January Journal/Happy New Year

[caseyssugarshack93]

Worked in the woods for a few hours only had probabsly 3/4 of a roll left and used that up started on the second mine for now i have 290 on my first mainline could have around 320 if i a ran a few mor lats i still have to do the taps that are passed my main that im going to put a star fitting on and run a few mor lats once i get my 3 mains done and then do the stars at the end of my mains last and should have 320 on one main and dont know yet on the thers quite yet.

[jrthe3]

will got the trap done today hooked up the vac pump turned it on it would only pull 2" of vac well on the phone with tech saport for 2 hours it has to be sent back to texas they will pay shipping good think the price was right or i be real P.O.

[PATheron]

Jrthe- What are you going to do for a pump now? Are you going to have one for the season? Im working on all things syrup too. Cleaned a tank tonight. Plumbing tomarrow night for the sump pump in the sugar house. Need to clean more tanks. Hoping to plow out a spot for the tanker trailer this weekend. Im kind of thinking once season starts its going to be a break compared to getting ready for it. Gotta get some more taps in gonna be go time soon. Trying to make Parker proud of me by showing him that I WANNNNNNN IT!!! Zar

[jrthe3]

i not sure now all depends on how long it takes to get there and back and how long it takes them to fix it i found an old milker mite have to talk them out of it this is the last time i let a friend get me a deal on something through one of there friends

[jrthe3]

thinking one from matt looking better and better every day

[PATheron]

Jrthe- He might be able to fix you up. Im not sure what all he has right now. Theron

[royalmaple]

Boyd-

You talking about going with the big tsunami sap vacuum?
2009 cut off for the season is coming right up.
I'm delivering one down that way in a few weeks.

[jrthe3]

what sizes and prices are we looking at

[Dennis H.]

Holy Cow no one post anything since the 20th, well I just changed that.

I think everyone is over at Theron's Big Sap Warning posting!

[maplecrest]

ran 5000 feet of main yesterday, 3000 today then the fun part wire tieing

[jrthe3]

i have had so much bed luck getting ready for this syrup season i about ready to throw in the towel and call it done and go south till april

[Gary R]

It was beautiful today! 30's and sunny. Got me so excited I went home and put a tap in. It was 5PM, 32F out and the sap was dripping out the spile as I set it. Hopefully tomorrow I will report BIG SAP. You guy's to the south might be missing something.

Good luck guy's!

[caseyssugarshack93]

-8 and wind blowing like crazy good freeze for the trees

[ennismaple]

ran 5000 feet of main yesterday, 3000 today then the fun part wire tieing

So what did you do in the afternoon? hehehehe..... You must be a tired camper! We pulled 2000 feet of 1.5" dryline from our pump to the releaser and tied it to the mainline in a single day last winter and it almost killed 2 of us. The 4' of snow didn't help.

[jrthe3]

just off work heading to the woods to put up some tubing hope to finish it tomorrow after the the meeting all the buckets are washed tanks are out in place battiers are on the charger bites are sharp just watching the weather and waiting on the vac pump may have to make a few changes if the season comes befor the vac pump kinda hard to make sap go up a ladder with out vac mite have to try out my idea of the air lift will see

[mountainvan]

Started expansion of my third sugar bush this afternoon. I'm only planning on adding a hundred taps, but that's another barrel of syrup. Got my new/used vacuum pump all setup. Ran it for two hours this morning at 19" with air only coming in through the regulator and it only got warm to the touch.

[Revi]

We're still in the deep freeze around here. I thought it was going to be warm today, but it didn't get above 20 all day. That's okay. It'll get here in March or April....

[maplecrest]

cut in 1170 drops today and started putting in multi fittings and wire tieing at the same time. still dizzy from the main line. have not put out the dry line yet waiting on wire #9 wire

[Dave Y]

I took advantage of a warm day and got 4 tanks washed after work today. the weather is supposed to turn cold again tomorrow. I hope to get a few more things accomplished this weekend. tapping time is a month off and i still have plenty to do. Most of it is around the sugar house. I do have about two days of work left in the bush. But those are easy days.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Just spent a busy 2 weeks bustin butt setting up a new sap line. With the aid and assistance of fellow Maple Trader, Jason Grossman. we stretched over 9000 feet of wire and plastic, installed 2 sap ladders and 1 sap lift. There will be about 750 new taps. Just gotta get the pump, releaser and tanks set up. With these taps and the additions I have made in my established bush I will be tapping about 2500, 1000 more than last year, I anticipate buying sap from about 1000 taps also so it looks like BIG SAP in Northern New York this Spring.
Thank You Jason!
Doug

[mapleman3]

33 deg this morn, heading to the woods, it's going to drop in temp all day back to BIG COLD. hopefully get some laterals done today! just a bit of mainline to finish up first though.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I spent about 3 hours yesterday afternoon repairing damage to my tubing in my biggest bush which has about 235 taps on it. I assume it is squirrels as I saw one eating on one of the lines during syrup season 2 years ago while the sap was flowing. I caught a flying squirrel last year and that put a stop to it for a while, but now they are back at it again. I just fixed everything in this bush less than 4 months ago. I have 2 rat traps set up several feet off of the ground, so hopefully I can catch the tree rats that are doing this.

I was off for the King's bday last monday, so I spent the better part of the day cutting a hole in the end wall of my building and adding an attic fan with a thermostat on it. Since I closed in the eves last year on the building, it gets warm in there fast when boiling. I have 8x16 inch vents every six feet in the eve and the building is not insulated, but it can be 20 to 30 inside when you start boiling and in 2 hours it is 60 or more. Not bad on cold days, but when the temp is warm outside, it runs you out. Opening the windows helped a little, but when someone else was boiling, they always wanted to open the 9 x 12 garage door I have and this caused the fine ash that comes out of the top of the stack to get sucked back into the building. I hope this attic fan takes care of this problem once I get the thermostat on it set to where it works best.

Also installed more lights behind the evaporator where I park my tractor and inside the wood shed too, so it will have more light out there other than what the nightlight sheds into it. Before installing the light above the tractor, I only had 2 eight foot flourescent lights in the entire 24 x 48 building. I did a good job all around the evaporator, but it was lacking some in other others. I got one of the cheap clamp-on lights to install above the canning area since I am hoping to frame up the kitchen and bed and bath rooms this summer, I didn't want to install lights for just this season.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Did you bait it with a small peice of tubing or peanut butter? When you say you caught it does that mean you release it into your neighbors sugar bush or did you dispatch it.

[PATheron]

Brandon- I dont know if anyone lives where your bush is but if they do they like to come to bird feeders bigtime. If they do that and someone is in the house watching the birdies and maybe they have a 22? Theron

[brookledge]

Got one in my backyard today with a 22. The 22 does a good job keeping them in check. Plus I got one with my truck a couple of miles away. Everyone helps alittle.
I began adding alittle mainline to a section that I've been waiting for the trees to mature. So this year I'll pick up about 25 more. Last year was my big addition 60% increase So this year I should be around 1175
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I did put Peanut butter on it and it did attract the flying squirrel last year. I hadn't thought of the bird feeder and birdseed, but that is a good idea if I had time to go and watch it and shoot them. My brother has a big feeder for deer, etc, so I thought about putting it up sometime as they like corn too. My biggest problem is that I don't have the time to patrol it.

[Gary R]

Attended the annual NWPA maple assoc. meeting yesterday. At least a half dozen other traders were there. It was great to see and talk to everyone. We're all getting excited.

Test tap hole ran less than a quart for the 2 warm days. We're back in the deep freeze for now. No above freezing temps in the 10 day forcast. So we wait ..... and dream.

[3% Solution]

Well here we sit in the deep freeze again ........... -7 this morning.
Looks like it's going to be below 0 for the next few nights and not getting out of the teens and twenties during the day for awhile.
Two days ago was the "January Thaw", one day at 36!!!

Went with NHMaplemaker,his son and son-in-law to the New Hampshire Maple Producers Assoc. meeting yesterday.
Russ was there, great to see you again!!
Had a great time with them and the info was great, very interesting!!!
Oh yeah, thanks to Jim, I am now a member.

Stay safe and keep warm!!!

Dave

[mapleman3]

Deep freeze here also, about -10 an hour ago, I'm just waiting for it to "warm up" a bit, -8 now and climbing. Setting of for the north bush again, got may mains all tightened up and side pulled, ran about 1300 ft of tubing. hope to get another 3000 ran today(deep snow will slow me down) not sure about using snowshoes, I worked pretty good in boots but there were some spots I went up to my knee, avg is about 12+" in the woods. still kinda fluffy.

I started trying using braided nylon rope to use as grips for the tubing to trees or the mainline... It works fantastic! and makes it so easy to pull and tighten the laterals and go back later to make the tye in to the main! I'm not using a main line wire so this works out much better than using line hooks!! I will take a few pictures today Yellow Nylon rope is cheap!

[Dennis H.]

Still in waiting to tap. On Friday it looked like Tues would be the day now it looks like it might be Thurs.

Oh well, while I am waiting I found a couple more yard trees to tap. They are in my parents yard. Heh Heh, should I tell them first, or just surprise them.

At least it is giving me a few more days to be sure everything is ready to go.

[caseyssugarshack93]

Freezing the trees up here -20 last night and plus the wind . wont be tapping for a other month or begining of march hear . depends on the weather.

[brookledge]

jim
Isn't that hollow core nylon nice. I have been using it for years and it is great. Cut it to any length you need. Some times I will useit to hold long laterals to keep tension off of the fittings and also it works good where I need to put in the 5/16 quick couplings so it doesn't leak vac.
Keith

[tuckermtn]

Jim and Keith- is there any particular size/brand of the braided nylon that you use? I love the stuff also...I know you can get it at the maple supply houses but not sure what size it is so I can grab some at Lowes or TSC.

one month till tappn and sappn...was -10 here this AM...still some thawing to do...

[mapleman3]

I just bought some yellow braided nylon rope at home depot... its maybe 3/8" or something. it works great, Got another 1500' of 5/16 today.. cold and deep snow... kept putting off until it got warmer. I'm about 2/3rds through the bug bush.. I may go a few nights(late afternoon) this week and hopefully finish up the laterals by next sunday... then tye ins to the mains and drops after that.

[dano2840]

forgot to take my add meds this morning, with out them i have absolutly no drive what so ever to hang tubing, took them at about 12 and was heading into the woods at about 2, got up there it was a balmy 3 out, put up a few taps worth and it just didnt feel right up in the woods, i just didnt feel like i belonged up there today, i dont know what it was or why but its kinda like the woods didnt want me up there today,call me crazy but it was kinda erie and the wind kept picking up and then dying down to the calmest quietest day ive ever seen, things were absolutely still, and silent until the wind would suddenly pick up again, some thing was sketchy and i didnt like it so i packed up and headed out, when i got down to the house about 1/8 mile away, it was fine out side a steady light breeze and starting to snow, i couldnt figure it out, maybe its because im loosing sleep worrying about weather im going to be ready in time for sap flow, i dont know, i think im going insane, has any one else had any times in your woods like that? or am i really just going insane............:confused:

[Sugarmaker]

Dan,
Yep some days are much better than others and fighting a bad day not a good thing.

Sat. had a great day at the NWPA maple meeting. Great talk by Gary Graham about sugar house ascetics and awareness on how to control lead in syrup. Saw lots of friends and folks that browse the trader like I do.

Also interviewed by local magazine write for a article that will come out in early March about making maple syrup. Oops forgot to mention the trader. Maybe I can get her to slip in that plug too?

I put together 25 adjusters loops for the short run tubing system.
Cleaned a little in the sugar house. Thanks to Nate for getting a pile of buckets out of the way.

Ordered new rear Super Lug tires for Mikes garden tractor tonight. Trying to keep him interested in mechanical things. Its a little 10 hp Wheel-Horse model A-100 that we have been puttering with. New beefer lug tires will replace the original dry rotted turf tires.

Chris

[Mark-NH]

Last year we ran our 3/4" main line through a culvert under a snowmobile trail. It repeatedly froze up and would not thaw out till after noon, even on vacuum. I was planning to run a dry line this year to fix that problem but I still would have had to take the main line down every year as it ran close to the ground through a cow field.


Grabbed the crew and went at it yesterday. We figured we had enough slope that by climbing a few trees 25' up we could run it over the road and high enough through the field so we could bypass the culvert and leave the line up year round.

We have the cable strung and it worked out better than anticipated. 20'-25' off the ground at the trail crossing with good slope the entire way. Now we will have to go back and drop the line to attach the main line. I realize this will take some effort and climbing but at least we know it is workable.

I don't "need" to add the dry line now but this is my best opportunity to do so. Once I get the mainline in place I hope I don't have to revisit it for 5+ years.

I just love permanent fixes and don't mind spending time and energy on them. It is the stuff you redo every year that becomes a chore.

Mark.

[ennismaple]

We attended the Lanark District OMSPA meeting on Saturday. There was an interesting presentation from the Lapierre rep to introduce their new Force 5 Hurricane evaporator. Bruce Gillilan from Leader also gave a good talk about increasing sap yield using wet/dry and disposable spout extensions. We accepted the Sugarmaker of the Year award that the district awarded in my father's memory. Other interesting presentations were given on various research topics being done by Centre Acer, Proctor etc...

Yesterday we got the new smokestack base on the arch, shovelled the roof of the sugar camp, finished the sap ladder over the road to our new bush and put up a roll's worth of tubing to replace some ancient tubing that wasn't worth putting up.

There's up to 2' of soft, fluffy snow in the bush. Hopefully we get a normal spring and will tap the first couple weeks of March.

[Maplewalnut]

Ennis-congrats on the award

Plumbed the vacuum pump and ran a pump line to the releaser in the woods yesterday. Going to add a few more taps and then its on to the evaporator. Give her a good cleaning, test fire a boil or two to figure out the floats and I should be all set.

Oh yea, have to wash and get ready 100 or so buckets for the roadsides, clean the pick-up tank ,get the transfer pump ready, hook up releaser....

Good thing I have two weeks

[dano2840]

so i drove to school yestarday for the 1st time. and am able to leave a period early to go work ing the woods. so i park in the peoples drive way where the tank is going, i get out of the car and i can hear some sort of diesel behemouthe up in the woods, so i get my stuff on and walk to the top of the sugar woods, and its very close, so i walk into the soft maple on the proporty next to the sugar woods and 200ft from the property line theres mike merino with a brandy new tiger cat 640 skidder, i hadnt figured out who owned the land but wanted to next fall and tapt the 200 taps worth of soft maple next year if i could, gues not:(. but i had a couple of logs on a steep side hill i couldnt get w/ the tractor, im gunna find him in the woods on thurs, and hes going to take his tiger cat over into my sugar woods and hes going to winch them out for me, hes not going to charge me a dime, i will offer to help him limb trees or unhook chockers for a couple hours in return, i feel like i aughta give some thing back, but any way the soft maples are going to be gone by next week, oh well i will go get the tops for sugar wood for next year when he is all done.

[mountainvan]

Been puttsing around for the last week or so. Kid was sick so I got sick. I should sent my little biological weapon to Afganistan. Got some more mainline up and made new bases for two of my vac pumps. I can't lay around like a sick little school girl you know.

[Sugarmaker]

Looking for a few good maples. Just lost 25 taps and Was thinking of not tapping another 2 spots about 75 taps due to distance and cold woods syndrome. So I will be scouting and moving tubing. Just when you think you got it figured out something changes:)

Have the rear end tore out of the grandsons A-100 Wheel Horse because I cant get the wheel off of the shaft due to rust. I have two new Super lug tires coming and now a little bigger project than just replacing tires!

Weather is changing back to snow tonight but this after noon felt like you could have been hanging tubing.

Regards,
Chris

[TapME]

sugarmaker; my sap hauler has a a-100 that is a skidder of sorts in the summer time. Scrappy little machines aren't they.
On another note went and got 6 55 gallon drums for end line tanks at 5 different places. Am going to try line feeding to these drums to make collection a little easier. Hope it works as well as I think it will.

[Dave Y]

Well, not to be out done by all of you industrous sugarmakers. A friend and I went yesterday and bought 1200 more buckets. Between he and I we have 3000 buckets. Lord willing and the snow dosent get too deep we just may hang them all this year. How would you like to empty all of those, Theron? :)

[PATheron]

FINALLY DAVE, Im finally hearing the voice of reason from some one on here. Its about time someone shows a little initiative. Now 3000 buckets, thatll make the neighbors start to think your trying at least. Gonna get some cool pics for you guys soon. Got the tanker trailer in position yesterday. Looks pretty cool. Had to have the township some up and do some cindering but the guys have it in. 6200 gallons of BIGSAP storage. That ought to help. Dont know if Ill make any syrup but it looks like theres a big stroke goin on. Working pretty hard to get across the road ready, not much time for the trader. Dont want to miss the first run. Everybody keep up the good work. Sounds like everybodys gettin ready for the BIGSAP. Theron

[Dave Y]

I knew that would get your attenion Theron. It looks like I will have very close to 3000 taps myself this year. all boiled on a 3x12 and no RO! Beleive it or not I am looking at a 6x16. I Know a fella that has one that he may sell. If I were to buy that I would never have to buy an RO or another rig the rest of my life. Of course unless I wore it out! :)

[Revi]

We'll have about 280 taps this year, and 20 buckets. That's enough for me.

I like to collect in the afternoon, but my life is hectic and that's about the amount I can get in a half hour.

If I'm boiling it's about the time it takes for the evap to get cranking, so I can get them without worrying.

[caseyssugarshack93]

Going in the woods in 20 minuters so far have 405 taps at my new bush and alot more to go. have two rolls of tubing to run today and work on saddles hooking them in,then drops should have it done by the weekend since were getting 10-16inches of snow today probably just gunna run the 2 rolls and get out of there.

[bobsklarz]

No going in woods today. Got ten new inches of snow on ground w/ more coming down. Saw a Snowgoose yesterday back at the pond!! Not even gonna think about plowing out the driveway till it stops!

[caseyssugarshack93]

Only ran one roll of tubing snow was crazy and didnt have any drive to work in the woods worked from 10 to 12 got one side of the 2nd main done then tomow the other side if i can even get in the with snow shoes 12 to 16 inches of snow, CRAZY, suppto be clear tomorrow so i should have a good day if i can get in there. gotta run one roll of tubing hopfuly i can get quite a bit done on that side then gunna put in saddles and whatever isnt done is going to have to wait i have to get my vac and a relaser so once iget that stuff ill get more tubing to finish the bush up for this year and add a other 2 mains next year for more SAP :D Still waiting on my r/o there having trouble with the electic box i guess and it wont pass code. which SUCKS.

[maplwrks]

You can be assured that when it comes, it'll be right--unlike some of the other brands, you would need to fix the problem yourself

[caseyssugarshack93]

maplewrks, Do you like your lapierrre r/o, i never used a r/o before.

[3% Solution]

caseyssugarshack93,
Snowing real hard hear today, it's 18 outside.
Started here about 5:30 this morning.
I would say there is 6" on the ground with a lot more to come!
Ahhh it's New England bring it on!!!!

Dave

[caseyssugarshack93]

3% Snowing like crazy here only got to work inthe woods for a few hours, got soked wet snow,roads are slippery i have about the same as you about 6 inches so far and tons to go, kinda sucks for working in the woods but will help out the sugarseason hopfuly. tomorow im going to have to spend a good hour proablaby making a good trail with snowshoes then start working on the other side. made up 200 drops while sitting in my room :D hoplfuly get every thing done by the weekend,Hows everything going over there 3%?

[3% Solution]

caseyssugarshack93,
Well as far as the weather goes, like I said, it's snowing.
About an hour ago there was a multi-vehicle pile up on I-91 in Ascutney, Vt., rescue crews are still there, 3 injuries, that were transported.
As far as the sugaring stuff goes, just need to go to get our supplies next week, put the new pan gasket down, set the pans and set the EEU in place.
After that it's string about 300' of tubing, flush it out and a week after (maybe) tap some trees .......... GO TIME.
So, we're pretty much ready!!

Dave

[caseyssugarshack93]

If the weather permits ill be tapping the last week in feb. maybe be tapping on my birtday feb 26, may go get my permit that day so who knows. cant wait to get the sap running. still have alot to do gotta get my pump and a gas motor,releasers,1000gal tank get my r/o, have matt at lapiree hook that up,Clean the sugarhouse,Get a pan gasket, test the oil burner,( gunna try) finish up what im going to tap this year at the new bush arould 3/4 im tapping this year and next year maybe 200 more taps maybe more,Go to the 2 other sugarbushes tigthin lines level mainlines and set tanks an let nature take its toll.
SO MUCH TO DO IN SO LITTLE TIME

[peacemaker]

well the arch restoration is done today new pic in my photo bucket all i need is the pan gasket and to hook the stack up ...

[TapME]

nice job peace. Looks like you are one seet closer to making syrup.

[jrthe3]

got another foot of snow today and more on the way if i herd right it is 122 inchs this season witch tieds us for the 7 worse winter in erie history it seems like every time we get a step closer to tapping we take 20 steps back

[dano2840]

very nice job on your evap, shes ready to go now, i wish i had an evap, secured and in my sugar house...........starting to loose sleep worrying about it.............

[TapME]

Hey look what the non computer guy did. Put a few photos on a photo bucket account. Pat pat on the back to me. I have about 3 years of them and the different stages that we went through. hope you enjoy them.

[peacemaker]

thanks guys been fun to watch her come back to life

[Sugarmaker]

Peacemaker,
The rig looks good. You saved it.

Boyd,
Yea the snow is way to much to try to hang tubing in. Just plowing out the drive to the road and around by the sugarhouse took and hour and a half.

Not much happening on maple right now.

Got the Wheelhorse project in process:(

Chris

[peacemaker]

thanks sugarmaker i saved her

[Sugarmaker]

Peacemaker,
How many taps will you put out this year? and what do you estimate the gph on this rig? The pans look really nice.
Chris

[peacemaker]

i am hoping for 500 taps 300 or more online and the rest buckets
i hope to push 40 to 45 with the blower and then pans are in perfect shape ..2002 and lead free solder

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Peace,

Nice looking evaporator and great restoration job. Nice looking sugarbush also. Keep us posted on how the old girl does with the blower!

[Revi]

I'd like to rig up a blower. Are they hard to find? We have a 2x6, and it could be put in right below the grates, I suppose.

We might be able to increase our boil. We can get up to 40 gph now when it's cranking.

[peacemaker]

revi there not hard to find mine is off a old wood furnace it looks like a heat gun ... i plan on taking the draft door off and making a plate for it ... and thanks WV its a great sugar bush wicked steep though but great for the gravity ... it was cut for a sugar bush over 15 years ago and just begging to be tapped one of my best buds owns the land and sugared it all his life but where i am tapping they only ran like 50 taps on line all was buckets he made 65 gals of 175 taps his last year

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Peace,

Funny you should mention steep. Some of my taps are almost straight up and down and it is difficult to tap the trees as you can't stand up without killing yourself. Worst thing is the tree roots, if you step on one you are down the hill and in a hurry. Kinda dangerous, actually.

[tessiersfarm]

Revi I have a sister blower to the one I ended up putting on my new rig. If you would like to play with it, its yours. I will even help out if I can if you need some cutting or welding done. Let me know and maybe we can meet up sometime.

[Big maple]

Be carefull with those blowers. You need to insulate the back sides of your doors at least, I saw a set of cast doors that were curled up like pretzels form adding a blower to a non-insulated arch front. The air tight arch fronts actually have a square tube around the door with holes drilled in them agled towards the door to keep it cooler, and they still get hot even with 2" of fire blanket for protection.

[PATheron]

ALERT, ALERT, BIGSAP, BIGSAP!!!!! Upper 30s and close to 40 here this weekend, you guys think I should tap or are the trees just so frozen up I wont get jack? What you proud professionals think. Would I get any BIGSAP or just get disappointed? Theron

[Dave Y]

Theron,
If I were you I'd go tap everything I could right Now! Go put you snow shoes on and tap though the night. I wouldn't stop tapping till 1 hr befor super bowl kick off. Cause If you don't you may not get back into the woods till May!
Good Luck!

[mountainvan]

Theron, unless you have lots of help and can get all your taps in quickly, start tapping. My son and I dug out where the tanks go in the woods today. Tomorrow we'll put the tanks out and finish a couple mainline fixes in my big bushes. Saturday is another trip to town for more tanks. Sunday we'll finish putting out 5/16 that we take down every year. Monday I'm starting to tap!! With as much snow as we have it's going to be slow going.

[PATheron]

Ill try putting a few out and see how I make out. Dont want to jump the gun too much. Dave- Slow steady growth, thats me. You dont think Id be out there all night running around the woods with my headlight and cordless yelling "BIGSAP, BIGSAP" do you? Theron

[mapleman3]

Good luck THEEEEROONNN Hope the sap is with you !!!

I got a lot done today, arch is done pans are on.. hood maybe tomorrow night if I clean the pans good.

Have another sugarer coming tonight to take a look at things, always fun to show off the setup and talk maple!!

Have to pick up some end of line fittings tomorrow and get back in the woods Sat/Sun Have a helper with me on Sat, and the family on Sun. Busy weekend but the weather looks nice, high 30's

[Maplewalnut]

Theron-see you in April. Between you and Matt wouldn't be much sap between Pa and maine to go around this year!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Theron,

Still too early, it is still January. No sense in tapping yet until the trees and ground get thawed a little. These temps will help, but one thing you have to remember this time of year is yet, it may hit the high temp predicted but it spends half of the day getting there and the other half cooling back down, so the high temp may only last a few minutes or an hour or so.

[Cardigan99]

Sheeeesh.. It's not even February yet. We tapped 1st wkend in March last year and it was too early.

[ennismaple]

Theron,

Still too early, it is still January. No sense in tapping yet until the trees and ground get thawed a little. These temps will help, but one thing you have to remember this time of year is yet, it may hit the high temp predicted but it spends half of the day getting there and the other half cooling back down, so the high temp may only last a few minutes or an hour or so.

Plus, it's been so cold for a month that the trees will take a few days of warm weather to thaw out enough to run even a litle bit. Relaaaaax...

[mapleman3]

Everyone starts getting itchy about now... I don't care what the weather is like now.. we will get a warmup then a freeze up and so on... it's early, for me, last weekend of feb or first of march for the past 10 years. take the time and get things done... take a few days and relax, because once it does hit... it's go time for a month or so

[Dave Y]

Theron,
I am just yanking your chain. I know there are about four days in the forecast that look favorable. I don't think I would waste my time. The fifteen day doesn't' even mention the big storm that is currently developing it the gulf. Depending on the track some folks could get 1-2 feet of snow or 1-2inches of rain. We can do without both.Typically if you get tapped early you will get a few days of sap and then set for a couple of weeks. Take the time you have and make sure you are really ready. I know I am the voice of reason. :)

[PATheron]

Dave- When is the storm your talking of and do you think it will be rain here or snow? I know they called me from work and told me to pack my bags monday just in case for a storm the first of next week. Your talking about one down the road, right? Theron

[danno]

Initially forcasters were comparing this to March '93 "Superstorm" Here, in the 'Cuse we got 43" out of that. Since yesterday, almost all models now take this wide right. Fish storm off the Atlantic with maybe the coast and NNE getting grazed. Still time for it to come back West.

The Wednesday storm this past week was supposed to stay well South until models moved it way North over us about 24-36 hours before it hit. So, we'll see. But current forcasts have moved this thing East and have weakened it. Couple of days ago, this was potentially HUGE.

If it did hit - we're talking the Tuesday/Wednesday time frame - this week.

[Jim Brown]

We we had the small bush dug out today son-in-law spent 5 hours with his new Kabuota 2990 and high lift opening up the road. we can at least set the tanks and the vac pumps now. Main bush is stll buried under 30+ inches of snow. will be calling a friend with a F-250 and chains to plow it out.
Walked the main lines of the small bush yesterday and we have about30 inches of snow in the woods.
To all the guys in New England we in Pa laughted at last year when you tapped on shoes well I'm sorry I laughted,we will be tapping on snow shoes THIS YEAR!!!!

Will wait and see what the big storm brings us on Tues-Weds and then plow out the main bush. Should only have to do it once (I hope)

Jim

[Dennis H.]

Got out today and cleaned off the wood pile and made the paths to the wood pile form the sugarshack.

I also took a walk thru the woods to had a nice talk with the trees, they are not talking though. Man all I want to know is it ok to tap.:rolleyes:

At this point I am ready to go it is just that every day whe I check the forecast it is just not quit right.

I have to go and dig out a pull off at the sugar bush that is located about 1/4 mile from the house, might do that tomarrow morning after work. I foresee that being a real treat, ice and frozen solid snow. I might have to take a pick with me.

[caseyssugarshack93]

Got out in the woods at 10 had to add a few more saddles to the mainline,Got that all done and went on cutting in drops,have around 230 in so that gives me 520 taps so far one more line to go for this year on this bush, sugaring season is right around the corner and still dont have my vac hooked up or even a realser yet, still havent got my r/o hope its here in time,.... hope to get my vac pump this week,

[tessiersfarm]

I laughed at myself last spring when I needed a ladder to pull taps. hope you don't have to try that one, it really slows you down. I didn't realize just how much snow there was until I looked at the taps after it was gone.

[caseyssugarshack93]

Im going to be pulling some taps with a step ladder for sure. IT SUCKS

[mapleman3]

I have about 18" of snow in the woods, and real crusty. snowshoes were a pain but a must. got almost all the laterals done except a few. I will go and start putting in saddles tomorrow. I will have to buy a couple more rolls to make drops. I have the Pinewood Derby for the cub scouts next Saturday to do so I loose one day in the woods.... but I think I'm in good shape now.
Next year should only take a couple weekends to get everything installed again, all depends on how well I mark everything before I take it down in April.

[caseyssugarshack93]

Mm3 How many taps is your new bush?

have about 2 feet here been wearing snowshoes,packs down a good trail,my woods has a nice packed down trail going to each tree,from running lats and putting in drops,sure it wont last too long more snow on the way tuesday, have to do it all over again AND AGAIN.

[Sugarmaker]

Dave 3%,
Very nice talking syrup and bees with you tonight! I have had a busy sugart day talking to a lot of my frieds ofro the trader.

Got a call from Keith Talbot newest member of the NWPA maple producers and he just got his stack up today! Now he needs the pans and he should be about ready to fire up the 3 x 7.

Chris

[Dennis H.]

I wish we only had snow to deal with. I have to put on my YakTrax to get around, there is 1" of ice on top of the snow right now. What a pain in the butt.

I just can't imagine comeing back to remove the taps and only find them high enough that I need a ladder. Now thats alot of snow.

[3% Solution]

Sugarmaker,
Yup right back at cha!!
Bees are pretty fragile little insects.
Maybe when you get ready to do your steam-away I'll have to come out to give you a hand.
Glad to hear the little guy is doing good, too!!

Dave