Started today

[Sugarbear]

I started tapping today.Got about 200 done.It is supposed to be in the mid 40s wed and thurs.Got to clean up the pans and hook up my new milk tank yet.I might actually be ready for the first run this year. :)

[VA maple guy]

Good luck sugarbear and let the sap flow.
Gerry :D :D

[maplehound]

Sugar bear,
i have been trying to decide when to tap as well. I sn't it bad to tap a frozen tree? I have a doctors apointment on Wed and can't start then and with saturday getting cold agian I wasn't sure about ttapping on Thursday or friday either. What is your take on tapping frozen trees?
Ron

[Sugarbear]

I dont think it has been cold enough to really freeze them.We tapped some more today and they were starting to run pretty good in the sun.Our woods is mostly a north slope so it is slow to warm up.But we also have some along a creek that are more open.I did not do any yesterday because it was too cold in that wind.We have about 60-70 more to do in the morning.It supposed to be in the 40s tomorrow and in the 50s on thurs and get really cold over the weekend.

[maplehound]

today is perfect weather for tapping!!! But here I sit, the doctor jsut put a cinvas shot in my knee and I can't walk well enough to get around the woods. Tomorrow plan on clearing a pluged main line and then maybe I can tap some other wise it will be Monday before i can start.
Ron

[Sugarbear]

Oh well,you can be ready for the next time it warms up.We finished up this morning.They were running fairly good.It is still cold in the woods,there is still a little frost in the ground.We should be able to start boiling tomorrow afternoon.Cant wait!Hope the knee does better,Terry.

[maplehound]

Terry
MY knee is feeling better this evening so i think tomorrow I will be able to get that line cleared. That is if it don't rain to hard. Then maybe I can start tapping, if not then my knephews are off on Monday and so am I so i will tap then.
Ron

[maplehound]

Hope to tap tomorrow but first I have to replace 500 feet of pump line. The old one froze and split in several places. After looking closer we found that it is very brittle. That is what I get for buying a cheap substitute pipe line.
Ron

[maplehound]

I finally tapped today. Temp. was only 32 but they still tried to run on the south side. Now if it warms up I am ready. ( I think)
Ron

[maplehound]

Sap ran good today have about 600 gal to boil. Since I got another shot in my knee today I will boil tomorrow. Then I will probably have about 1000 gal.
:lol: :lol:

[maplehound]

Just shut down the evaporator. Took off about 4 gal of syrup and still have 700 gal of sap waiting on me. Hope to boil it off tomorrow if it don't freeze me out. All my tanks are outside and I can't get the sap to flow if it gets to cold.
Syrup I made today was some of the lightest I ever made.
Ron

[sweetwoodmaple]

Wow, glad to hear things are going well. Light syrup after all that warm weather in January...that's encouraging.

[maplehound]

Took off 10 more gallons of light syrup today :lol: I still have 300 more gallons of sap waiting and it looks like another small run tomorrow.
Life is good now
Ron

[maplehound]

Another big run today. Dad had a bad fall in the woods today and was very sore so we will wait to boil till tomorrow. I have about 1000 gal waiting to be done. Good thing that it will be to cold to run tomorrow and Monday as well.
Ron

[maplehound]

Got caught up today all tanks empty and 32 gal in the syrup storage. All light syrup so far. Wish it would go to medium so I can bottle into plastic bottles. I hate to waste the light stuff on plastic.
Ron