Big sap week coming?

[Monster Maples]

Well, it seems the latest lie, I mean forecast, shows after the 12th it is time to tap. From then on it looks like a solid week of good runs and ideal conditions. Mid to low 40's and lows in the 20's. I hope the forecast holds true, and that means I have a lot of work to get done this week. Hope it is true and stays the way they are predicting. That would be an excellent start.

[SAP EATER]

I agree the forcast looks very promising then, no mater what I and my son are going tapping next weekend.I did put one spout in just to check sugar % and it was between 3.5 - 4.5 % which is great! Good luck hope ya have a good season

[Monster Maples]

3.5 to 4.5%? Holy cow, what are you feeding your tree?:) That is awesome, I hope my % is that good. I am just hoping the forecast stays as is. If so, we are in for a really good week. Wow, I have a lot to do this week. If the weather stays like that I am not sure I have enough wood ready. Well, I guess I should take the advice of another trader. Less trader and more work. :lol: It's here!!!!!!

[Monster Maples]

Good luck to you as well sap eater!!!!

[buckeye gold]

3.5 -4.0% sap, wow that would be better than S..; oh wait a Christian man shouldn't talk that way, never mind! However, I only dream of such things. I have had taps out for a week now and had two small runs and one nice run. I tested the combined sap from the two small runs and got ~2.5%. When I tested individual tress they ran from 1.5 - 3+ with most in the 2% realm. I hope your right and sap sugar will be up this year. Last year stunk with many runs being below1.5%.

[Buckeye mapler]

I plan on tapping next weekend as well. I do have alot of work to do to get ready, but I will be tapping regardless. Feb 14th will be here and just figuring on 6 weeks from there, well we don't generally have much of a season for sap runs at the end of march. winter does seem to want to stick around this year though so we will see. But next weekend is the plan for now!

[Beweller]

Monster--

How can you say the weather guesser lies?

[Toblerone]

I'll be tapping on the 12th too. I can't wait to get started! Good luck!

[Doc]

Looking at gathering info on when everyone is tapping in my neck of the woods. I've been in the past cursed by being a "Premature Tapper"!!! :emb:
I also live on a large lake and wonder if the frozen temps effect the sap start/run since my trees are on the waters edge. The wind blows cold from the lake to the trees.
Thanks for the advice and have fun this year!!!!

[Monster Maples]

The 12th it is!!!:D I am not waiting any longer, nor am I missing 3 or 4 good runs. Hope you all have a good year. And if I can get a wi fi signal at the sugarhouse (which I hope I can) I will be on the trader while boiling. That will be cool, or it may be expensive if I don't pay attention to what I am doing:lol: Maybe I will have to check the trader when I am done boiling.

[William B]

Weather looks good to start tapping on the 11th. We might get all 5,000 tapped by the 13th and have a good run the next week!

[Monster Maples]

All the lines are fixed, a couple more saddles to put on and then it is time to fire the drill up. Well, have to clean the tank first!! Hook the vac pump up and we are tapping. Hope to get enough sap to start boiling on Sunday. Shouldn't be a problem. Looks to be a fairly good week this week. 50's toward the end of the week, then a break next week with colder temps moving back in. We shall see. A couple of the nights are supposed to be about 40. Not liking that too much, but hey, its time. Working in the woods all day today really wore me down. That dang ice on top of the snow is terrible.

[musket ridge farms]

50 buckets tapped this morning and the sap started flowing at 11am.:) 10 miles south of martinsburg ohio.

[zdenehy]

we got out a 130 taps today ! looking like a great next couple of days. can't wait to smell that sweet vapor !

[newman_maple]

I got out 70 taps today (35 buckets / 35 bags). I had spinal surgery in November and can only tap in my own woods where it is close and flat. I have a couple niece’s who will tap some trees at their place so I may get up to 90 taps total. That is a big reduction, but I am happy to be back in the woods! It is running nicely, but I am afraid the nights here will be too warm beginning tomorrow night. I should have a nice first run though.

[Monster Maples]

Got done tapping one woods at around 4 the evening. It was running pretty good. A little too cold though. The lines were freezing up fairly quickly. Supposed to be a little warmer tomorrow, so we are hoping to be boiling tomorrow evening but may have to wait until Monday. We will see tomorrow. Still have a couple hundred to put out tomorrow. We will fire the vac pump up in the morning while we finish tapping. I was pretty pleased though. After we fixed a few small leaks we were getting 25" at the releaser. We get the taps in and then do some much needed clean up in the sugar house.

[Beweller]

Tapping today. First the gods give us weather too cold. Then too warm. The weather guesser is saying temperatures in the mid fifties by the middle of next week. An end to the season?

[William B]

We finished the 4th main line laterals today and ran the 1 1/4" line for vacuum pump. Sunday we will be out tapping 1,000 for buckets and hooking up the vacuum pump and releaser. Hope to tap the 500 trees for vacuum and 1,000 for buckets on Monday. Then only have to tap 2,000 more for buckets on Tuesday providing we get enough workers so we can collect and tap on the same day.:D

[MFarmall]

Beweller, looking at TWC 10 day it is saying real warm last half of this week but back to good temps next Sunday till Tuesday.
Still the middle of Feb. so I don't think season over. Just hope the temps this week don't thaw the trees to much this week. If temps stay like this till Oct. I will Have to send a letter of apology to Mr. Gore.
Going back to see what got last night, sak on tree in yard was still dripping at 10:30 last night.
Mel

[Monster Maples]

I wouldn't say the season is over for a couple warm nights. Heck, I just tapped so it better not be. Next week looks like it is going to get cold again, according to the 15 day forecast. So it looks to be mid 30's and lows in the 20's. I just finished up all my tapping today. Got permission to tap another woods here today that wasn't planned at all. Pretty happy about that. Next, I will be going and trying to get that on vac for next year. Vac pump is gonna run all night tonight and all day tomorrow. It is pretty windy, that seems to be slowing sap flow a bit. I will be boiling tomorrow evening for sure. So my pans will be sweet for the big run coming later in the week.