We are tapped in Rhode Island!

[Mike N RI]

We put out the first 200 taps (all buckets) yesterday on our best trees. It was a beautiful 42F and sunny. Trudging through the 18" of snow was something we usually do not have to contend with in RI--and we now realize what many of the northern sugarmakers have to deal with most years! Many taps started dripping right away, some with 2 drips per second, some north side taps were running too. We tapped 35 at an old farmhouse with virgin sugars ranging from 18" to 40"+ in diameter--what a joy. We tapped 60 virgin Norways on a hillside that we plan to tube next year. Here's hoping everyone has a great sugaring year!

[Mike N RI]

We collected 185 gallons last night off 195 taps. Looks like a freeze up for 4 days so we can get the shack ready for first boil 2011 on Sunday.

[unclebuck]

Hi Mike
we started tapping yesterday and were tapping the tubing line today will finish it tomarrow hoping for a good week

[Mike N RI]

We tapped another 35 sugars, 35 Norways and 25 Big Reds yesterday--was too cold for the sap to run. Now we have about 300 taps out, all buckets with 150 on Norway, 110 Sugars and 40 Reds. Today is Valentine's Day, it's 49F and the sap is running---go figure---first boil will be tonight--my wife gives me a pass once every 20 years on V-Day and I guess this is it!

[Mike N RI]

We collected only 145 gal last night off 300 taps--will boil tonight total 325 stored.

The Red maples had 1.5% sugar content, Norways 2.25% and Sugars 2.75%.

Looks like it will stay frozen today and run well tomorrow. Norm at Kingston sugar said he tapped 185 las Saturday--all Norways.

[Mike N RI]

We collected 265Gals from 275 taps, boiled 3 hrs, drew off about 8 gallons of syrup----sweet! Running again today!

[Mike N RI]

There was a big old maple colored full moon last night while collecting with some lightning thrown in for effect! We collected 120G from 210 taps. We will boil that and more hopefully on Sunday.

[unclebuck]

Well we finished everything that was in the tank today made 1/2 as much syrup as all of last year what a great 1st week hope this season continues this way sugar content was 2% to 2.6% made a bunch of maple cream and also a bunch of sugar our first official open weekend is next saturday and sunday
Good luck to all sugar makers

[Mike N RI]

I have never seen so many overflowing buckets! The new farmhouse sugars had 8-10 buckets overflowing out of 35 total yesterday. We have made as much syrup to date as we did all last year! We have collected about 1250 gallons of sap from 300+ taps and have bottled about 21.5 gallons of LIGHT syrup. Put on your lifejackets---it looks like a great sugaring week!

[Mike N RI]

Wow---4 days in a row of BIG SAP---240 sunday, followed by 240, 250 & 275 yesterday...feels good to have a 2-day freeze up. Going to make candy tonight, open house Sunday.

[unclebuck]

Weeeee ARE WE HAVING FUN YET this season has started out better than most previous seasons that I have records for all ready made 1 1/2 times as much syrup as last year
Glad for the freeze up need to clean the pans seems to be a lot of sugar sand this year hope all R.I. sugarmakers are doing as well

[Wacky Dad]

Hi all. I am new to the site. I am a 3 year backyard sugarer. The runs this year have been incredible! Just wondering if anyone else boiled today and had a bigger sugar content than other days. Also I had a ton of sugar sand today. Do you all think we're near the end?

[Mike N RI]

Welcome wacky dad to the maple addiction site!

Sugar sand increases as the season wears on and the bacteria increases in the sap. The only affect is that filtering takes longer. We had about the same sugar content yesterday---2.25%-2.5% from sugar maples, 1.75%-2.0% from Norways and 1.5%-1.75% from Reds. I think the season is 3/4 over in RI---Night-time freezes look scarce in the 10-day forecast. Tue & Wed will run well then next Sun/Mon/Tue? Stop by sometime--I can give you directions & boiling days if you send me a PM (private message)

[Mike N RI]

WOW---we collected 420 gallons off 300+ taps yesterday and boiled that with the 275gals from Wed for a total of 695 processed yesterday!!!

Weather looks ify next 10 days---might get 3-5 runs. We stand at 2300gals collected, hoping for 3500+

May the sap be with you!

[Mike N RI]

This week was amazing! Collected about 1200 gals off 300-400 taps. Total for season is over 3000 gallons. All Light and Mediium amber--hope to get some dark! Sap went back to clear all week----Boiling again today! Not much for cold temps in the 10-day...

I stopped by Spring Hill Sugar Shack, Gibby says he is at over 200 gallons of syrup--much better than the 60+ last year. He is making B-C now.

[Mike N RI]

Finally made 12 gallons of dark last night! Collected 140 gallons of sap yesterday & boiled 720 we had saved.

[Wacky Dad]

Anyone think we might get another run with the forecast cold weather? Trees too budded?

[Mike N RI]

We plan to leave the taps in until April 3rd. The weather Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tue looks promising. If it was a week ago it would have been very promising. Last Friday's 71F temps shut down some taps but others are still wet and could flow. We boiled 300 gallons 3/20 and made 6.25 gallons of Grade B--nice tasting darker syrup. The sugar content in the 4-day old sap was 1.9% still! We hope to boil again this Sunday.

[Mike N RI]

It has been 7 weeks of great sugaring...perfect temps now (25F/45F) but better than 50% of the taps are dried out! We have dollected 3730+ gallons of sap off 300 primary taps on sugars & norways and 80 taps on reds that helped for a week or 2. We will have our last boil today and will end up with about 75 gallons of syrup from all grades: L,M,D & B. Time to pull taps & clean up! Hope everyone made lots of syrup & had a sweet time doing it!

[jerseymaple]

75 Gallons, way to go. Love R.I. spent 10 straight years on vacation in Narraganset, used to take the kids to some kid playground up in hope valley. Place closed down a few years ago but the bumper cars were fun. Kids are older now, August are spent at football/cross country practice now, but i do miss RI. Someday I will be back.