They have plowed a parking area on our family property, knocked down
our lines and thrown the plastic lines into the woods. We have had to
replace many of our sap lines as a result of damage from fallen trees,
moose and cross country skiers. Every time a line is skied over, it
stretches it, freezes it into the ground and cracks the plastic. Every
time it is lifted up to go under it again it stretches it and weakens
the plastic, which requires repairs and/or replacement.
We have
posted notices, put flyers on cars and personally asked that they not
ski through the sugar orchard all to no avail. Over the past month or
two all the tree limbs have been removed, pipe line replaced, and lines
tightened. The trees have been drilled and tapped ready for Mother
Nature to turn on the sap. Instead she gave us three feet of snow and
covered all the lines. My brother Paul and nephew David have been
wallowing through the snow to uncover all the lines only to find that
the cross country skiers have stabbed us in the back again! With all
the snow they have been skiing over the top of the lines breaking the
main line which carries all the sap to the holding tanks.
We
know that you have seen the signs because instead of brassily skiing by
my front door you are now sneaking through the woods back to the
Lincoln Gap Road hoping that I won't see you or you won't get caught.
My question to these cross country skiers is: How would you
like it if someone cut the waterline to your house which is exactly
what you have done to our sugaring business.
All I can say is we
will be watching you and you better hope we do not catch you! We know
that there are only a few rotten apples in the cross country skiers and
we are sorry that these few are ruining it for all the others.
Unfortunately, the time may be coming when all property owners will
have to post their land for protection, or are property owners' rights
becoming extinct?
Whatever happened to respect your fellow man and his property which used to be the Vermont way.
Rachel Hartshorn McCuin lives in Warren.
