elevation of sugar bush

[log cabin luke]

I was just wondering what is the highest elevation sugar bush that any body knows about that is being tapped. Judging by google earth and topo maps maples can grow as high as about 2800 feet and I have spotted some close to 3000' but they are spars. I am planning on finding the coldest sugar bush possible some day with out having to go to northern Maine.

[eagle lake sugar]

Generally speaking, the farther north you go, the less sap you'll get from the trees. Trust me, I know. I'm at the northern tip of Maine and the sap is still running here, about 1/2 gal. per tap on 27" of vac. is a good day. We miss the early runs and finish shortly after everyone else, when it reaches 50 or 60 degrees, the trees start to bud no matter where you are. I'll probably be done the middle of this week.

[PACMAN]

My bush is 2000 feet in elivation and normally I dont make syrup before April and I go till around May10th or so. This year made most In may and very little in April. This was due to the lack of snow. First year I did not need snowsoes to tap. Normal snow depth is 5 to 6 feet. Because of the lack of snow the moisture was not there for the trees to use and they stopped running. The ground is very dry as I was up there today and the trees still are not budded.

[tuolumne]

Our sugarbush runs from 2000 to 2800 feet elevation and generally faces north. We cleaned every drop of syrup out of the pans last Tuesday; all good table syrup. This year was spectacular with 1393 gallons on a 3000 tap sugarbush that has averaged around 800 annually. The trees above 2500' are all much older than the rest because the terrain was steeper and not pastured. They are one tap trees and definitely struggle at that elevation in southern Vermont

[log cabin luke]

Our sugarbush runs from 2000 to 2800 feet elevation and generally faces north. We cleaned every drop of syrup out of the pans last Tuesday; all good table syrup. This year was spectacular with 1393 gallons on a 3000 tap sugarbush that has averaged around 800 annually. The trees above 2500' are all much older than the rest because the terrain was steeper and not pastured. They are one tap trees and definitely struggle at that elevation in southern Vermont

That's great you had such a good year. My season in Colrain Ma 3 miles from Vt was mediocre. My syrup turned buddy on March 22nd. What town are you located in that you went so much later in southern Vt. I was thinking someday of buying a piece of land in northern Vt facing north at high elevation to go and extend my season another few weeks and build a little retreat. nothing to big but with a thousand maples or so.

[DaveB]

Elevation plays a role by having a cooler climate than lower places. You lose about 3.5-5.5° for every 1,000' you gain. That being said, hill tops do not radiate as well on cold nights and valley's are colder than a hill top of plateau. The best combination is a plateau surrounded by hills. You'll have cooler days and colder nights. For example, the effect is more pronounced on a plateau like southern VT or the Connecticut Lakes plateaus which are about 2200' plateaus with 2500-2700' hills. That effects everything from the amount of precipitation that falls (and cloudiness) which is why it is snowier at higher elevations and to daily temperatures.

Even down here, I definitely see a difference where I tap versus the Connecticut River Valley. I usually run about 2-3 weeks behind the valley for places that are at my same latitude. I know that's why people in Virginia and Tennessee can produce maple syrup, just earlier than when we do but they are at 4,000' which gives them a climate about 250-400 miles north. That same rule of thumb can be used here for every 1,000' as well.

There is a trade off. As someone else mentioned, the trees will still bud but at cooler temperatures. They are looking at the amount of available sun and the further north you go after the vernal equinox, there is more of it the further north you go.