Trying to hold out

[NHTREEGUY]

Still waiting to tap. Getting really hard looking at the posts. My wife and I put some buckets out as testers. Waiting for the big lines though.

[maple flats]

You can wait til May or June and then you can work in shorts and a tee shirt. All kidding aside, unless you only want a little for the family, why wait? If you use CV's, or have new drops with new taps, the tap holes will remain open all season.

[blissville maples]

yea, one thing about the posts is i hear people saying holes are wet and filling up as they drill. if its above freezing the hole will always fill up right off the bat, come back in 30 minutes and they usually slow a bit. if you plug a hole and sap stats hitting ground in the first 5 seconds, then there may be something to talk about. theres a very sudden pressure difference so the sap near the hole is forced to it. my test tree has only had 1/2 gal in two days-seems like should be more, is new spout and drop into gallon jug, 4 weeks old at this point, either the sap isn't runnin or the holes drying up already which is hard to believe with new spout and drop.

[NHTREEGUY]

I have 36 buckets out as testers and they haven't produced enough to get me excited. With colder temps in the forecast I think I'm making the right choice for me. If I were on vacuum I'd tap now. All gravity though.

[n8hutch]

I think that some people who tapped and are getting sap are making some syrup and that's great. I don't think those who held out are going to miss out on alot.

I know a few people who tapped near me that really didn't get all that much. Hopefully we can get back to a more normal weather pattern after this extended thaw.

[BAP]

Days are still short and the sun is low in the sky. Until the days get longer and the sun gets higher, the amount of sap collected will be small because the trees don't thaw out enough for long enough time frame to run much sap.

[NHTREEGUY]

I have been hearing of some great runs, and some not so great. I am still shooting for Valentines day weekend. I am not one to look at long term, I broke though. End of Feb. and all of March is looking perfect. We all know how the weather in New England goes though.

[Amber Gold]

I'm still holding out till Pres. weekend. If I'd thought this warm-up was really going to last this long, I may have made more of an effort to have been tapped in for it, but I really didn't think it was going to.

Those long range forecasts always look perfect, but reality is a completely different thing. My prediction is once it warms up, it's going to be go time, so be ready.

[scottdevine]

Tapped in CT 8 days ago...145 gallons on 49 taps, so non producers are getting pulled today and relocated. 2.5 gallons of syrup, some taffy (oops) and about 40G of sap in reserve ready for batch 3 soon...first timer


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[AndrewsofBow]

Tapped half yesterday. As I was contemplating my decision (I'm in my third year) I was getting dripped on by all the squirrel nicks from up above. Enough that it was almost like there had been some ice on the branches, but nope. Trees were running. I do have mainly CV taps that were disinfected prior to, so I'm hoping that if we have slow periods where it's supposed to get colder will be outlived by an early season.

[Tmeeeh]

We finished tapping last Sunday 2,200 taps on vacuum with CV adapters. We made 80 gallons of syrup and expect to make another 40 or so before it freezes up next week. Sap is around 2%.

This is 10 days earlier than ever in the 41 years we have been doing this. With vacuum and/or CVs it seems there is not much penalty for tapping early. Without vacuum and CVs we probably would have waited. Anyway we would rather miss a late run and catch the early ones. We like Golden and Amber Grades the best! That late season sap smell makes me gag! What do I say to customers who ask for syrup made from that late rotten stuff?

[NHTREEGUY]

Well, got into the woods today to walk lines and fix what I could with what I brought. Minor stuff now, couple fittings on mainline to fix, and then just tapping! I'm glad I got it all out of the way before more snow! It was a beautiful day to be in the woods. More than one time I cut some nice deer tracks and got side tracked from what I was doing.

[NHTREEGUY]

Going to try and tap out today! Getting ready for the warm up

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Good luck!! I am going to tap 40 more tomorrow....that should be it for me this season and will put me right at 150. :-)

[BAP]

Same here. I was hoping it would warm up a little faster today, but it is already clouding in. Was -13 here this morning and up to +8 now. I will probably go out in a hour or two and work on getting tapped.

[Sinzibuckwud]

Almost tapped out today, this year the boy was hauling out buckets and lids on his sled, really sped things up in the back section :)

[NHTREEGUY]

Well I thought all my proactive work chasing lines before tapping would pay off. Not the case. I didnt set a tap until around 330pm. I miscalculated the height of my tank to where I stopped my run of pipe. So had to re-figure what the heck I was going to do. That was frustrating. Still a good day to be in the woods, cant complain about any day I get to spend in the woods! Be back out after plowing tomorrow morning.

[BlueberryHill]

I've got all my taps in here. Got a good bit done today and everything is READY TO ROCK! I have 342 taps in. Still have a couple other spots that I might add taps if I get a chance. Would like to get up to 400. Everything s far is on tubing but I will probably get some buckets going once the flow starts. I think it's almost here!!!!

[Wingo87]

Good to hear neighbor! It should flow tomorrow. I'm up to 60 taps now and I'm ready for some more sap. When I see steam down your way I will stop in and see your new evaporator in action.

[jake22si]

I still haven't tapped yet, next week still looks a little cloudy and cool.

[Wingo87]

Your missing out. I have pulled in over 1/2 gal per tap sence last night. Most are still running good. Might get 40 gal in 24 hours on 60 taps!

[NHTREEGUY]

I was able to get one Side of property tapped Monday/Tuesday. Put me at about 200 taps. Holes were dry Tuesday. Tap rest of property Saturday. That will put me at the 450 mark. Collecting is my next hurdle. Still lots to do in sugar house too. Working full-time really puts a damper on sugaring season.

[Don m]

How's the sugar content so far?

[NHTREEGUY]

Havent collected yet. I heard from the early run it was low.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

I got another 100 gallons today......never got above freezing today in Merrimack but the bright sun made the trees I tapped flow. I am not up to 159 taps, and that will be it for me this season. I have 1 more opportunity to tap another persons property but I may pass on it.

[maplestudent]

looks like some of you are having some success.

I hope to get tapped in this weekend. I spent last weekend cleaning up a number of trees that fell in succession, like dominoes, starting with a 20" or so maple that uprooted on the other side of the fence (state property) which toppled one of my 12" maples and a number of smaller trees and landed on my tubing. A lot of work to clear some of that up and get the tubing back up. Will finish that multiple tree cleanup later. Wasn't happy about losing that 12" maple.....however it does have some upside as I now have a few nice logs to feed the sawmill.

[NHTREEGUY]

Finally got all tapped in. Went to pump into truck. Brand new pump, motor blew. Put a damper on the day. Trees were still running pretty good. I packed up and started to tap another property with buckets. Trees were spewing pretty good.

[maplestudent]

I tapped on Saturday too. now got to get my barrel stove set up. lots of work to do, but it's all part of the fun.