Impossible snow

[Flat47]

Went out yesterday scouting out the woodlot. The going was okay across the fields where it's wind-packed, but once I got into the woods...man, that was tough. I'd step and sink to my knee, then step and sink; step and sink and on and on. And this is with my bigger 10x36 GV snowshoes.

How are conditions elsewhere?

[tessiersfarm]

Soft soft and still soft. The snow is as light and fluffy as I have ever seen it and it is impossible to walk even with the snowshoes. I think maybe it is because we have been too cold to settle it down? I can't wait to start hauling buckets through this junk. I am even thinking of bringing my tractor and plowing a path to most of my trees, I don't think the snow is heavy enough to give me much trouble.

[gator330]

This weekend will settle the snow. Here in central New York We're in the Snow belt of Lake Ontario. I pulled main line yesterday knee deep in snow. It was a work out. Will be doing more today. We're still a good three weeks from starting to tap in this area maybe four if we don't get good conditions.

[mfchef54]

In saugerties NY 990 miles north of the NYC the problem is a layer of snow, frozen snow,snow and then frozen snow. I have clets on my snowshoes and it's still hard breaking the trail. It's been a while and boy are my legs feeling it today.

[mfchef54]

that's 90 miles north.

[Fred Henderson]

That sounds better.

[TapME]

I bet there days when you wish you were that far from them city folk. lol mfchef54

[maple flats]

Mine was real bad mid Jan so I sunk in up to my waist in fluffy powder. Last tuesday I went in without snowshoes, across an open leeward field it was about 2.5=3' deep for the about 200 feet wide field. Once I got into the woods except where I had drifts it was only about 16-18" deep. Even better today, worked 6 hrs climbing inclines averaging about 45-50 degree slopes and pulling laterals, 6 hrs for a guy in his 60's wore me out. I only got about 80 taps worth done. Going back for another 4 hrs tomorrow if it doesn't rain too much to add some more branch line and some more latterals. So far I used all blue mainline and branch lines but I am going to use a 200' piece of black I had left from last year to extend one branch and add another til i run out. From there I will just pick up as many trees as i can and must stop there for 09, ($). Will grow more next year. ILooks like I will not get the 300 net added I wanted, looks more like 200 net increase. I will have about 300 more in my new bush but am descontinueing about a hundred from another location because of the driving required for lower producing trees (they are all very old roadside with lots of dead sections, in fact county keeps asking when they can remove them. I only get asked because one of the county tree crew is a friend of mine.)

[Revi]

I'm waiting until it settles a bit before I try to get up to the top of our woodlot. I'm tromping a path for the 20 or so buckets we'll have this year, but the tubing taps will have to wait until the snow settles a bit this year.

[Sugarmaker]

Road side snow was filling my boots as I struggled to get just 300 taps hung. It will be less as the temps will be warming this week. Once I get tapped with the tubing the snow can stay if it wants.

Chris