Worst Year Ever in the Past ???

[TerryEspo]

This super freezing cold snap has me thinking negative for the season.

Has anyone recorded their personal worst year for sap running poorly ?

I know we all have different amount of taps so maybe letting us know in a percentage basis.

Has there ever been a year that people have gotten only 10% - 20% of expected sap ?

I am sure there has been years that 50% of sap expected has happened , but what is the worst that has been recorded?

I think I look forward to hearing from us all. :(

Thanks.
Terry

[WI Sugarpop]

Last year we averaged 3.8 gal of sap per tap. It should be at least 10 so that would make it around 38%. Our worst year. At least the sugar % was high.

[TerryEspo]

That not good.
Its a shame the work we do to prepare, time and money invested and Mother Nature deals us a blow, less than half sap/syrup expected is really bad in my opinion.

Terry

[Russell Lampron]

2005 was my worst year ever. We didn't even start tapping until the 13th of march and the season was done on the 30th. It was my first year vacuum and an RO and with 500 taps I was expecting around 100 gallons of syrup plus or minus. What I got was 47 gallons. That was 10 gallons less than what I made in 2001 with 300 taps. 2001 was my first year making syrup with my 2x6 evaporator.

[pennslytucky]

i remember a year when i was young (i bet it was 92? when it was so dam cold) that we didnt have much snow at all but it was crazy cold for months. deep, hard frost in the ground till april. never saw a full bucket before the trees budded out.

this year we have 2 feet, and its been that way since december. there is almost no frost in the ground beneath. trees should run as soon as it gets up to 35 i think

[WI Sugarpop]

That not good.
Its a shame the work we do to prepare, time and money invested and Mother Nature deals us a blow, less than half sap/syrup expected is really bad in my opinion.

Terry

You are right, it was not good and brings our average down but we have had good years that brings our average up. I was hoping that this year would be a real good year. We normally don't get our best runs till around March 20.

[Bucket Head]

2012 (if I remember right)- the season where it warmed up quick and stayed warm, was our worst year. Horrible. We were all picked up, cleaned up and put away before the end of march that year. Unbelievable.

Last year was our second worst year. Too cold for too long. Sat around twiddling our thumbs until the very end of March. That too was unbeleivable.

Everyone said last year that it would be a long time before we see another winter as cold as that. Um..., is that so? I hav'nt heard a meteorologist anywhere say the phrase, "above average warmth" since last summer!

I really hope Mother Nature turns things around sooner than she did last year. Heck, before we have sap running, we need a warm up to settle the snow down so we can collect the sap!!

Steve

[TerryEspo]

Maybe I can cheer up if I ask a different question......

Can a real good season give way above average sap per tap ? I think I read here that a normal year, clean spiles, lines etc., one tap should give 10 gallons of sap,,,, could that amount double on a perfect season ??

Thanks.

Terry

[SPILEDRIVER]

aint no way of telling whats gonna happen theres to much GLOBAL WARMING

[MarkReynolds]

Doesn't seem like "global warming" in my area lol

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Maybe I can cheer up if I ask a different question......

Can a real good season give way above average sap per tap ? I think I read here that a normal year, clean spiles, lines etc., one tap should give 10 gallons of sap,,,, could that amount double on a perfect season ??

Thanks.

Terry

Very easily!

[Russell Lampron]

Maybe I can cheer up if I ask a different question......

Can a real good season give way above average sap per tap ? I think I read here that a normal year, clean spiles, lines etc., one tap should give 10 gallons of sap,,,, could that amount double on a perfect season ??

Thanks.

Terry

In 2011 everyone with vacuum did a 1/2 gal of syrup per tap or close to it. On an average season you can expect 1 qt per tap. I usually don't do quite that good because my buckets which are 1/7 of my tap count bring my average down.

[lew]

Can't remember the year, but back in the late '80's we only made 38% of a "normal" crop for gravity tubing. The hired help made more than I did. Someone else on here mentioned '92 being their worst year. I remember that as being oour best year on gravity tubing. made 1/2 gallon per tap, the sap never quit running.

[BreezyHill]

Maybe I can cheer up if I ask a different question......

Can a real good season give way above average sap per tap ? I think I read here that a normal year, clean spiles, lines etc., one tap should give 10 gallons of sap,,,, could that amount double on a perfect season ??

Thanks.

Terry

There is no time to cheer up...you should be getting all your ducks in a row right now.

When the weather changes it will change quickly. With all your equipment ready you will capitalize on the first flow and the others that follow. It will have to be shorter than normal season when you look at when the first run is and when the last quality run is. BUT we still could have a banner year.

I remember in '81 we had a long season and '83 we were all done and pulling taps on March 15. Right now my long range looks like first week of march we startup and will have only 6 days that it wont run. So the RO and pumps need to be ready to get to work and we need to plow out the sugar house again cause it has drifted in...again.

Looks like this will be a rough season with very few days between runs and runs lasting a week rather than a couple days. I am glad I have a great supply of evap wood in crates ready to go. All the new mains are up but one and that is an easy one. Just need to put in 650 new spouts and tap those in and run the lats for the 450 of retubing. Snow shoeing starts this weekend to lay those lines, so all we have to do is cut in the drops and rock and roll.

In two weeks you will be in your glory so get some sleep now and clear your calendar. ;)

Ben

[ennismaple]

2012 was the worst because the season was 10 days long! Made our first syrup on March 9th and was done on the 19th! Total sap collected was half that of the year prior and the following year.

[Sugarmaker]

If you see higher than normal sugar content be ready for a shorter season. Remember mother nature has to feed all those trees. Its going to happen! We need to have things in place for the start next week.
Keep your lines tight and running down hill!
Regards,
Chris

[maple maniac65]

the worst years for me are the ones when I did not sugar at all. Now that I am 49 I will tap every year now matter what and be happy with the amount of syrup that I made.

[RevDoc]

This year has been the worst year ever for me.
Endless days below 0, breathtaking cold, and only 6 days above freezing with sap running. Snow last night, high of 22 today, but predicted to be in the 60s next week, and not drop below 31 for a week.
Instead of 20 gallons of sweet, I've finished out less than a gallon for the season, which is usually over by now in my location.

Guess I've got plenty of wood already cut for next year.