Mainline Height from Ground

[adk1]

For tubing on gravity, curious to know what everyone averages for height off the ground (without snow on ground)... I may ahve to adjust my mainline height. I have it, for the most part, about waist high, maybe slightly lower. Having said that, I can have 3' of snow on the ground come March. I know that there will be sections that will be covered in snow.

[Mountain Winds Farm]

if you have areas where the snow drifts over your line it packs in around the line,which makes it tough to shovel and it freezes the sap in the line. I have one area I have fought with every year so far,but the line has to be there

[danno]

If you can get your mainline high enough so that it will be above the snowpack but low enough so you can get grade coming off your lats - do it! Shoveling mainlines is no fun and if you can avoid it by running your mainlines higher, there is no reason not to. Remember, if you live in high snowpack area, your taps may get set a bit higher as well. Most of my mainlines are about 3' off the gound and some are 18'. Around here come sugaring, 2' snowpack is about max.

[adk1]

yeah, I just ran my last 400' section of mainline wire over the weekend. THe end of the wire at the tree is about 7' high. Due to the undulating terrain of my hill, I have spots that are about 10' high (like when I cross a creek coming off the hill) to a 50' section that is about knee high. I am worried about that 50' section. Does anyone else have a situiation like this? Just thinking, in this low section, with tapping during the snowpack, I am gonna have a heck of a steep downhill slope from my first tree to the saddle..might even be a 45 degree slope! IS this bad?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I have spots where it just clears the ground. Biggest hassle is the snow but once you get it dug out, you'll be ok. Just tap that last tree before it enters the line fairly low. If you tap too high, the upward pressure from your hook connector on the wire may cause a high spot in the line.

[adk1]

good point, I will have to remember that tip!