2024 Tapping Season in CT

[bryankloos]

Hey All,

Figured I'd get this going as it's now 2024...

I hope everyone had a good off-season, and is busy getting ready for 2024.

Needless to say, its been an interesting start to the Winter.

What's new and when are you thininig about tapping?

Best,

Bryan

[therealtreehugger]

There have been a few days in the past weeks where I think I should have already tapped, but I’m holding off. I’m shooting for late January, although the CT maple meeting is next weekend, so I will see what everyone else has to say. Last year I was not ready and missed the first week, a big run from what I hear. Trying not to let that happen again.

[SkunkWorks]

Need to hear from SugarBear, the oracle when it comes to tapping date… IMHO.

[Sugar Bear]

Need to hear from SugarBear, the oracle when it comes to tapping date… IMHO.


Hope all are well.

In the entire scheme of things, much like the rest of us, I am a know nothing.

But since you asked, my suggestions are in this order ...

If you have more than a few thousand taps start tapping in July. (only kidding for the tight folks out there)

Accept that this season may be a poor season compared to some other season or might be your best season.
*
Read the Kentucky Blog and others for their early success rates. While things do vary measurably just ridge to ridge this still tells us something important about general trends.

Be patient and set your tapping date for no earlier than February 1. I usually tap February 14th but if still frozen then February 21.

Wait 2 or 3 days after the first good temps if things are frozen or are deeply frozen perhaps 4 days. But it depends how good the good temps are.

If you are south of the Merrit in CT down off the Escarpment, then back up my numbers 7 days.

Don't let the world con you in to thinking it is just not going to happen anymore. It will.

[bryankloos]

Sugar Bear... you are better than a bottle of Xanax.
Thanks for calming my nerves.

I'm moving indoors this year. Feel free to come join me at some point!
That invitation goes for everyone else out there as well.

Bryan

[Mike Van]

I gave up on weather.com - so many ads running the page wouldn't load 1/2 the time. I use this one now https://www.wfsb.com/weather/ they seem to get it pretty good. After the 15th, they're showing some cold weather coming, for how long who knows? This could be our new 'normal' here in Ct. Time will tell.

[therealtreehugger]

Who is going to the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut (MSPAC) meeting this sat? This will be my first year going, as I just joined this fall.

[bryankloos]

Was hoping to but the mountains of Vermont are calling me....

[SkunkWorks]

Any discussion of this crazy warm weather?

[therealtreehugger]

One of the speakers said go with your normal tap date, minus a week. Tap holes are viable for up to eight weeks, maximum, so look in your records to your average date of your last run, and go back 6-8 weeks. Then, to account for global warming, he goes back another week.
It was a really good day, with lots of vendors, and really good talks.

[MapleCaddie]

Hello, this will be my second season tapping, I was hooked from the first drop that landed in my bucket and I have anxiously awaited the 2024 season. On my property I have 6 Red Maples, 2 Silvers, 1 Sugar and then on my in-laws property there are three large sugars and 5 reds. Last year I was able to get about three gallons of syrup with the majority of the sap coming from the sugars and the silver maple. I barely got anything from the Red Maples. I would have to say that 2 or three of them didn’t even fill a buckets worth throughout the season. I am in the Hartford area, my property sits a bit low so in the spring the soil is a bit sloppy but my in-laws is not. Questions I have are:

- Is this quite normal for red maples?
- Does anyone else have this issue?
- Could I have tapped incorrectly?

Would like to know because My neighbor has 8 really large red maples she said I could tap but do not want to Either waste the resources if I could find something else or, assuming I tapped incorrectly, make the same mistakes.

Thanks for your time and any advice is welcome and appreciated.

[DRoseum]

Very typical of red maples. They are finicky on buckets/gravity. Under vacuum they run great and will produce the same amount of syrup per tap as sugar maples that are on vacuum. U of V did a great study on it
https://youtu.be/ncnlc3tLBt8?si=SPO6cRQ0PmimOEvy

[MapleCaddie]

Thank you for replying to me. I gathered that they are finicky based on things I read here but I wasn’t sure if there was a way around it. Unfortunately, even though I would love to have an operation that ran on vacuum, I am stuck with buckets, bags, and drop lines into 5 gallon buckets.

Is anyone looking into using the new Middle Valley Spouts that UVM created?

Thanks again for the replies.

[MapleCaddie]

Hello, have you decided on when you are going to tap? This upcoming week looks like it will be 40s during the day and freezing at night. Only my second year so ai am afraid to tap too early because I don’t know if that can throw my trees off and screw up my entire season.

Not sure if that meeting helped you to decide or not.

Hope I am not a bother asking. Thanks.

[bryankloos]

Haven’t decided yet.
I’m still eying the first week in February as the warm up next week won’t do much for flows as it will be above freezing for several days.
I usually do well tapping around Feb 1, though I’m on vac so that helps extend the season.
Anyone else itching to tap, or holding out?

[Kcorey]

I think I am going to tap this coming weekend , I’m on vacuum as well. In Madison CT, last year I tapped February 4.

[Woodsrover]

I put up a few runs this past Sunday. Will do the rest this coming weekend. With luck I'll be firing the evaporator the first weekend in February.
My 13 year-old has talked me into some buckets after a break for a couple years. Hung around 70 of those too.

[DaveB]

Hello, this will be my second season tapping, I was hooked from the first drop that landed in my bucket and I have anxiously awaited the 2024 season. On my property I have 6 Red Maples, 2 Silvers, 1 Sugar and then on my in-laws property there are three large sugars and 5 reds. Last year I was able to get about three gallons of syrup with the majority of the sap coming from the sugars and the silver maple. I barely got anything from the Red Maples. I would have to say that 2 or three of them didn’t even fill a buckets worth throughout the season. I am in the Hartford area, my property sits a bit low so in the spring the soil is a bit sloppy but my in-laws is not. Questions I have are:

- Is this quite normal for red maples?
- Does anyone else have this issue?
- Could I have tapped incorrectly?

Would like to know because My neighbor has 8 really large red maples she said I could tap but do not want to Either waste the resources if I could find something else or, assuming I tapped incorrectly, make the same mistakes.

Thanks for your time and any advice is welcome and appreciated.

Last year was really warm and unusual in that we didn't have any long sustained cold weather. I've been sugaring for 32 years and keeping weather records for 38 and last year was one of only 3 for me like that. I also tap mostly reds (nothing wrong with them) but I've found that the best sap runs even with good freeze/thaw cycles is after a good period of cold in January. We didn't have any long periods last year. I think the past 12 days will be bode well. Looks like an early run later this week and more seasonal weather next week?

[DaveB]

Looks like there could be an early run this week after the cold that we had but I think I'm going to next weekend (2/3). Next week looks seasonal around me and I don't think I would get enough this week to make it worth while. After the mild winter last year I was so happy to get a solid 12 days of below freezing weather...hope that bodes well for the season!

[MapleCaddie]

Last year was really warm and unusual in that we didn't have any long sustained cold weather. I've been sugaring for 32 years and keeping weather records for 38 and last year was one of only 3 for me like that. I also tap mostly reds (nothing wrong with them) but I've found that the best sap runs even with good freeze/thaw cycles is after a good period of cold in January. We didn't have any long periods last year. I think the past 12 days will be bode well. Looks like an early run later this week and more seasonal weather next week?

Very cool information to have. Thank you for sharing. All of my taps are on gravity, primarily buckets and sap saks, a few lines that drop into 5 gallon pails…Can tapping this weekend hinder my season at all if it is “too early”? Unfortunately some things are going to make it impossible for me to boil for a couple weeks in february so I am hopping my taps can last til mid march….I believe I read on here one time that buckets can only last 4-6 weeks before they close up. Can anyone confirm? Last year I collected my last buckets on March 22, and they were flowing over. It was unbelievable but I had to pull them. I am so addicted I selfishly want it to last forever.

[tanta]

To my fellow Southern CT Sugarmakers - I just wanted to let you know that Lafite (who posted here often) of Greenwood Estates Maple Syrup in Cheshire, sadly and suddenly passed away this past June. Condolences to his wife and two children. When I was sugarmaker at Brooksvale Park he came and soaked up the little knowledge I had about sugarmaking and created his own label and enjoyed every sweet minute. He also willingly shared his syrup, gave us some to sell at the park as the Friends group is a non-profit and loved sharing the craft of sugarmaking with all who inquired. As this tapping season approaches in our area, he will be sorely missed.

[DrTimPerkins]

Godspeed Lafite.

[therealtreehugger]

Time to tap??? I have the itch! For where I am, North Guilford, the next week looks like some good runs. I still have to clean out my sap collection tank, but that will be done today. I may tap some and see what I get. Anyone else?

[Kcorey]

I tapped about 50 yesterday. Then broke my vacuum
Pump so waiting on a new guzzler , upgrade from the Shurflo I hope. Have about 130 taps to put in. Will do them this week . In north Madison

[Mike Van]

Planning on starting tomorrow -

[bryankloos]

I'm hoping to get about 75 taps in tomorrow.
Then another 75 later this week.
Buckets will come a couple weeks later.
At least, thats the plan...

[bryankloos]

Put in all 151 taps today. I had to chase some squirrel chews and a tap or two that were cracked, but all is good and the first run is running to ground to clean the lines.
Hopefully I can get the evaporator filled up in the next couple days and sweetened. Fun times!

[SkunkWorks]

The weather on Sunday was just too dreary, hoping to tap later this week or this weekend.

[therealtreehugger]

I tapped 40+ taps on tubing today. Will see how much I get tomorrow, to see if is enough to consider the tubing “rinsed”. Ran out of daylight on Sunday after cleaning stuff. I still have about two dozen trees on buckets to tap, large, so two taps each. Let the festivities begin!!

[CTfarm]

I'm all in. I tapped 55 tubing yesterday and it was running pretty good. I will tap the rest today. I was going to hold off a couple more weeks, but it looks like we'll get 6 or 7 good days coming up. That's a lot of sap to pass up.

[Mike Van]

sap was running here in Kent, despite another crummy 34 degree day with no sunshine.

[woodguyrob]

Starting tomorrow here in Pomfret should have all 50+ in by saturday.

[CTfarm]

I collected 105 gallons of 2% sap today off of 97 taps. I wasn't expecting anything today but it was still flowing.

[SkunkWorks]

Running well for me too! I do not expect to be able to fire the evaporator until this weekend, hopefully this sap does not spoil.

[Mike Van]

we really need a frost - I think it's coming tonight, Sat night for sure.

[TheNamelessPoet]

So last year I tapped this weekend. I was looking at the weather, thinking I should this weekend again, but now it looks TOO warm so I am going to wait until next weekend as of now.
Last year, I think, was a little too early because as everyone else was getting good runs, mine were drying up. I only have the capacity of about 55ish taps, so even though we had a few more trees I stopped at about 55-60 between my house and a friends house. So, when I saw that some of our best trees were giving probably ½ what they were earlier in the season, I decided to tap a couple others just to see, and they ran like I would have expected. I do think that my tap holes dried out, because we did get a week almost of 50’s temps IIRC. I heard at the yearly preseason meeting, a few guys say that you want to find the best 20 days generally over time that you have and plan around that based on weather.
Next season I am really going to see about using a vacuum, but I absolutely have to upgrade my RO first or I’ll just be dumping it on the ground lol. The idea of vacuum also interests me, because then we can get a large tank or 2, and just run everything into there, making collecting MUCH easier in the dark at night!


SOOOO excited to get started tho. I sold it for the 1st time this past year and I couldn't believe how much my "regulars" loved it! Bring on the sap Mama Nature!!!

[TheNamelessPoet]

Hello, this will be my second season tapping, I was hooked from the first drop that landed in my bucket and I have anxiously awaited the 2024 season. On my property I have 6 Red Maples, 2 Silvers, 1 Sugar and then on my in-laws property there are three large sugars and 5 reds. Last year I was able to get about three gallons of syrup with the majority of the sap coming from the sugars and the silver maple. I barely got anything from the Red Maples. I would have to say that 2 or three of them didn’t even fill a buckets worth throughout the season. I am in the Hartford area, my property sits a bit low so in the spring the soil is a bit sloppy but my in-laws is not. Questions I have are:

- Is this quite normal for red maples?
- Does anyone else have this issue?
- Could I have tapped incorrectly?

Would like to know because My neighbor has 8 really large red maples she said I could tap but do not want to Either waste the resources if I could find something else or, assuming I tapped incorrectly, make the same mistakes.

Thanks for your time and any advice is welcome and appreciated.

Also in Northern CT... Interesting about the Red's I did not have GREAT luck with my Red's this past season and my silver gave almost nothing.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Who is going to the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut (MSPAC) meeting this sat? This will be my first year going, as I just joined this fall.

Hey... welcome! I wad there too!

[tanta]

Sorry...I listed an Ad but don't see the pics there, so I must've done something wrong. Sigh. I have misc. supplies including a finishing pan, with burner, 3 metal and 3 plastic buckets, spiles, hydrometer, a new drill bit, a dial thermometer, etc. A $1200 value give or take according to the recent Bascom catalog. I'm selling the lot for $500. I'm no longer teaching at Brooksvale Park and I'm hanging up my Sugar Mama hat and concentrating on my art and writing. kirstenwalker.com I used this equipment as an on the road teacher during Covid and to tap my own trees. It's all in good condition. If you're starting out or teaching the next generation, I'd love to sell it to you. If you live in CT we can arrange to meet. If you are not, it's probably too costly to ship. Thanks!

[Mike Van]

I had 2 moths in a bucket yesterday, don't think they saw their shadows though. Little early for moths - But with no snow, ice, or frost in the ground everything else is early too. Maybe our tax return will come early too -

[voluntucky tapper]

over here in S E Ct put in 40 more drop line/bucket today wet drilling for every tap,nice ,i'l finish with the rest tap/bucket tomorrow,

[Woodsrover]

Collected 400? gallons yesterday morning and made first steam. Managed to sweeten the pan and still draw off a few gallons. Looks like this will be a good week.

[pyro]

It's been a few years since I've done this, going to try again this year. I haven't tapped yet. Seems like temps are heading below freezing after next weekend. Should I wait, or try to tap immediately and get what this week has to offer. On buckets.

[Mike Van]

There is a really great week coming for sap runs - If it gets cold again next week, no problem, it will warm again. Better that than a prolonged warm spell. Just my 2 cents.

[bryankloos]

Hows everyone doing this week?
I've been slower than expected....

[SkunkWorks]

Huge, about 1 gal/sap/day each day. I’m at 1/2 the syrup I made last year and I’m still not fully tapped, and its early February ?!? 2%.

[Sugar Bear]

Hows everyone doing this week?
I've been slower than expected....

I have not tapped yet but would have tapped my tubing/vacuum taps at the start of last week if I had my act together. This has definitely been the weather make up of an extra early tap date. However, my plan is to start after next weeks "apparent" freeze up, assuming I can get things done. Considering making syrup is my favorite of my current activities/engagements, I should find a way.

I am not surprised at sap flows. I suspect my trees would give about the same flow rates as yours. I know temps have been ideal ... the freeze thaw cycles and all ... and wood temps ideal for flow ..,,, and I know there is no evidence that the angle of the sun in the sky has any effect on sap flow rates according to the VERY high IQ's at the research centers. But I still say the last week of January will never turn into the last week of February. At least not in our lifetimes or our children's, and at least not as far as the trees are concerned. No matter how hard we try to make it or wish it so.

If its flowing sap we are after, we all should have tapped late last fall, when the woodpeckers start tapping.

Hopefully you have made some good syrup from this first run. I wish I had. You are on vacuum/tubing runs. Keep them sealed as well as possible and be ready for the coming weeks.

As we know ... It's possible the sap flow will end for the season this weekend.

But do NOT bet a single penny on any odds that it will!

[berkshires]

I am not surprised at sap flows. I suspect my trees would give about the same flow rates as yours. I know temps have been ideal ... the freeze thaw cycles and all ... and wood temps ideal for flow ..,,, and I know there is no evidence that the angle of the sun in the sky has any effect on sap flow rates according to the VERY high IQ's at the research centers. But I still say the last week of January will never turn into the last week of February. At least not in our lifetimes or our children's, and at least not as far as the trees are concerned. No matter how hard we try to make it or wish it so

Actually I would be very surprised to hear that there is no evidence for lower sap rate from researchers (given all else being equal) earlier in the season. Since it's the sun that makes it get warm, making the sap flow, of course we would see more sap from a longer day with stronger sun. I've certainly never seen the good doctor on here say anything to the contrary.

By the way, this is one of my pet theories about why sugaring is more lucrative the further north you go. The later you shift your sap season, the longer the days and the heavier the flow on sap days, due to longer days with stronger sun.

Cheers,

Gabe O

[Sugar Bear]

Actually I would be very surprised to hear that there is no evidence for lower sap rate from researchers (given all else being equal) earlier in the season. Since it's the sun that makes it get warm, making the sap flow, of course we would see more sap from a longer day with stronger sun. I've certainly never seen the good doctor on here say anything to the contrary.

By the way, this is one of my pet theories about why sugaring is more lucrative the further north you go. The later you shift your sap season, the longer the days and the heavier the flow on sap days, due to longer days with stronger sun.

Cheers,

Gabe O

No ... but I have heard the good doctor say that there is no evidence that the "angle of the sun" effects sap flow rates. And I certainly believe that and his research.

The "angle of the sun" is conveniently parallel with length of daylight in our system on our planet. The higher the angle the longer the daylight and Visa Versa. "Daylight length" and "angle of the sun" are synonymous terms on this scientific frontier. They are interchangeable with the system we rotate on. Warm temperatures and "Daylight length"/"Angle of the Sun" are not synonymous terms on our frontier. It's expected to get close to 60 degrees tomorrow but be cloudy. The sun, its angle and its duration have nothing or little to do with those 60 degrees at our cloud covered region.

But as Brian pointed out we have the warm temp days now and the warm wood temps with good freezing nights that we might expect in the first week of March but not the sap flow we expect and might get in the first week of March with the exact same weather/temps albeit slightly longer daylight/higher angle of the sun in the first week of March.

Seen it a time or two too many!

So, I propose that daylight length / angle of the sun "in and of itself" does effect/impact what the trees will decide to do. assuming appropriate ambient air and matter temperatures are already there.

No ... I have absolutely no evidence that is the case.

And I have no evidence that the planet we live on will not implode tomorrow.

So ..... I hope that gets my point across.

Sorry if it does not.

[Woodsrover]

Hows everyone doing this week?
I've been slower than expected....

I went and checked tanks and buckets last night expecting them to be overflowing. Not so. I expected to see 600 gallons and maybe I have 250-300. With luck I'll have 400+ to boil tomorrow but I guess we'll see in the morning.

[Mike Van]

On a big thaw here in Kent, picked up 140 gal this afternoon, putting me at about 550 so far. Early this week the nights were just too cold, 19 one morning, 20 the next, nothing runs 'till about 2 pm, then slowing by dark. It is nice walking to pickup though, no snow, ice, or mud.

[therealtreehugger]

I tapped my tubing trees almost two weeks ago, on Monday. First boil was the following Monday, as that first week was cold enough to have a skim of ice on the sap keeping it cold enough. I boiled again Thursday night, to boil what I had before going away for the weekend. I’m not expecting much flow for the next few days, as it’s forecasted here by the shore for staying above freezing. I’m planning on tapping the trees on buckets early next week, when there is better sap flowing temps predicted.

[DaveB]

I'm a bit behind everyone else and only started tapping this weekend in Somers. I tap trees in different bushes from the CT River Valley to spots in higher elevations east of here. I put in 130 taps this weekend in the valley and will finish the rest this coming weekend. The sap was flowing very well, a good sign. This week looks cold after several days of warm weather so I don't know how much I'll get this week but I'll be ready for the next big run! The coming snow should help too though I did note patches of snow in several areas in higher elevations which is a good sign that the ground is still plenty cold.

[Person25]

Just a little status update to throw in. I waited to tap, wasn’t worried about that first run in Jan…I aim for the meaty bulk of the season. So I tapped my lines in Durham/Middlefield last Wed, collected around 305gal before the weather yesterday shut it down. Should be a nice recharge now, 1st sugar was 4%, and as that few day run tapered we were down to 1.5% on Monday. Waiting to put in buckets in Somers for a bit longer. Running the RO, getting ready for the first boil on Saturday. Happy sugaring!

[Agent914]

After a 3yr. hiatus I am back to my lonely hobby.

Reinsullated my home built evaporator, sterilized all me gear and bought some new stuff and put in 30 taps over the weekend.

Collected 80+ gallons so far and will be make Sweet Steam over the weekend

[Mike Van]

I have to go pick up today, even as cold as it's been, I had some 3/4 full buckets yesterday - I really don't like snow, makes everything harder to do.

[Maple dabbler]

Just tapping a couple maple trees behind my condo in Cheshire. Tapped 4 trees on 2/09. Only 3 are producing much sap, so I'll probably move the poor producing one to a new tree. That's the benefit when you're only doing a few taps. You can baby each one to get a better yield per tree than the big guys. Though I'm not sure what type of maple they are.

Finished my first boil yesterday, using a propane turkey fryer. 99 lbs of sap became 5.1 cups, roughly a 1:37 yield. Not bad for one week with what was essentially 3 taps. Took about 7 hours and $7 worth of propane to do it.

[Mike Van]

we've been on a big freeze here since Sun AM, it was 11. this morning 12 - A few trees will run slowly for an hour or so, some won't budge. The thaw is on the way though, gonna get busy.

[TheNamelessPoet]

we've been on a big freeze here since Sun AM, it was 11. this morning 12 - A few trees will run slowly for an hour or so, some won't budge. The thaw is on the way though, gonna get busy.

I'm in Tolland and I am in the same boat. This freeze is crummy lol

I HOPE today it runs, but under 45 if no sun, it does not run well. The sun on them seems to make a BIG difference.

[Sugar Bear]

Expecting things to really start meaning business on Monday the 26th of Feb. Right on schedule for big maple business in these parts.

A tad late I know but put 50 taps in Thursday and 22 in yesterday. Running VERY well in some aspects and not quite so well in others. But storage filling up and RO better work well. And hope I do not overflow. Some of my aspects doing extremely well even on a 38-degree day in calm sunshine.

Who knows season could be over in two weeks.

Fine with me, I am adamantly opposed to this being a year-round job.

[SkunkWorks]

21 gallons of syrup from 4 weekends, 80 taps, all tubing.

Not bad. Keeping the sap from spoiling until I can get to it next weekend is becoming my biggest challenge.

[voluntucky tapper]

i'm in south eastern Ct, Voluntown ,, its"s 50 degrees at 5am ,it's gonna rain and get windy today/tonight 50 /mph wind,according to tv weather ,then one day/night in 20/30's is that it ??? horrible

[Mike Van]

I boiled off 180 this AM, there should be one more good run coming as we thaw out from today & tonight. After that, it don't look good - like about 7 days of cloudy & showers. No frost showing. I'm sure there will be more, but mid march I'm sure my taps will be done. I'll wait till mid week just to see. I'm at 1500 gal/sap for the season so far - Like to make 2000 but im not sure the frost gods will see it my way.

[DaveB]

I picked up about 100 gallons off my taps in Woodstock today. Sap was flowing well there but not so well down in the valley in Somers. Not sure how well it will run this week with the temps in the 50s but more seasonable weather looks to return after Friday? Hopefully the trees respond accordingly.

[bryankloos]

Is anyone else serioulsy thinking its over?
I'm on the fence, but not optomisitc.
Sap is still running slowly, and I will boil off all the resrves tomorrow.
I'm wondering if this is the last for the season....

[DaveB]

I'm not. It will be over when it's over. We've had warm weeks and cold weeks. Eventually the warm ones will win out. This week looks pretty warm though. I think next week looks more seasonable but I'm just going to wait and see.

[Mike Van]

I've lost a dozen taps, just stopped running. Some of the 100+ others were running like they'd just been drilled. Going to wait a few days, may be frost this Friday or a week out looks colder. Word to the wise though - Some years ago trying to get to 2000 gal/sap i stayed too long, what was in the evaporator went ropey & I had to dump it. Was probably going to be 5 or 6 gal of syrup in there, poured out on the ground. Sad day.

[DaveB]

Yeah, I've had that happen too. It is a sad day and that ropey sap was nasty and hard to get out of the pans if I recall correctly.

[Mike Van]

we had frost here this AM, 30 degrees - About 1/2 my trees are still running, slower now, I picked up about 40 gal this afternoon. Almost over though, maybe another frost tonight & Mon.

[bryankloos]

I picked up about 40 galons today.... Slow day.
I'm hopeful for another couple days and then I'll probably start thinking about pulling taps.
I don't see much potential here beyone the 13/14th, at least per the extended forecast.
Bummed, but it is what it is....

[therealtreehugger]

Last weekend I thought was it, with the forecast of nothing below freezing. I planned on collecting my buckets on Monday, and lo and behold, there was sap! So my last boil was Monday night, March 4. Early end to the season.

[Woodsrover]

I pulled and washed buckets yesterday and cut all my tails and washed and rinsed them out. Will pull taps this week.

I've had almost nothing running in three of four days.

Sad season.

[Mike Van]

I'm all done too, my last 75 or so buckets came down today. Wound up with right around 1850 gal/sap boiled, close to last years 2000, so i'm ok with that. Have to boil down whats left in the evap. - then [ugh] clean all this stuff.

[Sugar Bear]

I did not tap until the 23 of February. Wanted to tap earlier but could not.

Made 7.5 gallons in two separate runs by March 3 ( 9 days ) A record rate of production for me.

Had hardly a single night below freezing between the 5th of March to the 20th March* ( every bit of 15 days and then some )

Left my taps in anyway because I really did not get any of those "festering" temps for sap lines during those 15 days.

Had a run of clear sap from about the 23rd of March to the 26th of March that allowed me to make 1.5 gallons of good quality syrup. Most drops to buckets were dry at this point and all reds on runs were dry but all sugars on runs ( about 35 ) were running well with one of them at peak flow for the season. Sugar content of this sap was down a bit to 2% on large trees to 1% on small trees. Now of course my taps were only 4 weeks old at this point. In this run I pulled about 85 gallons off 35 taps on tubing runs that form some natural vacuum.

Ended with 9 gallons of an expected 15 gallons. ( 1 quart per tap ) Less than expected for the season but the least amount of processing work per gallon of syrup of all of my seasons.

Several lessons learned for me this year as they are every year ... The big one for me this year is, do not give up until temperatures dictate. And that does not mean freezing temperatures.

Happy seasons to all.