mother nature

[lafite]

ebbs and tides of sugaring....last year was the best ever and this year will be a headache....I never imagined it to be too cold to hurt the season!

[3GoatHill]

I haven't even bothered tapping yet.

[Noah's Ark]

I got everything tapped in time to get the last of the run on Sunday/Monday. Did not even get enough to startup the evaporator. Now i have a giant sap sickle in my holding tank. If this keeps up it might thaw by mid march.

[Ryan August]

yeah, she called me and left a message "dont plan on anything any time soon"

[DaveB]

I have a background in Meteorology and for anyone who is worried, I would say that outside of a late start, especially for us here in southern New England, the long range trends look great! It looks like after a frigid week next week, the end of next weeks looks to turn warmer and after that I think the flood gates will open and temps will be pretty good through early April.

[jrgagne99]

... after that I think the flood gates will open and temps will be pretty good through early April.

That's some pretty long-range prognosticating Dave! My standard response when people ask how I think the season will be is: "Hard tellin', not knowin'! "

[seacoastCT]

I collected about 3 gallons of (frozen) sap today from 8 taps in eastern New London county. More than I expected. I am boiling some sap down to concentrate tonight, then will freeze the concentrate until I have enough to make a couple quarts of syrup.

[hodorskib]

I have never made quality syrup in April but then again I have never waited so long to tap out either. I hope you are right but just in case I have made arrangements to add about 20 more buckets when I tap out next weekend. Hang in there everyone at least we can still ice fish - Drilled 19" inches today!

[valleyman]

DavidB,
You are my new best friend! Thanks for the encouraging outlook.

[DaveB]

DavidB,
You are my new best friend! Thanks for the encouraging outlook.

lol, This season has been an interesting one for me. I had to sell my evaporator after last season (long story) and I had no idea what I was going to do this year. Then I was able to order a new evaporator from A&A in Pennsylvania in October and it will be ready this Friday so I knew I was going to have a late start so I had to worry about a shortened season. I kept watching the weather pattern in December and it usually goes in 90 day cycles and I worried that March would turn warm and I'd have no season. I can't tell you how happy I am that I have my taps in ready for great sugaring weather after this week and the fact that I'll have an evaporator!

Here's one of the tools that I use and I can share - it's a link to one of the models that meteorologist use and while models are really only accurate under 5 days, they run them out to 16 days and through 3/19 things look pretty good:

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/sample/sample.shtml?text=Kijd

That's for Willimantic and I run colder than they do and adjust the temps down so even through then it looks like marginal temps. Look at the Max temp column to get an idea of temps on a certain day. 0Z is 7PM, 12Z is 7AM for those that may not know. Those numbers will certainly change, but as long as they look good, that's OK.

I can provide a link to other stations so if anyone wants one, just let me know.

[markct]

Looks like the end of this week sap will be pouring! The sugarhouse fridge is stocked with Twisted Tea and hot dogs i will only have to leave to get more sap!

[Tanta K]

Valleyman...keep it simple and you'll enjoy it more, 'tis never good when a hobby becomes a chore. I just taught my last class today (close to 500 kids in one months time. A few misc. adult groups coming in this week and then open house on Sat. If we ever concentrated on the production of syrup and not the education, we'd be up a creek so to speak. But...as I have 3 volunteers this year, looks like I can actually have fun making syrup through the end of March and not dread it after being exhausted after teaching for a month straight.

30 buckets like you.
40 next year if the volunteers don't quit.
1/2 pint hobby evaporator
wood from the forest
www.brooksvale.or

Tanta Kirsten or Ranger Kirsten the Sugarmam as I'm also known.

[Littlesap]

Like the way you're thinking Mark!

[markct]

It looks like sap weather for the next week or better atleast but time will tell! Better to be ready!

[Noah's Ark]

Is it just me or are others not having great flow. I have only had one or two really good days. This years weather is not cooperating. Only made 2 gallons so far this year. I am really hoping for a big flow this week. Here is hoping.

[batsofbedlam]

Crazy weather. I didn't expect a sap run today, figuring it was to cold. I checked my tanks at noon and just finished collecting 1700 gallons of sap that ran since 3 yesterday afternoon.

[Agent914]

I am having a great flow today in Middlebury, CT so much so I have made enough syrup for the season and my wife is demanding I get other things done around the house...so before I pull my taps does anyone want my sap (FREE to an enthusist).... I have about 30+ taps easy access.

Just in box me so we can make arrangements.

[markct]

Its funny that just a half hour away in Middlebury it ran great, my trees here in Northfield just barely weeped today, about 200 gal all together for today, Saturday ran great tho, as well as late into the night sat it ran well after midnight here even. But atleast its finaly starting, made over 80 gallons so far this year, sure hope it keeps going for many weeks to come!

[bigjohnsons]

Agent, how many gallons if syrup did you make? I had 20 taps in for the last 2 weeks and added 10 more this weekend. I'd be lucky if I got 100 gallons of sap total for the season. I got a quart or 2 tops from each tap today. Things are moving slow here.

[markct]

Bigjohnsons, it was cold today your lucky you got a of sap per tap in that kinda weather! Give it time, temperature wise its still early in the season, even tho the calendar doesn't say so!

[Agent914]

@BigJohnsons, I sent you a private (in box) message with contact info

[merryall]

We had a surprisingly decent run here yesterday averaging about 3 /4 gallon per tap
But flows have been erratic at best and we are probably about half of what we did by this time
Last year

[lafite]

boiled for 4 hours yesterday. went to check shack after shutdown and surprisingly collected 25 gallons dripping through ice on the taps! the gravity lines were moving as well even though it was 35 degrees!

[markct]

Yea i was surprised just now to walk out and see my 75 taps at work dripping thru the releaser so turned on vac and its runnin a bit!

[Xvermontx]

9252
Pretty much all my buckets look like this

[Tanta K]

Got 55 gallons on Sunday (of sap) and boiled it down today. Have helpers this year so I'm not so tired. Yay! Will continue through next week and pray sap stays clear. Some red maples near us are starting to bud in teh sunshine!

Oh...can you believe someone took down one of our buckets and stole just the spile? Ugh.


Tanta K
Brooksvale Park Sugarmama
30 taps. More Next Year.
Me and 4 volunteers (2 retired Veterans, 1 apprentice, 1 ambulance driver)

[markct]

Are you sure the spile was stolen? We have had them come loose esp with hard freeze like we had, then bucket blows away and spile ends up 50ft from tree etc. Maybe someone found the bucket and put it back by the tree and spile is who knows where? Seems buckets are more popular for decor etc if something was gona be stolen. And if stealing it to use wouldnt you want the bucket to hang on the tap?

[seacoastCT]

Collected 2 1/2 gallons from 8 taps today over a one week period. Slow flow is an understatement.

The trees, I discovered today, are red maples. That also might explain the low flow. I am boiling down to concentrate tonight, and it tastes great!

[wildlifewarrior]

I have found that reds around here run horrible unless on vacuum. We tapped mostly reds in previous years and got almost nothing. If you could hook them put to vacuum or something you would be okay. So your flow is normal. It is so gratifying getting that first taste!

Mike