Tapping Monongalia County - 2024

[llew.williams]

I am tapping on January 7 this year. My last two years have been really a low yield, the worst of the 11 seasons that I have been here. I'm relatively low and warm compared to those up in the mountains. I'm going early this year. I'm excited to get started. I will be grateful for whatever I get. Let the season start!

[220 maple]

llew.Williams,
I think your wise to go early, Morgantown weather is not like the higher elevations, but you get the lake effect snows a lot, I rarely get them in the Eastern Panhandle, Good Luck, keep us posted on your progress in 2024. Hope you have your best season ever!
Mark220Maple

[darkmachine]

I appreciate your motivation to get started! Last season i wish i had started a week or two earlier....i still don't think i'll start until the end of January or the start of February. I have a lot of work to do before i can start though. We have a bit of a micro-climate here so our season stretches a little longer, but i couldn't do it without vacuum. Eastern Panhandle

[llew.williams]

I am tapping on January 7 this year. My last two years have been really a low yield, the worst of the 11 seasons that I have been here. I'm relatively low and warm compared to those up in the mountains. I'm going early this year. I'm excited to get started. I will be grateful for whatever I get. Let the season start!

Today (January 5) was forecast to be 40 degrees and sunny. I started at 9:30. It was 23 degrees but warmed up quickly. After noon I was starting to see some sap flow as soon as I drilled a hole. Not gushing, but flowing. I love drilling a hole and see sap flow immediately. I was able to test vacuum pump and releaser. By 3 PM I had moderate sap flow. I got in 164 taps. Phew! I will finish on Sunday. Tuesday is forecast to be around 50. I may get to run the RO this week. Time to clean and get ready.

I've been including 5 black walnut trees for the last couple of years. I think it really improves the taste of my syrup.

[marylandlinemaple]

going to put in my first taps tomorrow in preston county. hoping for a better season than last year. taps dried up in februrary, our worst year ever!

[darkmachine]

I won't be far behind you, we've been below freezing here for about a week so i'm looking at the 26th hopefully. I still have tons of work to do before i can let steam out of any sap.

[canaanmaple]

I've still got to install about 100 more drops at one woods, and do some repairs in another that I couldn't access till Jan 1 because of hunting lease, and now there is 2 feet of snow on the ground, been snowing since new years eve! big thaw coming starting today through the weekend but feel its way to early to tap where I am still. Usually pick valentines day as the default tapping date, so we shall see! Good luck everyone have a great season!

[darkmachine]

I was running mainline wire today and a cut a nick into a small sycamore tree as a height measurement, came back and it was dripping....I had a little panic, but the tree was only about 5in diameter so i went about my business. Just came from the wood pile splitting oak logs...Ice crystals inside. No question in my mind that the small maples that are too small to tap might be running, but anything over 10-12 inches is still frozen solid! PHEW! I can relax and get my work done. Still on track to start tapping this coming weekend.