What happens to sugar form early runs- Dr tim!

[blissville maples]

Dr-tim- so there has been a couple small runs. the sugar is made in the branches as i understand or stoed there so to speak. the freeze thaw cycle which has happened for a fay or two has pulled water into the trees missing with the sugar. as the sugar comes down the trunk(correct me if any of this is off as this is my understanding of things) it is either 1. used by tree, however the trees are dormant so i would not think this. 2. re-deposit or stores lower in tree near trunk or 3. is collected via tap. now with all this said and if number 2 was more logical as im thinking. wouldn't these warm-ups warrant sweeter sap in the spring?? since its turning starch to sugar. could it go into the ground????

[maple flats]

I may be all wet, but my explanation is that it is stored as carbs in the trunk, then, as the freeze thaw cycles create a water flow up and back down, it gradually converts the carbs to sugar. As the cycles repeat more times the sap gets sweeter, until you start removing it, then as the season gets old the sugar % in the sap slowly lessons and finally the buds break and the tree uses the sugar to feed itself to make leaves and start all over again for another year.