West End of U.P.

[Boone]

Tapped 90+ trees on 3/4/18 and had some flow. However, the Temp has taken its toll and it stopped. Went out on 3/10 and checked and all frozen, but began to run again. This week looks good by Wednesday on the Southern Shores of The Big Lake (45+ degrees) and low 20's at night. Believe I will take Friday off from work, collect and cook. I am hooked on this as well as is my camp buddy of 30 years. I will keep posted about how the run goes throughout the year as we are located on the western most point of MI I the U.P. The Montreal River runs into Lake Superior 2 miles away from the 100 acres we tap. Hope all is well with everyone and good luck. (We walked in a mile on snowshoes to tap and realized the trees were still under 3.5 feet of snow. This year will be a test!)

[Jolly Acres Farm]

Boone,

Welcome to Maple trader. Always good to see another Yooper join. Good luck and hope your sap runs 3% for all your effort.

[nasion]

I've been holding off tapping yet here in Chassell, weather thus far didn't look too promising. Finally planning to put in my 38 taps Tuesday or Wednesday to get ahead of the flow that ought to be coming. Looking forward to getting out there!

A mile of snowshoeing sounds fun, except for the hauling tapping supplies part... :D

[northernlite]

Hi. This is Northernlite from the UP Michigan Forum. I'm up at Lake Medora. Tapped 40 Sunday at end of day a few drops. Should run this weekend. 3x4 pan, snowshoe in, I just have a quota of 5gal, I figured out no sense in making it more work than it already is. Good luck...check out saptapapp

[Boone]

Boone,

Welcome to Maple trader. Always good to see another Yooper join. Good luck and hope your sap runs 3% for all your effort.

Thanks Jolly Acres Farm. keep me posted about the season!

[Boone]

I am hoping the same. I guess it is true .... Patience is a virtue northerlite!

[Boone]

I've been holding off tapping yet here in Chassell, weather thus far didn't look too promising. Finally planning to put in my 38 taps Tuesday or Wednesday to get ahead of the flow that ought to be coming. Looking forward to getting out there!

A mile of snowshoeing sounds fun, except for the hauling tapping supplies part... :D

Keep me posted on your run and I will do the same!

[Marko]

I tap 2 miles out of Ontonagon
Plan on tapping tomorrow (3/13/17) and will try to give updates

[Boone]

It is 3/13 and it is snowing to beat the band on the west end. Hopefully tomorrow's warm up will be as good as they are calling for ....

[Boone]

Checked the taps on Friday. Had about 18 gallons and did a trial boil on Friday night. 2 pints of golden syrup, but that was it! Great stuff, however. Collected again on Sunday and 10 gallons. The ground still has 2 feet of snow and temps look cold this week. It HAS to break soon. I will be checking taps again when it gets over 32 degrees. How are others doing in the U.P.?

[nasion]

I only took in 6 gallons of sap from my 38 taps for the whole weekend here in Chassell. Still 2-3 feet of snow out there. I anticipate ice concentrating that sap down quite a bit throughout the week. Maybe I'll boil on Friday and get a few tablespoons of syrup!

No great run in sight yet, just gotta be patient. Might as well rebuild the chicken coop and do a few other chores while I'm at it... any day now, spring!

[Marko]

Tapped on 3/13/2018 and it has been really slow. Looking good for the upcoming week in Ontonagon.

[Boone]

Checks 90 taps, Boiled on March 25 and have 4 Pints. Hope this gets better!

[Boone]

The weekend forcast is in. It does not look good for this home team. We are forcast for weather below freezing for the next week with a winter storm warning for tonight into tomorrow. They are calling for TEN inches of snow! I have a lot of fight, but after 4 weeks only 36 gallons of sap off 90 taps, I don't know. I will give it a little more, but if the weather does not break, I am going to go smelting ......... if the lake ice ever leaves!

[Boone]

Last weekend we collected 30 gallons of crystal clear ICE! Oh well .... Tuesday through Wednesday looks good?? They are then calling for a storm to bring between 12-24 inches here on the weekend! I am going to wait one more week. I still have 1-2 feet of snow in the woods and the base of the trees just began the "melted ring" we all get excited about. Keep working everyone, it will happen I hope.

[Boone]

Boiled for the third time yesterday. We ended up getting 1.5 gallons of that liquid gold. Fast forward to today and we are in a blizzard warning and the snow is now coming. I still have the taps in and look for two more weeks, but are supposed to get 14-18 inches today into tomorrow. We will see, but have finally hit the overall total for three boils of 2.3 gallons of gold. Hope everyone else is doing well!

[nasion]

Just boiled for the first time today in the midst of the fun winter storm we're getting. Hiked out to the sugar shack with only a couple inches on the ground, by the time I hiked home there were foot-high drifts burying all my trails. It's days like today that I wish my sugar shack was more insulated... and not leaky like a sieve.

Can't argue with the results though - 2.2 gallons of syrup from 43 gallons of sap! Granted I've been freezing down a lot of that sap for the past two weeks patiently awaiting the day that I'd have enough to boil... but hey, less time boiling in the end! Looking forward to making more as soon as the weather figures out what season its supposed to be.

[Boone]

Had collected 105 gallons and only yielded 2 and 1/2 gallons. We ended up storing for four Oslo days and I think we lost sugar .... But have to work all day, so the weekend is it! We are going to do one more boil and call it a year. It is supposed to be 62 degrees tomorrow and rain on Tuesday and I have a feeling the "buddy" time will creep in. Good luck to everyone.

[Boone]

Hello everyone! I am excited for another year of Sapping! We expanded to 50 bags and another 70 buckets for a total of 120 taps. We cleaned everything and are ready to roll. However, one problem ... Below zero temps until March 12th at least. We just received 18" of the white stuff again. It is disheartening, but we will be ready when the time comes! Good luck to everyone!

[goose52]

Hello, Boone!
i too am getting antsy and am doing more reading about sugaring than actually doing anything constructive. According to this site i will be tapping on 3/15:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/hermansville-mi/49847/march-weather/2211119

having trouble keeping the camp road open but a "captain of industry" on our road had a worker with dozer moving snow last weekend. heading up tomorrow to try n maintain it with my 1/2 ton n plow.
good luck to u as well
mark

[Boone]

I am going to put my taps in on 3/21 or 3/22. That is as long as I can wait as I believe once the weather breaks here, it is going to warm up fast and I need to be prepared. This start date is two full weeks later than last year, but the temp is not cooperating this year either. Good luck to everyone!

[Boone]

Well, the 7 day weather trend on the shores of Lake Superior look favorable ... so we tapped yesterday on 3/16. The sap was flowing as we were tapping. It is a good thing my buddy Paul insisted that we tap this weekend or we would have missed some nice clean ups! Good luck to everyone!

[Boone]

Not the best for most, but our best clean up ever. Since Sunday, we have collected 125 gallons and will boil our fist time this season. Good Times!

[nasion]

Great conditions so far for me! Boiled 45 gallons of sap for 1.75 gallons of syrup yesterday, a nice honey color too. Plenty more still to go in storage and on the way with the nice weather coming up. Loads of snow on the ground will help drag out this season for a while I hope.

[Boone]

Great conditions so far for me! Boiled 45 gallons of sap for 1.75 gallons of syrup yesterday, a nice honey color too. Plenty more still to go in storage and on the way with the nice weather coming up. Loads of snow on the ground will help drag out this season for a while I hope.

I believe this will be a great week also. Good luck Nasion, it sounds like you got some grade "A" syrup. After this, the smelt should be close to running with Cohos hanging around off shore.

[Boone]

Cleaning up tomorrow night. Can't wait to see how much sap we get!

[UPventrure]

We made 5.75 gallons out of 250 gallons this past weekend. We're going to head up tonight and pick again.

[nasion]

The weather over the past week has been fantastic for pulling in gobs of sap. I can barely keep up! Fortunately the spring crust has been excellent and I haven't needed snowshoes once while out collecting. A great year so far for me!

[Boone]

I fell off the posting last year ............ sorry everyone! We ended up with 13 gallons of syrup last year and I am anxious to get the process started again this year. The weather has been very cold and I hope it breaks soon. I think I am going to set up everything next weekend and tap on March 6th if the weather looks favorable. We ended up buying a new pan and use the other as a back up. We also increased our project to 105 taps with all bags and hangers. We moved away from the buckets, but will probably add them if the run looks solid. Overall, I am happy to be getting the job rolling again. Good luck everyone!

[Pdiamond]

I really like using the bags rather than the buckets, however I put up a few buckets with my grandkids so they can help. Going to try some 3/16's tubing this year to see how that works.

[Boone]

I switched over to bags two years ago and upped the taps to 104. It is a lot easier and cleaner for working with the sap. Sounds like you are getting ready PDiamond!

[Boone]

44 degrees here today. I am getting ready to tap! This weekend looks like the time.

[nasion]

Yup! Perfect temps coming up next week. Spending this week cleaning and readying my gear, then tapping this weekend. Here it comes!

[Boone]

Crazy amount of Sap this week and weekend. I am sitting on 150 and boiled 189 this weekend. I am getting tired, but the liquid gold sure is good. I will finish this week. I am pulling my taps this Tuesday as I have buds all over. The Season came and went in a fury.

[Boone]

Wow crazy temps here with-35. Was going to get equipment ready this weekend and not go ice fishing, but doesn't look good. I planned to tap the first weekend of March, but may be delayed. We will see. Good luck everyone!

[Balrog006]

Wow crazy temps here with-35. Was going to get equipment ready this weekend and not go ice fishing, but doesn't look good. I planned to tap the first weekend of March, but may be delayed. We will see. Good luck everyone!

-35? Ouch, yeah you’ve likely got a couple weeks to wait yet….

[Boone]

Well, it warmed up for two days and now it looks like rain snow mix all weekend with no temps above 30 degrees. Getting frustrated as the weather is not cooperating. We usually tap this weekend.

[Balrog006]

Well, it warmed up for two days and now it looks like rain snow mix all weekend with no temps above 30 degrees. Getting frustrated as the weather is not cooperating. We usually tap this weekend.

Tapping for me and from some others posts in other parts of the lower, a week to 3 late here as well. I thinks that’s just the season we have this year.

[Boone]

It is what it is. We can't rush Mother Nature.........no matter how much we would like to "will" it. Good luck!

[Boone]

I am going to tap my trees next Saturday. We had a rainstorm with thunder last night followed up immediately with 5 inches of new snow. There is a layer of .5 inchs of ice everywhere. I have a feeling if I do not tap next weekend that I will be caught when the flow is in full swing. The time of year is dictating this as I think the season may last only 2-4 weeks with as many boils. 110 taps going in next weekend. Good luck everyone!

[Balrog006]

Yikes, good luck indeed!

[Boone]

Next week's temps look ideal for our area. Tapping this Saturday!

[Boone]

Tapped 90+ trees today. Temp was only 17 above, but next week is ideal with temps in the high 30's to low 40's during the day and 10 to 20 degrees overnight. Now I wait. Still 30 inches of snow in the woods though. Got a workout with the snowshoes today. Happy sappin everyone!

[Boone]

Well, not much happening. We have 90+tapped and just a dribble. We will see come Sunday. Better luck to everyone else. It does not look good for this area.

[Boone]

Got up this morning to find a fresh coating of snow had arrived overnight. It has been tough trying to catch a break even though it is not all bad as I am banking on it warming up substantially today........fingers crossed.

[Boone]

Well, collected 50 gallons and boiled it off. We still need to finish, but the whole thing went south with the latest ice storm and a TON of cancellations locally. Nothing running here.

[nasion]

Looks like the next week or so should be decent, at least up here in the Keweenaw. Boiled last weekend and made just under two gallons to start the season off. Not as high of sugar % on the first boil as it is usually, probably a lot of rain/tree pee got in the buckets I figure.

Spring crust has been amazing for pruning apple trees in the meantime at least!

[Boone]

Good luck to you in the Keeweenaw! I may go out to the camp tonight to get ready for the run that should happen tomorrow. The next 5 days look good. We may be out of our slump!

[Boone]

Great day today! 150 gallons of sap and it is still flowing. Looks like a good week coming.

[nasion]

Dang, nice haul. I feel like we're in the thick of it now. Hoping to boil on Wednesday and then again this coming weekend. Snowpack is decreasing by the day!

[Boone]

Same here with that snowpack. Raining hard here and snow (5-10) for the next few days. I may pull taps this weekend as it looks to be 58 on Sunday. The buds are going to burst here soon. We still have clear sap with high sugar, but we just did a 3 day boil and have 15 gallons to finish. We have enough for our 2 families for the next year and have some to give away. Good luck Nasion and happy sapping!

[Boone]

All done. I pulled the taps and made over 8 gLlons of syrup. Family trip and other responsibilities came up as I did not think this season would drag out this much. Good sap still, but just need to call it quits. The smelt should be running here soon, so off to the next big adventure. Good season and good luck to everyone until next year. Be safe and take care.

[nasion]

Sounds like a successful season. I've still got firewood, sap, and time on the weekends in the tank so I'm still at it. Looks like it'll be cooling down again this weekend and next week so I might get another 2-3 boils in. I've been training a friend on maple syruping and he picked quite the year to get started! At times we've been drowning in sap and can't boil it fast enough.

[Boone]

I hear you! Good luck this week and next as it DOES look good. Nice temps! May you gain an abundance of liquid gold. Keep me posted how you end up.

[Boone]

Wow: It has been a tough year so far. We still have 3 feet of snow in our south facing fields. Have tapped 90+ trees and only have 2 gallons of the liquid gold so far. I have a bad feeling it is going to be a fast run all at once and then it will "bud" and be over.