Deep Freeze

[valleyman]

I was hoping for the beginning of February to tap but I've been poking around reading what some long term forecasters are forecasting and it looks like Valentines day is more of a reality based on weathertrends360. On the other hand Joe Bastardi from Weatherbell thinks we'er going into a historically snowy and cold winter which started with this past week which will go through March. Hmm...

[markct]

I was worried for this season with the deep frost and no snow but now that has changed and i think we will be good even if a bit late

[maple flats]

Just remember, this IS global warming at it's best.

[spud]

When I lived in Alaska one of the popular bumper stickers said ( Alaskans support global warming) the other one was ( If they are going to call it tourist season then why can't we shoot them). :D

Spud

[batsofbedlam]

The deep snow and low temps have me reconsidering a tapping date.

[markct]

The deep snow is a plus i think but yes the wicked cold will push tapping back a bit for some. I think in CT we have some who missed the season that one unusualy warm winter and now want to tap unusualy early. In reality it all goes by weather not calender dates. One local nature center missed the season that year by sticking to the traditional date to tap as great sap days went by. The next year they tapped early and the buckets hung empty for weeks of cold. Gota adjust for weather to some degree

[batsofbedlam]

-9 this morning.

[valleyman]

Spud-
-LMFAO!!

[tanta]

Set up the Sugar Shack today to start teaching the kids next week. Will tap one old tree for show. Will watch the weather.

Brooksvale Park Sugar Shack
Hamden
www.brooksvalepark.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooksvale-Park/143901598964685

[lafite]

we will target feb 14th but obviously watch long range forecast.

[Noah's Ark]

I got the sugar shack built this year finally so with this cold I am sure thankful I at least will be inside. Looking at mid Feb myself. The snow is sure going to make it a challenge to get to some of my trees. May be using snow shoes and a sled for the start of the year.

[valleyman]

Hi Noah's Ark
Yeah, a couple years back I bought an inexpensive pair of snowshoes for the very same reason- to reach the trees. I felt like I was a "Vermonter" down here in southern CT. Now I'm thinking about buying a better pair as this snow seems to be the new normal. The shoes work very well for the $$. The binding system is where the savings went. But they still work OK

I built a crude sugar shack to protect me from the elements and I know you are going to totally LOVE your shack too! Good luck this season. PS - Sounds like you have a nice setup with the animals, kids , and an UNDERSTANDING wife.

[markct]

Yea I too went to job lots and bought cheap snowshoes a few years ago when we needed them for tapping in 2 ft plus of snow. They worked surprisingly well and held up good have had to use them for a few years of deep snow now. Good thing to have on hand and looks like we may need them this year too!

[markct]

Today wasn't a bad day to work in the woods before the next blizzard. Went up to a friends farm with the welder generator to tig weld some fittings onto a couple zero tanks for him, then came home and worked on setting up my 12 year old helpers sugarbush of 35 taps on vac, the plan is lifting sap thru a series of sap ladders about 15ft from the backyard to prevent having to carry it all up in 5 gal pails like last year. Even if the sap ladders use up most of the vac it will still be worth it not lugging sap, its only 15 ft elevation but about 400ft away so a lot of walking on days he would get 30 or 40 gal sap. Had some 1/2 mainline I had gotten from a friend who was getting outa sugaring so a good place to use it up.

[tanta]

In 1976 an elderly Vermont farmer near Middlebury, who sold me a bucketful of 2nd choice maple sugar candies for $5, told me thus when I asked when he tapped his trees. "I go out and spend Valentine's Day with myt sweetheart and spoil her rotten because once I tap the trees, we don't see each other for about 6 weeks." I now tell that to my husband! Though in Southern CT as you all know we have for many years tapped the first week of February, had a good 1st run, refroze then pumped up production once again. Good Luck to all!

[tanta]

Valleyman..........your private message box is full...says you have to clear space. So..here's my note:
not sure if you were the one who said last year they had syrup to sell at a public day to be held in monroe or not......

Frank Cooper of Monroe Park & Rec has a program on 2/17. It was snowed out last year!

I and Ranger Vinny from Brooksvale Park will be there to teach it.

He said he may be able to sell some...30 are registered now...he's shooting for 75. mostly families.

if interested (if you have syrup left from last year to sell) email him at fcooper@monorect.org

The snow will melt...eventually!
Kirsten - Brooksvale Park

[valleyman]

Hi Tanta
Yep , it was me last season, Thanks for letting me know.
My mailbox is now empty!
-Greg

[DaveB]

The cold doesn't look like it will end at least through the end of the month. I would normally be tapping this weekend, but with temps below zero, I don't think that will do any good. I think I'm going to hold off until the last week of March. That's when I tapped last year and it seemed to work out. Hopefully we get good March weather again!

[markct]

Hope you mean last week of February Dave not March, altho with this cold it sure seems like it may not warm til March!

[DaveB]

Hope you mean last week of February Dave not March, altho with this cold it sure seems like it may not warm til March!

lol...Yeah, that's what I meant Mark. March doesn't look too bad and with all the snow on the ground, it should help keep things cool. We'll also need our snow shoes just to get around!

[markct]

In my opinion and experience, which isnt alot im not of the grey hair sugarmakers yet, the conditions are shaping up to be a great season. Once it warms it should do well as the ground is wet and thawed already. There have been plenty of seasons that started late and ended up great years. And as Dave said the snow helps drop the temps overnight and prolong the season

[alcontrast]

Last year was my first year tapping trees and even though I only tapped 12 or so trees I ended up with more sap than I could process. I haven't even considered tapping yet this year since it's been sooo cold and I only just now signed in here on the forum for the first time in 2015 to see what others were up to in preparation for the season... Apparently I'm rather late to the game?

I'm fairly far south in East Haddam, CT but it appears some of you in CT are already setting taps? I'm just NOW thinking about starting to develop some precursory plans for making a wood burning evaporator rather than re-using the propane turkey fryer set up I used last year. So yeah, I was assuming we have at least a few more weeks before sap is flowing in CT.. Am I that far off? Will I be using the turkey fryer again next weekend?

[markct]

I think you still have a week or two till sap will run, next weekend shows lows below zero still so that takes time for the trees to thaw after that. Also keep in mind some of us cant tap in a day so try and get them in earlier to be ready. I have about 1200 taps so with this deep snow its easily a couple weekend job, on snowshoes im lucky to get 300 to 400 taps a day in at most. Buckle down and prepare! you still have time but all the sudden the weather will break and it will be go time! I froze my marbles today running power to the new vacuum pump shed and buttoning up a few things in there so I can be ready. I still have easily a whole day of washing tanks to do but the weather has just been too cold to even try that.

[hodorskib]

I tapped out March 7th last year and had a pretty good year and even made quality syrup into April for the first time in 15 years. I can tap out in a few hours (80 taps planned for this year) so I will wait until things warm up a bit - tapping frozen trees usually leads to leaks around the spouts.

[Dieseldog]

Hey Al, I saw you here last year but know you more from the MC forums. Last year was our first at maple syrup and we had one more bucket than you. We will have 50+ buckets this year but not sure when we will be tapping. Too old to walk thru deep snow. Way too deep for studded dirt bike too.