Birch Syrup and Susitna, AK

​I enjoyed a stop at Alaska Birch Syrup and Wild Harvest shop. Where I learned about tapping birch trees to get syrup, just like they do with maple trees. However, much more raw syrup needs to be gathered and boiled down to a much smaller quantity making this a truly unique product. The video showed tubing that was attached to an entire spiderweb, network of birch trees where a vacuum suction, or gravity set up is used to gather the syrup. The harvest is only three weeks long in early spring, leaving the workers to set up these tubes in deep snow. The syrup is delicious as they also make caramel candies which are buttery, creamy, and addictive. I went on for about an hour and a half until I found a campground at Sustina. With very few campers here. I chose one in the shade since it’s pretty warm today and lo and behold. Someone had a reservation for that spot which was unmarked, so I had to find a different spot. Go figure, I had plenty to choose from, and I spent a very lovely quiet day and evening riding my bike, trying to hone my skills. 











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