MILLMONT, Pa. — It was a cold day outside, but things were heating up inside at Paddy Mountain Sugar Shack in Millmont. This is where Dennis Snook makes maple syrup, something he's done for about 12 years. He has nearly 400 taps.
"Mostly on tubing, some with vacuum, and maybe 80 buckets, so we have to dump them, but we get the sap, and we process it here and make it into syrup," Snook said.
The sap goes from the trees through machines into a bottle and onto your waffles. The maple syrup usually starts in early-to mid-February and lasts about six weeks.
"If we have a great year, we go until the end of March, but usually the middle of March. Here with the climate and stuff, we're about done."
Snook's goal is 75 gallons of syrup every season. He sells it out of his sugar shack and gives most of the proceeds to charity.
"We've been doing that for quite a while, and it's kind of our passion. It's kind of a hobby with a heart towards helping people."
On March 5 and 6, Paddy Mountain Sugar Shack is involved in the third annual Maple Weekend for the Susquehanna and Juniata River Valleys.
"Four sugar shacks in our area that you can come and visit and see people make syrup, buy the products, and learn more about the process."
The event is free.
"It's interesting the people who do come they always say, 'Wow, if we knew this much work was in it, we realize now why syrup costs what it does."