sugar maple

Maple season is in full swing here at Hidden Acres Sugar Bush in Gaylord, a business run by Jennifer RiChard and her husband. But it wasn’t so long ago that none of this seemed possible. A look at how the sugar bush is recovering a year after an ice storm devastated tens of millions of trees across northern Michigan, including many sugar maples.

“We are going to definitely fall significantly short of our averages for the season," said Jennifer RiChard, owner of Hidden Acres Sugar Bush in Gaylord. "But that's OK; it'll be a season. It's better than none.”

Sugar maples recover better than most species, according to a researcher at the University of Vermont.

Why the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians did NOT tap their sugar maples this year. Also, get ready for "Maritime Time!" And we drop in on the Soo Locks.

For many northern Michigan tribes, signs to return to sugar bush and tap trees came too early this year — or didn't come at all.

Young trees have a tough time growing in many northern Michigan forests. That might sound strange since our region is full of trees, but many hardwood…