Lehigh county Pa

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Well we are going to tap this weekend here in Lehigh county Pa, if all holds up anyway.

next week or starting this Sunday they are saying the temps will be 40's highs and 20's to 30's for the lows. sound like we will be making some syrup this week coming? hope so cause I'm completely out.

this is about the time of year here that Ive always started, beginning to mid Feb, never gotten to much past mid march here yet to date on making anything, usually all done and wrapped up by mid march.

10 day ..the Weather channel forcast
Today Feb 11 Sunny 34°/21° 0 %
Sat Feb 12 Scattered Flurries 38°/25° 30 %
Sun Feb 13 Rain / Snow Showers 42°/33° 30 %
Mon Feb 14 Partly Cloudy 41°/27° 10 %>>>>>>>>>>>>****Guys don't forget your sweet hearts on V-DAY ****
Tue Feb 15 Mostly Sunny 40°/25° 0 %
Wed Feb 16 Partly Cloudy 44°/36° 10 %
Thu Feb 17 Partly Cloudy 44°/35° 20 %
Fri Feb 18 Few Showers 45°/35° 30 %
Sat Feb 19 Mostly Sunny 42°/27° 20 %
Sun Feb 20 Rain / Snow 40°/31° 40 %
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USPA1515?onloadedmetadata=null&onabort=null&oncanplay=null&onsuspend=null&onpause=null&onratechange=null&onstalled=null&onerror=null&onload=null&onchange=null&onloadeddata=null&onseeking=null&onseeked=null&oncanplaythrough=null&role=&onplay=null&onvolumechange=null&onplaying=null&ontimeupdate=null&onloadstart=null&ondurationchange=null&onwaiting=null&onselect=null&onended=null&onemptied=null&onprogress=null


the local weather mans forecast from Allentown pa 15 miles below us..69 News AccuWeather
TODAY: HIGH: 34 LOW: 16
SATURDAY: HIGH: 37 LOW: 22 Partly sunny and windy
SUNDAY: HIGH: 43 LOW: 29 Variably cloudy and breezy
MONDAY: HIGH: 46 LOW: 27 Windy with periods of sun
TUESDAY: HIGH: 42 LOW: 25 Sunshine and patchy clouds
WEDNESDAY: HIGH: 49 LOW: 34 Mostly sunny and milder
THURSDAY: HIGH: 55 LOW: 34 Partly sunny
FRIDAY: HIGH: 52 LOW: 34 Clouds limiting sunshine
SATURDAY: HIGH: 47 LOW: 34 Cloudy with spotty showers
SUNDAY: HIGH: 51 LOW: 33

http://www.wfmz.com/weather/index.html

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

got about 80 taps in today about another 80+ to go.. some live video links of it.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/videos/?action=view&current=WP_000222.mp4

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/videos/?action=view&current=WP_000221.mp4

2/13/2011
Dropped another 30 taps in this morning..Suppose to hit the 50's tomorrow. (2/14)

2/14
Picked up 30 gals of sap tonight. Most of the tree's are not giving much up yet. Got about 100 taps in. Will tap another 50+ when things pick up better. Planing on cooking what I got and get in the next 2 days.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

cooked up 55 gals and sweetened my pans 2/17 was in the shack a whole 1-1/2 hours was just starting to have fun..picked up 20 gals of sap end day..

tree's are stopping here.

as of this morning i only see one or two that may have given anything up over night. probably wont get anymore until we see a refreeze here..bummer

sweeting the maple pro up video
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/videos/?action=view&current=WP_000277.mp4 (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/videos/?action=view&current=WP_000277.mp4)

[Dennis H.]

This weekend looks like we will get out next freeze up.

[peacemaker]

why not hang buckets ?

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

picked up another 55 gals yesterday and another 50 gals today.
they are still running as of 730pm as i just got done collecting tonight..

another boil tomorrow..this will be my 5th time cooking..

that lil maple pro evap works very awesome..was scary at first but it sure does boil..we figured easily 25-27 gals hour..depending how stoked we keep it..

i think i might name it the "lil engine" that could..lol

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

feels so good to have the fresh golden stuff again..

made about 3 gals 0f some light stuff ..freinds were very happy as well when i stopped by there homes to drop some off..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/maplesyrup2011020-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/maplesyrup2011023-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/maplesyrup2011010-2.jpg

Cooked off another batch (3-03-2011) and made approx 3 gals of some darker stuff then the first stuff
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/hinkjc/Maple%20syrup%20Making/1299205809.jpg

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

3/5/2011 note to myself..
Picked up another 70 gals of sap between fri night and yesterday night(sat)..will boil it monday morning along with anything i get today..

tree's shut down over night..mostly empty containers as of this morning 3/6/2011

small cold snap do Monday and Tues 20's low and 40's high maybe weds to
"hoping the tree's run a few morn times" trees buds are very tight and closed up tight yet

after that it may be the end of it here, 30's lows and highs 45-50's very iffy on the 10 day forecast for syrup making???

[Dennis H.]

It looks like you were able to make some light syrup. Looks good.
Have you been having and sugarsand issues?

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Hi Dennis, not much sugar sand here, Lil bit of foam here and there but nothing in excess, few drops of canola oil each and every firing and a quick scoop out of the thick foam and alls good to go


nocked off another 3.5 gals of syrup yesterday day afternoon (3-7-2011)

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Did a news paper interview/article the other day with the times news, they will be putting mapletraders link in the paper along with my article. I told them i learned almost everything here on this site with all the wonderful folks here.

note: picked up another 85 gals of sap yesterday (3-8)

Boil today (3-9)

tree's will shut down for a few days with the warm temps coming, maybe more freezing temps coming next week, but will have to wait and see if the weathermen are right and if the tree's respond enough to them

channel 69 news 10 day out look

TODAY: 3/9
HIGH: 45 LOW: 35

THURSDAY:
HIGH: 50 LOW: 40

FRIDAY:
HIGH: 49 LOW: 30

SATURDAY:
HIGH: 52 LOW: 35

SUNDAY:
HIGH: 50 LOW: 26

MONDAY:
HIGH: 47 LOW: 28

TUESDAY:
HIGH: 44 LOW: 32

WEDNESDAY:
HIGH: 49 LOW: 37

THURSDAY:
HIGH: 60 LOW: 40

FRIDAY:
HIGH: 60 LOW: 41

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

New video by Josh Butz (www.forhuntersbyhunters.com (http://www.forhuntersbyhunters.com))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff1CKhtJvDA&feature=player_embedded


also the times news article on our Lil operation here..with the Maple traders link in it..

Harvesting maple syrup
Reported on Monday, March 14, 2011

http://www.tnonline.com/node/181458