blizzard???!!!!!!

[elm creek guy]

With such a slow start around duluth and a extended forecast that looks really cold what's anybody in the area thinking? Possibly 16 inchs of snow! I thought last year was bad it seems like this could be over before it started. Hopefully my crappy outlook is just that. If you see any buckets blowin by they're probably mine!! Batten down the evap mateys!!!!

[lastwoodsman]

I am down by Sandstone and by my records it is early. I have boiled about 200 gallons so far. this past Sat I collected 60 gallons for 100 taps. After this week I will be up for the week. The weather looks good after this front moves through.
The week of the 21 is usually the beginning.
My first 60 gallons of sap was only 1% then it bounced lup to 2- 2.5.
It is a late spring not like the last few years.
Woodsman

[Ausable]

Know the feeling - We have bad weather coming at us tomorrow afternoon thru Wednesday afternoon. Had my best sap day today - 25 gallons out of 55 trees. One of my Sons and Grandsons came through with 235 gallons and have another 100 plus stored for me. Just 80 miles South of me and they are swimming in sap and I get a trickle...... However - glad to boil theirs and make maple., The Syrup has been very good -- just -- all very dark. Hey -- Hope we both weather the Blizzard and best of Luck ----- Mike

[muddyfootprints]

Elm Creek
I know how you feel I'm just south 40 miles and the trees just woke up last Saturday, and now this cold stuff. I keep telling myself it is still early, we have boiled into April several times. There is time, Last year was very early and I don't think we can look at that for anything but an early short year.

I'm still hoping for the good weather, we had almost 400 taps in for a week and last Wed we had 80 gallons of sap, Friday we had 75, Sat there was 160, and Sunday 65. Lots of start up and shut down time on the evaporator this year. Hoping for several 10+ hour boils coming soon

Hang in there Big sap is coming

[GramaCindy]

I am seriously considering collecting my sap sacks, worried about them getting all scuffed up and holey in this wind! Dangit. Or not being able to find them under 18" of new snow. I personally think that Saturday's run was just the beginning. The ground is warmed up enough for them to run now. Just waiting for warmer weather after all of this cold stuff this week.:mad:

[lastwoodsman]

Ah I can't wait till next Monday, the week looks pretty good. It is cold enough the 100 sacks I have out should be good and full. The reds (Acer Rubrum) were not running much at all. I have most of my taps in sugars. All ready know I will have another hundred out next year.
I hang the bags high enough I don't have to bend to get them.
I have figured out the cone filter and now filter into three prefilters inside the cone from the pans, then finish on the gas and filter again. It comes out crystal clear.
Woodsman

[sk8heaven]

Ah the joys of MN weather... I have been collecting just 25 - 30 gallons a day for the past few days and now this weather coming in..... have only managed to make 2 gallons of syrup as the sugar content has been poor for me this year compared to the last couple of years.
I know my bags will be alright as they just survived some 20-30 mph winds a week or so ago..... just not looking forward to the walking in deep snow again... but I know there is still plenty of time left for sapping once it starts to rewarm after this cold snap!!

[GramaCindy]

SNOW DAY:D Just wish I had enough sap for a real boil… I did boil down aprox 7 gallons on the turkey fryer yesterday for the granddaughter's visit. Had great homemade buttermilk pancakes with my VERY first syrup for dinner! YUM!

[Kev]

:lol:Gram I got up today to a GREEN lawn! looks like mowing by next week AAARRRRGGGHH.
makes me want to load up the evap and buckets and head north to boatracin buddies in Rhinelander or Oshkosh

glad you got to at least make some, before the special day !

[Highislandmapler]

Only about 20 gallons so far out out 20 taps. Have had taps in for a almost 2 weeks.

[sk8heaven]

Well, after the National Weather Service kept updating our forecast from 2-4 inches to 6-8 inches to 8-12 inches and then finally to "up to 19 inches" of snow, I woke up this morning to ABSOLUTELY NO NEW SNOW. I am glad as I will still be able to get around in the trees, but now the temps aren't supposed to get above freezing till monday - - but then again - it is the same National Weather Service providing that forecast too!:lol:

[Leinie]

Only about 20 gallons so far out out 20 taps. Have had taps in for a almost 2 weeks.

Are you from the High Island Creek area near Henderson ? Just curious



Been slow here too, (Shakopee) There is a crew in Belle Plaine that's doing alright but they have lot's of guys in their club and lot's of taps out.

I've got about 60 gallons from 30 taps. This past weekend was pretty decent.
Hopefully this cold will defribulate these trees and bring em back to life.

Hang in there.

[elm creek guy]

Well 21 degrees as of 400 and sunny checked some of my trees and they were dripping. So that's cool and only 1 inch of snow from the so called blizzard.

[Ausable]

Glad most of You got missed -- In my little part of Michigan they got the Snow part right 12 - 14 inches of new stuff and still snowing and we had some bare ground and the sap WAS starting to run ---- Ha -- not now. My Son - 80 miles South of me - has another 100 or so gallons I can boil. So I have been making maple - just not with my own sap --- Still tastes the same - so guess I can't really complain. I sure hope the Northern Minn., Wisc. and Mich. temps improve soon and the Sap starts flowing for all of us - before the trees go buddy..... ha -- toooo cold for that -- I hope.

[mnguy]

I have figured out the cone filter and now filter into three prefilters inside the cone from the pans, then finish on the gas and filter again. It comes out crystal clear.
Woodsman

i have issues with the cone filter getting anything to run through it. I have tried wetting it and many other things. How do you get the syrup to run through it. I have made three gallons so far and resorted back to just letting it settle and siphon the syrup off the top.

[elm creek guy]

Mnguy I've yet 2 find a filter system that works worth a *#@! I just let it settle out and filter before the evap and through cheesecloth when I dump it. Iif anybody has a good filter systen I'd like 2 hear about it for the right price that is

[Minnesota Acer]

This weather is cruel, but the good news is that it could "reset" the trees tonight. Some of the trees I have tapped were getting big buds and I was keeping an eye out for any going "fuzzy". So, hopefully this cold will set that back and give some more time.

Last year I had cone pre filters and a cone wool final filter. I'd line two or three prefilters in the wool filter and when the flow would slow down, then I'd pull one of the prefilters and if worse came to worse, then I'd swirl the syrup around and found a spot where the flow would be better. The filters worked very well, the only sugar sand issues I had was with the boxelder.

[buck3m]

It's hard to believe how quickly things can change. A few days ago it was sunny and the snow was nearly gone. Now there are are deep drifts and maybe a foot of snow in the woods. I don't think we were anywhere close to the trees budding out around here, but it does seem like this cold stretch is likely to extend the season at the end a bit. In one sense it's not bad to get a bit of a break.

[Highislandmapler]

From Arlington. High Island creek runs right by my house. Boiled 30 gallons on Saturday. Got 1 gallon of syrup.


Are you from the High Island Creek area near Henderson ? Just curious



Been slow here too, (Shakopee) There is a crew in Belle Plaine that's doing alright but they have lot's of guys in their club and lot's of taps out.

I've got about 60 gallons from 30 taps. This past weekend was pretty decent.
Hopefully this cold will defribulate these trees and bring em back to life.

Hang in there.