A quandry and open to creative solutions

[ahowes]

Hi all, happy new year...

I have a situation and would love to hear some creative solutions. I have to be out of town on business for a couple of weeks during the very middle of the season. I have three years experience, about 90 taps last year, want to get a minimum of 10 gallons (lower goal, given my plight this year). I have possible assistance gathering sap, but do not want to overwork her/them - they aren't as gung ho as I am.

I have more than 90 taps' worth of trees available, but those additional trees are not as easily accessible. I am willing to haul sap out manually, but don't want to ask them to during my absence. I have 90 taps that are pretty accessible, therefore the original number of 90. There are probably 90 more available way down the hill (that I'd rather not ask them to haul for me).

Lost yet? :)

Given my three years' experience, I've found that we often have some good runs for approximately 2 weeks before I leave. Then, there is probably two weeks' worth of sap after I will be returning. But, since we're on the extreme southern sugaring boundary, who knows???

How should I manage this issue? If I tap only the close trees to start, they'll probably be drying up shortly after I return, with good runs just wasting while I'm gone.

Here is what I'm thinking of doing:

Tap the 90 far-away trees very, very early (and if I'm too early, no big loss). Then, if there are early quality runs, I will be the one manually hauling the sap from a long way out and I can be productive earlier.
Then, I could just let them run to the ground while I'm gone and hope for some sap still running in them after I return. After returning, I can then tap the 90 closer ones and get assistance running them since I will be well over my usual amount of taps. That additional sap quantity after I return might help me get closer to my usual annual production.

But...............I am open to more creative ideas. (And no, I can't call in sick!) Most Hoosiers would be happy to be going to Florida for two weeks in February...

[Big_Eddy]

I'd tap your closest 90 trees first and collect and boil the sap from them while you're there. 90 trees for 2 weeks could easily net you your 10 gallon target.
Then when you return - if the first 90 are not flowing any longer and you need more sap - tap the far away ones. If they are still flowing well - great.

You don't say if you're on buckets or pipeline. If you're on buckets - leave the buckets up and have your helpers go empty them all out about 3 "good-flow" days before you return. That way you'll have full buckets of fresh sap the first day back. I have no experience with pipeline, but I assume you can let it flow to a tank with an open valve, then close the valve 3 "good-flow" days before your return so you start with a full tank again.

[DrTimPerkins]

Tap the 90 far-away trees very, very early (and if I'm too early, no big loss).

If there is not much snow on the ground when you start, this would work. If there is a good bit of snow on the ground making it difficult to move around....I'd start with the closer trees, and move to the further away trees when you return, presumably by which time the snow should have melted some.

[ericjeeper]

heck I have only been making sugar for 8 years in Indiana, I am still trying to figure out exactly when our "season" is. Varies from one year to the next so much. I just tap early and go for it. I usually tap middle of Jan.
I have a friend that sugars, he usually taps middle of Feb. Last year at that time the trees had already began to bud. He never drilled a hole.

As for the OP delima If the volunteers want to fool with it, i would say go for it. if not then just let it hit the ground.

[ahowes]

Thanks for the great feedback.
I am on buckets, and my wife is nice enough that she would go out and pull tubes (to 5 gal buckets), or put them in, depending on how I direct her from afar.
Tapping the near-ones first makes sense, but with my limited experience - even though it is in unpredictable southern Indiana - I was thinking that the most volume would happen in mid-Feb rather than mid-Jan. That timing is what made me think far-away taps first (since the taps may be less productive and then seal up before the good flow).
Even though we just had an 18-inch snow over Christmas, snow is usually not a factor around here. We didn't have a single snow last winter.

Eric - do you think the possibility of good runs from now until Jan 30 justifies doing my easy-to-get-to trees first? The bit about volunteers being able to get my near trees 3-4 days prior to my return sounds like near-trees first could make sense.

Thanks again!

[ericjeeper]

Indiana weather is like none other on earth. I have majority of my trees tapped now. They are flowing excellent today. I will probably go out around 4 pm and gather. I can only haul it in 50 gallons at a time . So I am hoping on making multiple trips to the bush. Obviously the southern end of my bush is far outproducing the deeper trees. Less sunshine, It is noticeably colder deeper into the bush you go.
As for my advice as to when to tap, I have not a clue.. My work is slow this time of year, so I am doing this in my free time.

[Thad Blaisdell]

How far down the hill, and at what elevation drop. If feasible run an extension cord or 2 down to a small pump on .5 or.75 pipe and create a small dumping station. pump it up the hill.

[kiteflyingeek]

ahowes,

I'm in a similar dilemma but this is my first year. In under two weeks, I'll be in FL for work. Stay for a week followed by a family ski vacation to VA. So, here in the Evansville, IN area, I may have lost half the season. Plus, I'm loosing time to build by block arch. Ah,well -- work is what pays for the start of this hobby ;-) so I guess to Florida I go. But I feel your pain.

--andrew

[ahowes]

Andrew, please feel free to come up and learn from all the mistakes that I have made and learned from. I am only 35 minutes from the airport.

Thad, it's very far from electricity. But, you got me to thinking about what other tubing and pumping options I might have. One friend that is a soon-to-be addict suggested some sort of battery powered bilge. I am concerned the head would be too great for that, but the wheels are turning in my head now. This feedback is certainly helping me to be creative...

[ahowes]

Well, I split the difference. I tapped 60 last night, half of the far-away trees and half of the near ones. The forecast sneaked up on me and I couldn't make up my mind. That may make the most sense anyway; I won't be completely exhausted in either half of the season this way.