The Sugar Rush : A Memoir of Wild Dreams, Budding Bromance, and Making Maple Syrup

Trying to shake off the emotions of a recently emptied nest and midlife anxiety, Peter Gregg launches into a strange new chapter—he decides to make maple syrup. A lot of it. After recruiting his best buddy, Bert, and collecting advice from a clique of salty farmers who’ve been sugaring all their lives, Gregg is soon consumed by what maple producers call “the Bug.” He sets out to chase the mythical “five pounder” goal—a lofty syrup production total that’ll put him in league with the pros in Vermont. For the next three months, from January to early April, the two men battle the rugged terrain of a mountain of maples in an Ahab-like quest that eats up their energy, time, and contents of their wallets. Along the way, they learn how to handle dangerous equipment, outrun predatory wildlife and deal with the sped-up seasons brought on by climate change. Out of their struggle, they get something more valuable than the liquid gold they’re cooking: bonds of lasting friendship, a lifeline to a community, and a sense of purpose that remains long after sugaring season is over. At its heart, The Sugar Rush is a deliciously hilarious yet moving account of the crazy journey some people will take in their "pursuit of happiness." Told with humor, gusto, and in the profane vernacular common to the woodsy hinterlands of Upstate New York and Vermont, The Sugar Rush speaks to a desire to set the bar high... and the pancake stack higher. Filled with humor and madcap adventure, The Sugar Rush is the story of two friends with a sweet, golden, syrupy dream, set against the rugged New England wilderness. When a global-warming-induced early thaw catches Peter Gregg and Greg Smith off guard, the best friend fifty-somethings scramble to get their thousand-tree farm ready for tapping. As they race up and down the icy mountain, drilling taps into their red and sugar maples and securing the blue plastic tubing to transport the sap back to their sugarhouse, they make a blood pact to pursue the mythical five pounder goalthe lofty syrup production amount that would put them in league with the pros in Vermont. For the next three months, from February to early April, they battle rugged terrains, handle dangerous equipment and outrun predatory wildlife in an Ahab-like pursuit that consumes their energy, time, and the contents of their walletsall to make that sweet golden condiment for pancakes and waffles. Out of their struggle (that is a mystery to many), they produce something even more friendship, a lifeline to a community, and a sense of purpose that remains long after the sugar season is over. Told with humor, gusto, and the salty vernacular common to the hinterlands of upstate New York and Vermont, The Sugar Rush captures the particular angst of reaching middle age with wit and insight and speaks to our desire to set the bar high... and then having to solve the enormous problems that come with it. The Sugar Rush is a hilarious yet moving account of the crazy things men will do to truly understand what is meant by the "pursuit of happiness." Filled with humor and madcap adventure, The Sugar Rush is the story of two friends with a sweet, golden, syrupy dream, set against the rugged New England wilderness.Trying to shake off the emotions of a recently emptied nest and midlife anxiety, Peter Gregg launches into a strange new chapter—he decides to make maple syrup. A lot of it. After recruiting his best buddy, Bert, and collecting advice from a clique of salty farmers who've been sugaring all their lives, Gregg is soon consumed by what maple producers call “the Bug.” He sets out to chase the mythical “five pounder” goal—a lofty syrup production total that'll put him in league with the pros in Vermont. For the next three months, from January to early April, the two men battle the rugged terrain of a mountain of maples in an Ahab-like quest that eats up their energy, time, and contents of their wallets. Along the way, they learn how to handle dangerous equipment, outrun predatory wildlife and deal with the sped-up seasons brought on by climate change. Out of their struggle, they get something more valuable than the liquid gold they're cooking: bonds of lasting friendship, a lifeline to a community, and a sense of purpose that remains long after sugaring season is over. At its heart, The Sugar Rush is a deliciously hilarious yet moving account of the crazy journey some people will take in their'pursuit of happiness.'Told with humor, gusto, and in the profane vernacular common to the woodsy hinterlands of Upstate New York and Vermont, The Sugar Rush speaks to a desire to set the bar high... and the pancake stack higher.