2011 Tapping Dates - Ontario

[ennismaple]

I'll be the one to start the tapping thread for Ontario. What's everyone's plans for when they plan to tap in Ontario? I know the southerners can be a week or two earlier than those of us in the Ottawa Valley.

We normally tap the first weekend in March (5th/6th this year) but we're ready to go any time the weather dictates. We'll probably put 500 or more CV taps in on the Family Day long weekend to get a head start.

[BryanEx]

I'm aiming for that same weekend but will make final call when I see the 5 day weather forecast. I can set all my taps and be ready to go in a few hours but it seems every year the sap is already running when I start drilling. This year I want to try getting started a little bit earlier than I usually do and maybe hit the timing right on for a change.

[argohauler]

I've been watching the 2 week trend on the weather network and they say just below/just above freezing for the 3rd week of Feb. I'll likely start tapping the lines then.

[thenewguy]

last weekend in feb. tapped march 1st last year and boiled on the 4th. all buckets

[Jerome]

Just looking at the long range 15 day and the farmers Almanac I am thinking of this weekend. It looks like a week of warm weather next week and we really don't have any frost in the ground, And the farmers says it is suppose to be nice after that also.

[ennismaple]

I did see the long range forecast but since they're wrong 99% of the time I didn't put much weight in it. Knowing the warm weather is coming does get the blood pumping a bit but I can't justify tapping more than 3 weeks earlier than we ever have. I am hoping a few days above freezing will drop the snow a bit so its easier to walk around in the bush. I don't enjoy tapping in snowshoes!

[james ferguson]

hows the snow up north southern vermont is deep we started taping today with snow shoes did not work to good we got 500 taps in without them normaly we can get 1100 in a day going to be a long battle taping this yr should be done in 15 days i hope if legs hold up good luck

[Yellzee]

hoping for Feb 28th myself...

[Rockwood]

Looking at starting the first week of March. Although with so much snow fall February, I'm not sure how to get into the bush. I usually just use my tractor but not this year:cool:

[Jerome]

It looks like I will be waiting after all long range is now not looking so good.

[tylerj]

For Sat. Sun. Mon. Tues here in Elgin Cty.. weather network predicts the following highs;
-2, +2,+1,-1

Environment Canada says;
+2,+3,+2,+4 ?!?!?!

If E.C. is right that sounds like tapping weather doesn't it?? I'm doing roadside trees so I will be having fun getting through the snow lol.

[ennismaple]

hows the snow up north southern vermont is deep we started taping today with snow shoes did not work to good we got 500 taps in without them normaly we can get 1100 in a day going to be a long battle taping this yr should be done in 15 days i hope if legs hold up good luck

Depends where you are. Parts of the province have been getting streamers coming off Lake Huron and have tons of snow. In the Ottawa Valley it's about knee deep and fluffy right to the bottom. Close enough to consider snowshoes but maybe not deep enough to make them worthwhile.

Our long-range forecast has changed so it's supposed to be +2 Sunday, +1 Monday and other than that its at or below freezing for daytime highs. No need to charge up the batteries yet boys!

[Jerome]

I'm in the snow belt and got 12 inches just last night now i need to go out and clear it once again .

[argohauler]

Which model are we gonna believe? Weather network (cold) and Environment Canada (warm) are still different today.

Got the Tanaka goin this morn and put another shroud on my Homellite genny.

Going to the bush shortly to pack down the trails some more and cut a bypass around a bad hole. The problem is that the tractor can't go everywhere the Argo can, without cutting a lot of trees in places. We've got at least 15" of snow in the bush.

Brent can I borrow your tracks?!

[Maple Restoration]

Looking forward to opening up the road to the sugar shack this weekend snow is waist deep,good time to get thing washed and ready to go.

[nas]

Planning to tap this weekend down here. They are calling for great sap running weather all week next week. Bring it on!!!:D:D

Nick

[sugarstone]

Day 2 of staying home with a sick little girl, so not much happening today.

The pipelines are tuned up good enough for now. Little fixes I'll have to do during a break in the season. They were in rough shape. Time to concentrate on some other tasks like plumbing the vac. pump with a better cooling system and plumbing a "new to me" older Bernard sap filter. Laying out the pump line will be close to the last thing I'll be doing.
This coming week, my company is starting to tap at someone else's operation. I'll do mine probably last week in Feb.
Looks like a sticky few weeks on the snowshoes coming up...
Then its time to get ready for the Tree Tapping Ceremony we are hosting here this year on the 12th.

[TylerMcT]

Down London way weathers looking pretty good for next week whats everybody think about tapping a few this weekend ?

[Buckshot]

I can't imagine tapping any earlier than Feb 26/27 weekend. Last year we put the taps in the 1st wknd of March as the weather report looked favourable for the upcoming week. Good thing we did or we would have missed the early run.

With only 150 taps it shouldn't take us long to get the taps in, but we're only at the sugar shack on weekends, so if we misjudge the timing, we can't get back up there to tap until the next weekend.

We also check the Wheeler website and Ennis' site as well...it doesn't hurt to pay attention to what the big guys in the next county over are up to!

[Rockwood]

Looks like all but one day is above the 0c mark all this week, then a return of cooler temps.

So I'm thinking of running 30 or so test taps. Thus maybe getting sap to run at least one or two days of boiling.

This way I'll scratch the itch just a touch.:mrgreen:

[Brookmaple]

A cold, windy and snowy day in Grey County and looks like it'll continue this way for another day or two, then a couple of days slightly above zero but nothing spectacular--going to wait at least another week or two.

[nas]

I'm seeing 4s & 5s daytimes for most of the week. Tapped 75 today and hope to get a couple of hundred in on Monday.

Nick

[argohauler]

Crap weather coming this week. Environment Canada's weather for Hamilton has 3 nights that it's not going to freeze. Maybe it'll knock the snow levels down a little.

Guess I'll start tapping lines Monday.

[Yellzee]

awful early for here but it is really warm, I'm trying to block out the sounds of the sap running this week and hold off till the march 1 tap date. Might miss a couple good days.


Ran 500' of mainline yesterday trudging around in the snow and it wasn't much fun at all... procrastination gets me every year!

[BryanEx]

Just received the OMAFRA Agriphone email and to paraphrase Todd Leuty's prediction; "Many maple producers will be fooled into tapping early due to short term warm temperatures but expect a good season to start early March."

- Bryan

[crackher]

We we have been really busy getting the new evaporator installed and opperational these past few weeks.
I'm probably going to start tapping trees this weekend and Finish stringing the new mainline up as well. This warm weather and freeze ups are a welcome blast. it has let me get into the bush and finish those projects that languished over the winter...
This is the first season with tubing for us. We are in Caledon, Ontario what length of season having you guys been getting on tubing (sap/tap)

[Yellzee]

I think I was about .7l /tap last year, I'm just gravity though and from what I have read this year... had way to many taps on the 5/16 lines.

Late yesterday I started putting the wire ties on to hold the pipe to the mainline wire ...forgot what a time consuming pain this was.. even with the autotwister... got dark and headed in..

hope to get back out there thurs and fri during the warm temps and finish getting fastened and strung up . If I'm lucky I can start to run some of the laterals so am ready to go in march.

[tylerj]

I tapped a tree yesterday just to see if it was running yet... and it was :confused:... I really shouldn't have done that as now I have this urge to put a lot more in!! lol. This is on the shores of Erie in Elgin Cty.

Its hitting 8C today and supposed to stay warm right through the night so the sap SHOULD stop right?!?!?! Next week they're only calling for -2 to -4 highs again but considering how crappy it was last year in my area its hard to resist tapping knowing there is sap flowing.

[ca2devri]

I tapped a tree yesterday just to see if it was running yet... and it was :confused:... I really shouldn't have done that as now I have this urge to put a lot more in!! lol. This is on the shores of Erie in Elgin Cty.

Its hitting 8C today and supposed to stay warm right through the night so the sap SHOULD stop right?!?!?! Next week they're only calling for -2 to -4 highs again but considering how crappy it was last year in my area its hard to resist tapping knowing there is sap flowing.

Tyler,

I'm pretty close to you. I'm just north of Port Stanley. This will be my first year. I have a tree close to the house that I test tapped Wednesday and nothing. Too much snow on the ground? I'm away for the next week but looks like I won't miss much. I'll dig right into it when I get back March 2nd.

Chris

[Brent]

That tree is likely still frozen inside.
Historically St Patty's day is the date to tap in southern Ontario. Last few years have been earlier. Global warming ?
We'll see.

[BryanEx]

It was really tempting today! +12, sunny with a warm breeze, walking around without a coat... but I know it's a trick. Winterlude is on and we always get a thaw during Winterlude. -20 for Monday night I'm told. I still planning on the first to second weekend in March for my 70 buckets.

- Bryan

[Brent]

I've been getting that feeling too but it's offset with a feeling of growing panic. Today I expoxy painted the sugar shack's new concrete floor. Let's see, insulate and brick the evaporator, new holes in the roof for stacks, connect the vac pumps, repair about 75 squirrel chews in the tubing and then the big one

how are we going to get the sap back. The field got plowed last fall and there's no hay to keep it stabilised when the mud hits .....

yeh, the feeling is panic.

[Brookmaple]

Relax boys. This is just the January thaw we didn't get this year. Plenty of time ahead.

[argohauler]

I don't know what to think about this. Whether to believe the weatherman or not, cuz right now it's looking like last year. Cold through the first week of March. They got one day going up to 3/37 this week. I sure hope it changes around. I'm afraid it'll go from winter to spring like last year. I did tap a few of the lines last week in that big thaw, but they only dribbled a bit. Got a couple hundred done so far.

At the end of what I call the big swamp line is our line fence out in the field where there around 35 taps of sugar maples, the rest in the swamp, I think are silvers, around 150 taps on this line. Little sapper #2 didn't have to go to Kindergarten this day.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb2111003.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb2111004.jpg

Got little sapper #2 to take this pic of me! Most of this swamp line I have to tap on the step ladder. At the mainlines highest, it's about 6.5' above the ground.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb2111005.jpg

She got tired of tappin' and decided just to hang around.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb2111006.jpg

One thing about the thaw it knocked the snow down from 16" to 6", but then we got 3" last night and it's blowing into drifts.

I always tap my swamp first. With the snow this year, the ice didn't freeze very well, so I'm using my hip waders to be safe, and I've broken through in quite a few places. I needed new hippers this year and on the way back from Atkinson's we stopped in Bass Pro. I'd been there shortly after Xmas with my brother who was looking for a ground blind and I saw they had hippers for $59 and some for $90. Well I scored that day and got the $89 ones for $49.

[Maple Restoration]

Look's like will be tapping next weekend, I will get all the gravity feed done and wait a week fore our buckets now that the sugar shack is at 90% ready to go.

[Brent]

Mike I should be borrowing your screen name. Got a used 30" x 8' from Vermont. Loaded it into the trailer withe all the bricks in it ... warped the arch frame. Sides were starting to rust out so we got new stainless sheets. It never had any insulation, just double rows of bricks, so all new insulation, new stacks ...... etc etc etc.

Restoration project ... nearly done ... gotta finish and start tapping v e r y soon.

[ennismaple]

I probably would have put in 4 or 5 hundred taps on Saturday - if it wasn't -8 C with a windchill closer to -20 !!! We got all our mainlines together and I found another mainline that we pulled apart and needs to be repaired. The sugar camp is much cleaner and the evaporator's put back together - so I have fewer things to lose sleep over this week!

[Maple Restoration]

Hey Brent this is one restoration project I love working on year after year, every new problem that come up, my wife and I look at the replacement part cost, then look at the cost of rebuilding the parts and including the new tools to get the job done. Like the stack base was rotted out it was cheaper to buy a mig and the material and build a new one. It's a great way to fill the shop with new tool and still have her blessing.

I hope you enjoy working on your new rig keeps us updated on how it run's.

[longbeard]

So far in Simcoe County I don't see too much activity in the sugar bush and from the long term forecast (if you can believe it) I don't expect there will be much for a couple of weeks (unfortunately). Had my first boil on Mar. 5 last year but may not even start tapping before that this year - darn !!

Just back from Don Atkinson's with another load of "necessary" stuff and I know you have already insulated your new arch Brent, but they have Ceramic wool and arch board, etc. - picked mine up and will pull bricks and insulate
tomorrow.

John

[TylerMcT]

Well I have decided Im tapping March 5-6 no turning back.:)

[BryanEx]

Well I have decided Im tapping March 5-6 no turning back.:)

:lol: ... me too BUT if it's -20 with snow blowing sideways I will turn back. I figure there must be a pay back after boiling in shorts and a t-shirt last year.

[tylerj]

I put out another 50 taps or so yesterday afternoon. Even though the temp was about -5C it was sunny and calm and on the south side the sap was flowing. A drip a second thereabouts. Hopefully getting the rest in later today.

[BryanEx]

Where is Tyrconnell? If you have sap flowing already it must be in Southern Ontario somewhere... no?

- Bryan

[nas]

I think it's about halfway down the north shore of lake Erie. Sap was running a little here too.

Nick

[tylerj]

Where is Tyrconnell? If you have sap flowing already it must be in Southern Ontario somewhere... no?

- Bryan

LOL yes its in Elgin Cty.. on Lake Erie. I'm not sure if its even on a map.. just a small hamlet now.

[leaky bucket]

i am near Denbigh ont and am kinda guageing things around the 6th but maybe even later.

[Brent]

The wife put out the first 30 or 40 buckets today.
Don't know what we're going to do if we get a good run.
We're at least 2 days from getting the evaporator ready. Given everything takes double time ... maybe Sunday or Monday.

[ennismaple]

I like to here you guys to the south and west of the GTA haven't really started yet - it means we still have time to get things finished. Your season is normally a week or more ahead of ours in the Ottawa Valley.

[Brent]

We just came in from the bush 11:20PM and there was
AT LEAST a cup in each bucket. Frozen.

some day soon.

[markcasper]

ennismaple,

I see Wheelers have already boiled a small bit, how far away are you from them?

[ennismaple]

ennismaple,

I see Wheelers have already boiled a small bit, how far away are you from them?

We're 5 miles south of Vernon Wheeler's. If I had the manpower and time to get ready prior to last week's 2-day thaw I would have. Their setup is far better for being ready early than ours. If we turn the water on too soon and don't keep it running all the time it'll freeze solid until April!

[BryanEx]

If we turn the water on too soon and don't keep it running all the time it'll freeze solid until April!
That sounds like my kitchen (the joys of a 165 year old house I guess). :lol:

[KenWP]

So cold here wiil be May before anything thaws out to run. I keep forgetting to run by the sugarbush on the way home and see if they tapped or not.

[argohauler]

The best line went dribble, stop, dribble, stop today.

Environment Canada sure does likes to get ya all pumped and then let ya down in one day. This morning had Sunday at 6 and Monday at 8. Tonight, -2 and 5, and minus after that.

And another snowstorm for the north shore of Lake Erie. 8" possible. Fabulous, more cruddy weather. Should I tap the buckets, shouldn't I.

[Bruce L]

I figured we would finish all the lines and adjustments today,tap on Monday when Environment Canada said plus 10,now today it is too miserable to work,and they have backed off to plus 6 last I heard.Now this morning it's going to cost a lot more to run the gas powered vacuum pump,yet the price of oil dropped again this morning,go figure!!!!

[longbeard]

Man, it is hard to plan when the forecasters can't even come close to a similar prediction!

In my area Environment Canada site says: Sun +7, Mon +8, Tues +3 and
Weather Network site says: Sun +1, Mon +4, Tues -3

Drill or not drill - that is the question. Think I will wait another week since I don't want to see the tapholes dry up too soon, but hope I don't miss 3 good days. Only time will tell which is right.

[Brent]

You've got to keep in mind that all those forecasts are made by Government employees.

[BryanEx]

It's all a trick! It's not time to tap until the basement floods.

[Big_Eddy]

I'm tapped - 100 buckets, 75 on Wednesday, the last 25 on Thursday. Nothing flowing so far and it's pretty much guaranteed to be cold next week now that I'm tapped.

[sugarstone]

Started tapping on Thursday. Alot slower tapping CVs vs. Health Spiles. Lots going against me...old fittings, old trees with a 30yr (some more) history of holes, zig-zagging laterals. Choppin at the bit to rip'er down, Tree Mark the bush and harvest it.
Removed taps as many trees are over tapped.
Planning on getting the 2000 done before we get the foot of snow that is forcasted for Sunday/Monday when the snowshoeing will deteriorate.

[argohauler]

Sugarstone, did you see the article in the Ontario Farmer newspaper about oil fired evaporators? They're coming to inspect them from what I heard.

[Yellzee]

man I can't decide what to do here.... this second I think I will tap some this afternoon and see what happens... warm tomorrow but not cold tonight... then a few days about +1 where if I don't tap it'll be +5 and if I do tap it'll be -2.... oh the stress of it all...

I don't have time after today to really get at tapping until next weekend so if the forecast does change \i'm toast!

[BryanEx]

Your signature indicates you are on tubing and if that's the case you are better off to be early than late. I'm getting the feeling that this season will just sort of start up and fade away rather than have a clear beginning and an end.

[Rockwood]

Another winter storm warning popping up.. Hay only 15cm more with freezing rain for two hours or so.. I'm really counting on the weather people geting it wrong once again..

[jd maple]

I usually tap early but this season but I am confused. The 14 day trend is saying cold do I take a leap of faith or wait. Running out syrup and i am itching to go, any words of advice.

[BryanEx]

Where in Ontario are you located jd?

[jd maple]

sorry in pakenham the heart of lanark county.

[Quabbin Hill Farms]

Started tapping eastern Ontario Brockville Ont tappped 100 150 to go

[BryanEx]

sorry in pakenham the heart of lanark county.
I know Pakenham well. At 60 taps I'm guessing you are on buckets and if that's the case, my Magic 8 Ball says hold a little longer yet but only for a week or two.

Are you related to a Don McGregor that works high rise in Ottawa by chance?

[argohauler]

Another winter storm warning popping up.. Hay only 15cm more with freezing rain for two hours or so.. I'm really counting on the weather people geting it wrong once again..

Looks like a big rainstorm for us tonight and tomorrow morning. Calling for an inch and a possible thunder storm. Then the temp is supposed to drop in the afternoon and go down to -12!

One line was trickling at 3 PM today when I went to get my little radio out of the shanty to listen to the race. Went back after 6 and they were all dripping.

[Brent]

I think it was Wed my wife tapped 30 or so buckets. The next night we couldn't get the 1 cup per bucket out. Friday
we collected the ice chips. They half filled a 5 gallon pail.
Tonight the buckets and bags didn't have another 1/2 cup each. The stuff we got in the bucket on Friday is still 5" diameter ice chip.

Might get some flow in the next few days. Then another big freeze if the Government employes have the forecast right. Looking a bit more like the real start will be the historical real start ... St. Patty's day.

[ennismaple]

Got some prep work done over the last 2 days and put in 400 taps in the afternoons. It's our earliest ever start but nothing was really running yet. We'll go at it hard with a few crews next weekend and get them all tapped.

Had one of those afternoons that make you want to say screw it - I'm headed home for a nap! First, one of our Zero tanks is frozen solid into the ground and the tractor wouldn't lift it out. We threw a bunch of salt around the 2 legs that are frozen in to hopefully free them up. Then I ran the 4-wheeler out of gas (my bonehead move) and proceeded to break the pull cord (the battery needs replaced) trying to re-start it. We managed to get the truck to it to boost it and coming back I almost got the truck stuck and came close to sliding sideways into a tree! One of those days...

[Yellzee]

My progress is way slower than expected (as my wife reminds me is normal) Got 5 laterals up with T's in place at each tree but didn't get any tapping done as it got dark. Enought snow out there to make for slow going. Still need to put up about 3 more laterals before tapping starts so I will definitely miss tonights/tomorrows run as it warms up and starts to rain. Did notice sap rolling out of a few trees where they have splits/etc. in them so it must have been running. Debated tapping the lower laterals before moving up the hill but decided to just keep working on lats.
So yes, I am on tubing, and some year I will have to volunteer at a large outfit to see how they get so much tubing up.... big issue for me is I can't look after things in the woods the week March 7-11 so I think I am hoping things hold off until after that week... otherwise finding someone to collect the sap will be an issue. Father in law always happy to sit in the shack and boil if someone brings in the sap.

[Jerome]

I'm still trying to get more than one hour where I can actually get some work done.
Hopefully sometime this week.

[Maple Restoration]

Well all our gravity tap are done and the shack is ready to go, will wait till the 12th to put our bucket out. This is the first time that I'm ahead of the game. Will just sit back and wait for mother nature to catch up with us!

[Yellzee]

Weather network changed next week again, now several days above zero... arghh... Will probably tap Friday and Saturday... although looks like alot of rain Saturday.

[argohauler]

Well I drilled my last hole tonight at 6:25 and the sap was trickling out. I was pretty sure it was freezing out. Got to the garage shortly after and it was 28 F. I think the trees are finally starting to wake up.

I guess there was some power in the sun today, cuz it was only like 34. The lines just trickled though.

Couple pics of my bucket wagon.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb26001.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb26002.jpg

How's this tree for crown. It looks better from the west side though.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h280/Leah_Anne/ChrissCameraFeb26003-1.jpg

[BryanEx]

I'm still planning on the first to second weekend in March for my 70 buckets.

LOL... quoting myself. :D At this point I truly believe that my taps will go in the second weekend of March. Being on the hopeful side of things, if I had more than a days work to tap or was running tubing I'd likely tap this coming weekend. It's about a week earlier than what I normally expect... but I just have this feeling this year.

[cvmaple]

Got 68 buckets up today. They were running a little on the south side of the tree which is surprising as it wasn't all that warm. Trees are almost as anxious for spring as we are. Hoping for a good run this weekend even though I have to scramble a bit to get ready. Got the four wheeler stuck in the lane hauling a load of wood back to the house though!! Lots of snow this year. Got to love the challenge!!

[Whitetail24]

Spring has arrived !!!!!

This morning the Tundra Swans began arriving at the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area (a week and half early from prior years). Environment Canada needs to take a lesson from good Ole Mother Nature. They started staging out on Lake Erie during the weekend and Monday, and there is not much ice out there either. The Seagulls arrived back here on the weekend as well.

So it is time for me to finish my Tapping. My test buckets have been running for the last couple of weeks now. Also, I am not liking how the temperature goes from -10 to +8 on some days.
I feel like tomorrow will be a sick (Maple Flu) day, I just can't wait to the weekend to finish tapping.

Whitetail24