Oneida County - will it ever warm up!

[RobbieH]

Anyone in Oneida County? This will be my second year making syrup and I can't wait! Last year it started warming up around this time and during the 3rd week of March, right into April, sap was pouring out. I haven't tapped any trees yet this year. We've had a few warm days but then back to being very cold. I'm sick of this winter (coldest one in years) and am really looking forward to tapping. I guess this post is just a rant:lol:

[PACMAN]

Not doing anything Here in Franklin county yet either RobbieH.Just waiting myself. With 5 feet of snow on the ground, and its snowing today,cant do anything else but wait.I looked at the main line today and it was driping. Maybe by the end of this comming week we will get some sap. Good luck.

[maple flats]

I'm in Madison County, about 1/2 mile from Oneida County. Just small trickles so far. Not enough to start the RO nor evaporator.

[TrentonMaple]

Northern Oneida County here. This season has been discouraging thus far. I'm hoping this weekend will be better - looks like a string of days in the 40's starting Wed.

I have 100 taps on buckets and little to show for it.

[Clarkfield Farms]

Just finished repairing my small (~1,900 feet) line of tubing yesterday. I've noticed that the deer and skwerlz (intentionally misspelled for a show of disrespect) seem to hit the same general areas of the lines each year. Out of a full package of line connectors for making repairs, I've got 3 left. And I replaced almost 150' of 5/16 tubing. Today, I hope to tap. For various reasons I still have no evaporator and Steve (bucket head) will be welcome to the sap again this year. Still fighting, and I will eventually win against this Town, but it's not looking like this year's the year.

[RobbieH]

Just looked at the 10 day forecast for my area (near Rome) and looks like the temps won't allow for any sap to run. Of course, the weather always changes. I'm really hoping for ideal temps asap. I know we all are!

[sugarman3]

We are just as bad here in Fulton County,drizzles,not enough to run ro,trying to save for open house this weekend,hoping for a squirt wed,thur,probably won't evn run ro ,so that we can make steam,then again,"so will water"

[TrentonMaple]

With the temps a little bit warmer I thought I might get a run of sap. Checked my sugarbush - 100 taps, 10 gallons of sap. Pathetic.

I collected about 30 gallons last time it warmed up. I had it stored in a 55gal plastic drum in my sugarhouse. That drum froze completely solid - I've never seen that before. It was literally a 30 gallon block of ice with a slushy core.

So a total of 10 gallons of liquid sap and 30 gallons of ice. By this time last year with only 30 taps and a propane burner I had made 4 gallons of syrup. This year I made 4 quarts of off-tasting baking grade syrup.

I did fire up the evaporator to test it out after installing a blower. It makes a nice difference, just have to throttle it down to keep ash from blowing out under the pan.

The forecast for the upcoming week is dismal. There's no chance of above-freezing temps at all.

[RobbieH]

Looking at the ten day extended, it looks like Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th is supposed to be in the mid 40s. A little on the warm side at night but after all this cold, maybe it won't hurt. Unfortunately it's also calling for a lot of rain. Let's hope that changes and that the temps will be ideal for at least a week or two!

edit - looks like the 30th and 31st will be good temps for it too. And the chance of rain for all four of those days went down! *Fingers crossed*

[RobbieH]

Looks like the end of March and into April will be in mid to upper 40s, even low 50s. Mostly in the low 30s at night. Do you all think it'll be too warm to get good sap?

[Bucket Head]

Those conditions will be just about right. And right about now, good sap or bad sap does'nt matter- any sap will be just fine!

Steve

[maple flats]

So far I've only gotten just over 800 gal of sap total for the season. Now it looks like nothing until the end of the week. Then it should break wide open (for 2 maybe 3 days) and then too warm for too long. This might be a record bad year. All I have to hope for at this point is that the forecast is wrong again. They rarely get tomorrow right, 7 days is far worse and for sure the 30 day never looks like it resembles what happened as we look back on it.

[Bucket Head]

Well, it looks like Friday might be the "real" start to the season for most of the Utica-Rome area producers. Finally, some favorable weather. I'm looking forward to it, since I have forgotten what above- freezing temperatures feel like. However, I worry about Monday's forecast of 50 degrees. The local hospitals could see the first victims of the year for heatstroke. Be carefull out there!

Good luck everyone!

Steve

[RobbieH]

Lol Steve. Yeah, looking at the forecast for Friday and the next 7 days, it seems like we'll get a decent sap flow, hopefully. A few nights in the 30's, but then mid to upper 20s on other nights. I'm sure we're all welcoming the warm weather, but hopefully it'll be a great sap run first.

[RobbieH]

Just an update - we're getting the right temps but sap is coming out slowly. It's been such a cold winter that the ground is frozen at least a foot and a half down. Not to mention about a foot of snow out there. I'm thinking (hoping) the sap is just starting to break up now and it'll really start flowing later this week.

[TrentonMaple]

Had a sap tidal wave yesterday. 75 gallons from 100 taps. It's like we went from famine to feast. I see late nights in the sugarhouse ahead...

[collinsmapleman2012]

its been a tough few weeks here. just cam in from first boil, didn't draw yet, but the pans are almost sweet. would have made a few gallons, but I completely overlooked bracing the feed pipe, and I broke it out of a fitting. lost 100 gallons of sap that was close to spoil anyhow, but its frustrating. woods flooded over the weekend, had to pull my transfer pump out and get the water out of it. vacuum is going good, 22.5 inches steady, yesterday was the longest its run all season. gotta go get it going soon to pull some sap. your right about the frost, in some places I hear its 3 feet deep. there is still 3 inches of ice in the woods, makes easy walking, until you break through. I guess that's what I get for tapping in a swamp. good luck everyone!

[RobbieH]

Yes, had a great run yesterday too. Today, surprisingly, wasn't so great. Not sure why. Maybe a little too warm? From now until the weekend it's supposed to be good temps for sap runs, both day and night. It's been a pretty bad season for sap so far. Hoping to do a decent boil this weekend.