Best of times, worst of times

[mcsap]

Had to happen eventually. I've only been doing this for 4 years and boil outside, 50-70 buckets depending on the week, and have had good luck with weather for boiling. Until today. Had a great week of sap runs, but horrible collecting conditions, Tuesday and Saturday hard rain, Thursday had to collect in the dark in the over-the-knee snow. Then, today with the wind from every direction knocking down the boil.

Oh well, not looking for sympathy, just needed to say it somewhere. I knew the weather would catch me eventually. Guess I need to get started on the shack this summer.

[325abn]

Aint it Fing fun?? Gotta love it man!

Last week me and my 4yo son collected in the dark and in the pouring rain!! He absoluty loves it!!!!!!!!! So dont I. I will admit to saying more than once that "this is more like work than a hobby" .

Nows hes sleeping after being out here all day and I am in the shed boiling tunes cranking. A few weeks of this and then the Victory will be brought back to life!!!

What fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SeanD]

No kidding! Big run last week, followed by torrential rain all day Saturday, followed by freezing gale force winds Sunday! Now I've got 100 gal. of sap (maxed out my bins) and I'm back into the work week. This is supposed to be fun, right?

I appreciate your gripe. Misery loves company.

Sean

[Russell Lampron]

The weather has been my biggest headache this year. All of the deep snow has made getting through the woods almost impossible. Digging out a stuck tractor while collecting in the rain wasn't much fun either. The rain and last nights freeze up should help though.

Russ

[3% Solution]

Hi Guys,
Well think about this; it's spring time, it's time to make syrup, very soon we will all be into mud up to our (well you know), it's the time of year we all wait for.
Now with all that said, this snow deepth sucks big time!!!!
The rain Saturday sucked, needed a complete change when I got home.
The good part, hanging out inside in a warm sugarhouse.
Yeah hanging out with family and friends is a good thing.
We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot every Spring don't we!!!! :) :) :)
Stay safe and happy boiling.

Dave

[Gary in NH]

I hear ya' about the snow. I've got some areas that still have 3' to 5' feet. When it's frozen no problem, when its raining and warm I have sunk a few times. Never thought about needing snow shoes for 35 buckets around my house. I collect late at night before the sap freezes and I have done it twice this year in pouring rain and once in a heavy snow storm. Saturday night was so windy I had 5 taps pull out of trees. With all the buckets and covers rattling it sounded like a tornado in Kansas. I couldn't believe some of the stuff in my buckets. It looked like someone went around a threw in a handful bark, dirt, pine needles, etc. It's great to be outside though, spring is around the corner and I have made just under 2 gallons so far on 35 taps!!

[ennismaple]

No kidding! Big run last week, followed by torrential rain all day Saturday, followed by freezing gale force winds Sunday! Now I've got 100 gal. of sap (maxed out my bins) and I'm back into the work week. This is supposed to be fun, right?

I appreciate your gripe. Misery loves company.

Sean

Don't complain about the rain - we got 20" of snow from that storm on Saturday! If anyone wants some to help extend your season you can come and get it!

[mcsap]

Glad to see I wasn't the only one getting wet last week. Gathering in that deep snow was a chore, seemed like just when I thought I wasn't going to break through the crust and put the last bit of weight on either foot, down I'd go. But, life could be a lot worse if that's my only complaint. We'll see what this week brings. Sun looks bright and warm up here today but it's still only about 30F, so we'll catch a little break.

[Sugarmaker]

Last Friday when I gathered just 65 gallons of sap using 4 wheel drive on the main roads due to the snow storm I had to wonder what the heck I was doing!

We are dodging the deep snow trudging by using the tubing this year. Should have gathered tonight but will wait and get started earlier Tuesday P.M.
Chris

[mapleman3]

frozen buckets here.. gale force winds the other day... Still love it though !!!

[mcsap]

Easy day yesterday. Most buckets only had a bit of sap and ice, but a few had run well. Nice little snow squall while collecting after 6PM. Good news was the old snow was frozen enough again for me to stay on top!

[mcsap]

Yesterday was the first good run in a while in our cold, shady spot. Last 2 weeks I barely collected enough sap from 55 buckets to boil on the weekends. Have to be out of town this weekend and can't boil, so it was painful to dump all the buckets yesterday when they were really going. At breakfast time it didn't look like much, we had a good snow squall going, but by the evening the trees were dripping steady. I was going to pull the buckets this week, but figured I could dump them and give it a go next week for the final boil. Forecast looks good for next week, so maybe it will work out. Will check the sugar % Sunday PM and see if it is still worth collecting.

[mcsap]

Yesterday was the biggest sap day I've had on my little bucket line. I collect with 2 5 gal pails and it seemed like both were full after 2.5 buckets. A lot of trips back and forth to the tractor in the fog last night after work. I had emptied all the buckets Monday night and yesterday many of them were spilling over and still running, at least until the wind came in with the rain and lightning later on. It was a bigger day than any of those in the first week of March.

Was able to take the refractometer out for the first time on Sunday and tested a bunch of trees to see if they were still worth collecting from. Had several of the old roadside trees between 3-3.5%. One last boil coming up this weekend.

[brookledge]

Thats great sugar content late in the year. My test with vacuum is now down to 1.7-1.8
Keith

[mcsap]

I had one old roadside tree that was reading about 4.5%. That tree read the same last year, too. I kept checking the 0 on the refractometer after getting a few of those 3% trees just to be sure and it was reading right on 0, so I felt pretty confident with it. Those were the outstanding trees to be sure, others were 2% or less.