sap through gravity-fed tubing systems or other setups that channel the liquid to a central collection point. From there, the goal is straightforward: remove the water and isolate the sugar.

“Regardless of the route you decide to take, the core process is to reduce the water content from the sap and isolate the sugar,” Tochydlowski says.

That reduction requires heat — often from a traditional wood-fired evaporator. Some larger operations add reverse osmosis systems to concentrate the sap before boiling. But no matter the technology, the math remains the same.

“Forty gallons in an ideal situation of raw tree sap converts down to one gallon of maple syrup,” he says.

Forty to one.

“It’s a pretty expensive process. A lot of work,” he adds. Then he laughs. “But a gallon of syrup lasts an awful long time in my house.”

Why Northeast Pennsylvania Is Ideal for Maple Syrup

Sugar maples grow across much of the eastern United States. But not every region can produce high-quality maple syrup.

“The reason why the area is so special is mainly because of the climate,” Tochydlowski says.

The key is the freeze-thaw cycle — cold nights followed by warmer days. That temperature swing creates pressure inside the tree.

“It’s kind of an involuntary process,” he explains. “Because of that freeze-thaw cycle, it creates a pressure gradient in the tree that forces sap in the roots up through the trunk.”

The sap carries sugars stored in the roots during winter dormancy. Producers drill a small hole — about an inch deep — to access the flowing sap.

In regions without consistent freeze-thaw cycles, trees convert stored sugars into compounds that don’t taste good to humans. So even where sugar maples grow, syrup production isn’t always viable.

“We’re very fortunate that Northeast Pennsylvania — and areas of New York and Vermont — have the perfect conditions to make sap flow and have it filled with the sugars we want for maple syrup,” Tochydlowski says. “The best stuff is right here in our backyard.”

A Self-Guided Maple Tour Across Wayne County

This year’s Maple Tour takes place Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a one-day, self-guided event featuring nine sugarhouses across Wayne County and surrounding areas.

“You can expect to see a pretty decent variety,” Tochydlowski says. “Some are more in that hobbyist territory — small sugarhouses — and then there are others with excess of 25,000 taps.”

In past years, buses transported visitors between sites. But the county’s size made self-guiding more practical.

“It usually makes more sense for people to pick and choose locations that are closer to them,” he says. “Maybe visit two or three — or if you’re feeling really ambitious, go to all nine.”

Along the way, two locations will host pancake breakfasts featuring locally produced syrup.

“Nothing beats them,” Tochydlowski says.

The tour itself is free. (The pancakes are not.)

Education, Access — and a Gateway Hobby

For the conservation district, the event isn’t just about syrup. It’s about education.

“One of the best aspects is the educational piece,” Tochydlowski says. “It’s a great opportunity for producers to show people how it’s done.”

Visitors often leave surprised by how accessible maple sugaring can be.

“I’ve heard this feedback directly from participants,” he says. “They go out and learn, ‘Oh, I might actually have some of these trees on my property.’ And you really don’t need all that many to make maple syrup yourself.”

Like any hobby, it can scale dramatically — from a few backyard taps to industrial operations with tens of thousands.

“You can really get into it and invest in some pretty crazy equipment,” he says. “Or you can do things in a pretty simple way.”

For many, seeing the evaporators in action and speaking directly with producers who have “years, if not decades, of experience” is what makes the tour memorable.

“It’s eye-opening,” Tochydlowski says. “It’s very much accessible to a lot of people who live in this area.”