Poconos 2018

[Maplewalnut]

Weather watching has begun so I guess our season has started. Plan to set releasers and finish putting together evaporator over the next couple days and maybe change out another hundred or two drops otherwise we are ready to begin tapping when finally decided. Very interested to see how bush does on 3/16ths tubing. I will have a Shurflo hooked up to help off set the little elevation drop of lower taps but top to middle of laterals will have plenty of drop.

Good Luck to all

Mike

[SSS2017]

I’m just south of you in Danielsville and I’m also starting to watch. My weather is similar to yours because I’m just on the other side of the Blue Mountains. Weather looks like it’s going to warm up here the second half of January but then February looks cold again. I tapped early last year during the couple week warm stretch in January but then it got cold again and my sap runs weren’t as good. I’m thinking I will hold out to see what weather February brings.

Last year, my first season I was on buckets. This year I’ll have 2 separate lines, 42 trees total on 3/16 with shurflo and 20+ on 5/16th gravity.

[WhistlePig]

Hey Guys, I am west of you, in the endless mountains. Last year was my first year, started later than a few folks around me, because I was still scrambling to get everything set up. My target is right around the end of January, early February, but of course Mother nature is pretty much in charge. Hoping to start earlier and end earlier this year.

[Maplewalnut]

Began tapping yesterday and will finish up over the next couple days after work. Not sure what to make of the weather but we should get some little runs to check for leaks, get lines cleaned up and maybe make some syrup. That will get us to a good spot waiting for the next warm up and the real season to begin.

[Maplewalnut]

Trees are tapped and everything is set. Have to say, very impressed with new 3/16ths bush. No pumps, no releaser to hang up but boy the sap does flow. Putting in gauges to quantify what vacuum I am getting before hooking up a Shurflo. Good luck to all, weather looks cold for a a little while but all subject to change

Mike

[SSS2017]

I’m hoping the cold that’s coming in February still gives us mild days. I should be all laid out by next weekend. It’s my first year running lines on a shurflo. I also just got finished up setting up my new evaporator today. These last two weeks were probably great runs with the mild temps we’ve had.

[WhistlePig]

This is only my second year, but talking with experienced folks last year, the sooner you tap, the sooner the trees start healing. To early and you might miss heavy runs at end. I'm trying to keep in touch with same set of experienced folks around my area. When they pull the trigger, I will pull the trigger. Nobody I talk with here in northeast PA has tapped yet.

[Maplewalnut]

This is only my second year, but talking with experienced folks last year, the sooner you tap, the sooner the trees start healing. To early and you might miss heavy runs at end. I'm trying to keep in touch with same set of experienced folks around my area. When they pull the trigger, I will pull the trigger. Nobody I talk with here in northeast PA has tapped yet.

Not sure who you are talking to, i have already made syrup and I can assure you I wont miss any late runs. Post in the PA thread if you dont mind. Noxen isnt anywhere near the Poconos. Have a good season

[WhistlePig]

Not sure who you are talking to, i have already made syrup and I can assure you I wont miss any late runs. Post in the PA thread if you dont mind. Noxen isnt anywhere near the Poconos. Have a good season

Wow.

I was talking to other newbs like myself trying to figure out one of the most perplexing questions in the business. With so many variables from year to year, I found talking to other, friendly folks with decades of experience about when and why they decide to tap to be especially valuable.

I will probably ignore your rather unfriendly request to post else where. Noxen is a mere 25 miles west of the Poconos, in a mountainous area with very similar climate and weather patterns. Much more relevant than say the Lehigh Valley or more southern and westerns areas of PA.

[Maplewalnut]

Fighting the early season frigid temps in between sap runs. Syrup is very light and taste is subtle. Loving the 3/16ths bush. No worry about reduced vacuum, hung up releasers...just full tanks of sap. Anything left in tanks now will be ice for a week or more. New to me 600gph RO sure is a nice improvement from 250gph model previously used. I now know I spent way too much time ROing last season

[Maplewalnut]

Sap is flowing although not as well as you would expect with a 45 degree day yesterday. Still snow and lots of ice in the woods so maybe thats keeping the sap at bay. Lots of tubing leaks this year, not sure if its just the tubing getting older or a bad squirrel year but it will take some time to find them all. Sp-22 maintaining 20+ inches of vacuum but deadheaded they are 24-25 at releaser.

[Maplewalnut]

Yesterday and today were the biggest sap runs we have had in years. The 600gph RO is a lifesaver, the 250gph unit would of never kept up. Filling barrels daily and weather looks good for the next week or so. No rest for the weary. Vacuum is 25 and 24 on two sp-22s, cant complain with that

[unc23win]

Yesterday and today were the biggest sap runs we have had in years. The 600gph RO is a lifesaver, the 250gph unit would of never kept up. Filling barrels daily and weather looks good for the next week or so. No rest for the weary. Vacuum is 25 and 24 on two sp-22s, cant complain with that

Monday into Tuesday night was my biggest run ever no complaints here either!

[Z/MAN]

I also had the biggest run ever but I also have the lowest sugar content I have ever had, 1.5%. I feel like I am boiling pure water.

[Maplewalnut]

Paul- my sugar has been decent. Monday was a little over 2% and even yesterday afternoon I was at 1.75%. Keep in mind these are woods tress as you know.

[Maplewalnut]

Still getting sap but with no freeze in last couple days, sugar has plummeted. On top of that I have hit the holy grail of sugarsand. We forge ahead and hope tomorrow's hard freeze happens to reset trees

[Maplewalnut]

A lot of damage from blizzard last week. An inch of rain, 60mph hour winds and then 2 ft of snow wrecked havoc on sugarbush. Nearly every pine and hemlock tree 12 inch diameter and under are uprooted or snapped in half. It was a quick thinning of evergreens. Lines are now free from trees but it has been too cold last few days for sap and leak checking. Certainly some taps are out that we have yet to see. another 10-16 inches of snow tonight/tomorrow is making this a challenging season weather wise. Oh and by the way...day 5 without power.... If it is not restored today I fear it will not be til next week with additional storms forecasted.

[doocat]

And Mike I thought we had it bad. Only 20" in the woods. Lots of hemlock and others down as well. But on the positive side we have power. Good Luck!

[Z/MAN]

We came through the storm in good shape. Lots of snow but no trees down and didn't loose power. We will see what this storm brings us. I feel bad for you especially with your open house Saturday. Good luck.

[Z/MAN]

Maplewalnut, how did your year end up?