How is the season going north of the border?

[blissville maples]

How's everyone season going up north?? Has been for a good season, or not so? Curious if everyone is reaching their goals and averages as far as syrup per tap??

[Dlee]

Well winter has come back to us . Syrup season here was stop and go all spring but am happy with the end result had about 130 taps and got 135 l of syrup so I guess that's not to bad also haven't boiled in two weeks. Just got to get things cleaned up and ready for next yr.

[Run Forest Run!]

It's been stop and go here for me too. In reality, more stop than go. This ice/sleet/snow storm is not helping.

[northwood]

I'm in the northern section and this years sap season has been a complete bust. We've had a few day here and there of sap flow followed by several days of freezing or near freezing or snow. I normally have my first boil late March and get 4-5 weeks of "spring run" We are now halfway through April and I've not boiled once. The small amount I did collect has been in frozen storage and probably not worth boiling. (and by "frozen storage" I mean outside in barrels)

Currently looking out my window I see the freezing rain and ice pellets changing over to snow. :-|

[CBOYER]

Around Lac Mégantic, we have made syrup in February, and it is start-and-go since. About 1/3 of usual crop, still have snow on the ground, freezing rain last night....

Around Montreal, they had a good season, almost finish, in east part Bas-St-Laurent they only start the season !

[ennismaple]

For southern and eastern Ontario the season has been good.

Central and more northern parts of the province have struggled to get enough sap to boil. Sugar bushes 15 miles apart have seen significant differences in yield due to the unseasonably cold spring.

https://onmaplesyrup.wordpress.com/2018/04/06/ontario-maple-syrup-production-report-for-april-6-2018/#more-2813

[Wmmaple]

Hasn't been so great in my part of Central ON. Gathered on Fri for the first time without 2 inches of ice in the buckets. Talked to a guy on gravity pipeline and they have only boiled down once as their lines were frozen most of the season. I'm too new at this to tell for sure but I think the sugar content is higher this year than last in the sap I have been able to gather. Seems less boiling for more yield. Should be another run this weekend if I can get back into the sugarbush, we got a foot of heavy snow last night. Oh well, no buds yet lol

[blissville maples]

Sounds like everyone is suffering from the ole polar vortex this year. When it's cold it's too cold and when it warms it gets warmer, can't win.

[ennismaple]

Sounds like everyone is suffering from the ole polar vortex this year. When it's cold it's too cold and when it warms it gets warmer, can't win.

It really depends on where you are. Producers a half hour drive south of us have been boiling since mid February and shut down because they are out of wood (and energy!) but some that are less than an hour north of us have barely boiled yet.

[Pibster]

I had to shut down two weeks ago. Had a fantastic year but I was getting low on wood and I was getting tired of the long boils. The trees continued to run well for another 10 days.

[Clinkis]

Most producers in my area are already at or past their yearly average and there is still at least another week or 2 of good sapping weather in the forecast. A lot like myself have already shut down because the’ve had enough. This is the longest season I can recall. I’ve never in 35 years of making syrup recall this late in April still collection high quality sap.