Long Range Forecast

[backyardsugarer]

COLD after next week (the 13th) All of the long range models I have looked at have it cold and stormy the rest of February. Oh well, If that holds true then I will not be tapping until The first of March.

Chris

[davey]

I'm good if we can wait at least two more weeks, not quite ready yet.

[danno]

I'm itching to pull the trigger outside of Syracuse. I know the sap will be gushing Tues-Thurs this week. I'm not ready, but I guess I could make myself ready.

[davey]

Not me, I ended up pretty much reinstalling my entire tubing system due to a poor original layout and a bunch of trees that decided to fall down during a windstorm over christmas. should be finished up with that next weekend and hope to have the shack ready to roll this week, just needs a good pre-season scrubbing. ( I hope)

[sapman]

Waiting sounds good to me, actually imperative! Still stringing mainline and wire for what could be a 1000 tap bush I'm setting up (half reds). Not to mention getting the tank in place and setting up the vacuum pump.

Tim

[briduhunt]

I am not ready to boil yet as I have to install my chimney and install about 14 more fire bricks in my arch. I ran out of bricks this Sunday when I re-bricked the unit and the local big box stores wanted to much for the fire bricks and the proper cement. My goal is to install the vent pipe and finish bricking this Saturday, Sunday do a test fire and Monday (day off) clean all my buckets and storage bins. The forcast does look good for this week but next week is going to be cold again unless they change the forcast. I hope to tap on the weekend of the 20th. but that to is all based on the weather. Most of my trees are yard trees and are close to the lake so I can usually tap earlier than my freinds in the hills. I have been living and eating maple season for the past four weekends and am itching to go. Season is now in sight.
Happy tapping

[gator330]

Don't want to be left out with all you central New york guys. I figure the last week of Feb for me too. I'm running tube to a main line yet. Every thing else is a go. One good half day in the bush is all I need. If I get sap like I did last year. I'll be way over my head with 7 times as many taps.

[gator330]

I figure this to be our January thaw, wouldn't think to tap then so why now? let some sugar build up in it.

Danno were is West of Syracuse??? I'm west of Syracuse. Not that you would want me to vist if I was close by.

[danno]

Gator you're welcome over any time.

I'm in Elbridge. About 20 miles W. of Syracuse and about a mile S. of the Thruway. Being in the "thruway corridor" we usually warm up pretty quick down here and lose our snow pack much quicker than areas "north of the thruway" and the hills south of us. Also, my bush is mostly south exposure.

As cold as Dec. and Jan. were, I just have a hunch that these days in the 40's may stick around for more than 2 or 3 days.

[backyardsugarer]

I am ready to go, but not going to tap until the next warm up. It is hard working in the woods on a day like today (42 and sun) without putting taps in. Good luck getting ready.

Chris

[gator330]

Well, what do you central New York guys think, next week??? I have 85 ready to go in the wood 500 gal of storage. I so should have gotten a bigger evaporator!!!! Going to be some long nights in the sugar house!!!! I'm planing on setting taps Wednesday or Thursday of next week. Be nice to boil some come Saturday the 28th. Any way best of season to you all.

[backyardsugarer]

This weekend (21st, 22nd) Looks to warm up mid to late next week.

Chris

[davey]

I plan to tap this weekend as well.

[KenWP]

It is trying to snow right now here and supposed to rain tomorrow. I am told it might be time to tap by March 1 but will believe it when I see it. It has been around 40 degrees here for two days but the ground is still like a rock. Time will tell if warmer weather is around the corner.

[davey]

Ken-it is snowing here right now, but the ground is partially thawed. Most of the rest of us on this string are on the southern side of Lake Ontario around Rochester and Syracuse. Is the 1st of March typical tapping time where you are?

[3rdgen.maple]

TAP!!!!TAP!!!!TAP!!!! by the 28th the weather is gonna give us a break so get ready. Sorry Theeeeron's post are firing me up. I am tapping next week I will have the last of the taps in on the 27th Put in test tap monday temp here was 31 degrees for the high and dam if it did not run. Sunny side of tree so the trees are not froze up like I thought. Good luck gents and go after it.

[gator330]

You guys talked me into it this weekend it is!

[3rdgen.maple]

GOOD MAN GATOR if you want that sap you gotta go get it. Good luck and may the sap gods smile upon you.

[backyardsugarer]

Yup, accuweather has it warm then cool off then 46 by the first week in March. It is time. Good luck and may your gathering tanks run over.

Chris

[briduhunt]

I will be tapping this weekend myself then maybe I can concentrate on work easier. It seems that all I can think of is getting started and firing up my, new to me rig. I will be water test firing the unit this Saturday and hope to have a good amount of sap to boil by Wens. night. This is like Christmas when I was younger all I could think of for the hole month of December was Christmas and what I was going to get. Now I have an adult version of Santa, and her name is mother nature. Happy sap days to all.

[3rdgen.maple]

Dam what the heck is up with this weather. One minute I all geared up the next check 15 day weather forecast and it changes again for the worst. Looks like only couple days of sap weather. I dont see anything good through the 5 of march. Do they have any maples in florida? What kinda syrup can you get out of a palm tree? Heading there tuesday for work and Im gonna put a test tap in. This MAPLE stuff is gonna put me in a mental hospital. @#&^$) (@(*&#&! *(#*^()!# *#&& _#& #&#^ &#^)!(( ##_

[gator330]

What was going to be a tap weekend for me is being put off a few more days!!! This cold is going to be here for a few days. I kinda want it to run some the day I put them in. Be nice to see the tube work as I go.

[briduhunt]

I tend to agree with you as the long range reports that the warmer weather does not start untill Wens. of next week. Only problem is I prefer to tap during the day light house and having to work for a living makes it hard to tap other than this weekend. It looks like we might get a good flow going by Wens. thru the next weekend.

[gator330]

You need to trade that day job in for a second shift job. That way you can sugar all day then go to work!!! Also nice to be at work when the wife is home!!

[caseyssugarshack93]

Tapping next week up here in the mountains,

[gator330]

If this front is out of here Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, I'll be in in a hury!!! Just Not fighting this wind on top of that hill today!!! You can bet on that!!! I do wish it would get going. Need to make some steam!!!!

[Riverdale]

plan on starting to tap monday after work here in Delaware County, or Sunday if we're ready but I think we'll need the whole day...planning to work on the older trees when it's light out and use the headlamp on the expansion trees after dark when it doesn't matter where the hole goes because it's the first one!! I'm tired of this cold/wind/moving snow/crap. Ready to smell spring.

[danno]

That warm up looks pretty short livedr. Very heavy snow in the area today with much more forecasted over the next couple of days. They are talking about mid/uper 30's wed/thurs next week with temps dropping right back down therafter. Still not seeing a good run in the forseeable forecast.

[gator330]

How about it central New York!!! Are you in or not?

I went out and did it this morning about 11:00 I set 73 taps was thinking about going out and adding a few drops. Got up to some trees and don't know why they only had one drop set for them. I may just take some along for the next time I walk the line. Didn't take long and by the time I got to the end there was sap running.

[3rdgen.maple]

Would love to be tapped in. Wed., thurs., fri., looks awesome unfortunely it is gonna take a few days to plow to the three sugaur bushes AGAIN

[KenWP]

There are calling for 18 inches of snow between Sunday and Monday here. I went looking for trees and found lots today not far from the house but they are already in snow up to my waist. Shame as they are all suger maples instead of reds.

[sapman]

I agree with danno, nothing exciting to me yet. For me that's good, as I've still got several full days work to be ready, plus get the sugarhouse and RO in order.

Tim

[danno]

With that high sun today, certainly felt like sap weather. Was working outside in just a sweatshirt and was comfortable. Hung two test buckets on the south side of two big field maples. Each bucket had a quart or less of sap. Temps never got above 32 or 33.

Glad I did not tap today - but I was considering it. Went snowmobiling instead up past Sapman's.

[sapman]

danno, did you take that corridor trail that goes near Bowen's Corners, and crosses Lakeshore Rd.? If so, you probably saw my place, right?

[maple flats]

I plan to tap Wed and Thurs this week. Forcast looks like 3 warm days then colder for a couple then warm again. I think it's go time.

[davey]

decided to hold off a few more days, maybe wednesday.

[danno]

Hi Tim -

I'm not quite sure where you are. How far from Fulton and which direction?

[sapman]

Danno,
I'm just south and west of the city, or across Lake Neahtawanta. I'm on Lakeshore Rd., which runs between Rt.176 and Co.Rt.8, and along the south side of said lake. I'm 1/4 mile east of Rt. 8.

The main trail crosses the road right next to our place, and if you were on it you could see our green Willow Creek Farm sign. The trail connects to the powerline trail that runs into Onondaga Cty., and also to Flojo's in Lysander and Southard's Hill, if any of that rings a bell.

Tim

[gator330]

Question for you New York Guys. I just saw a artical in our local times about the decrease in maple farms and tap count in New York. Final numbers from the 2007 census. It is from a 5 year Census comparing back to 2002. Here is my question, How do I make my tap count and syrup production count for New York??? May not be a lot but I think if all Us little guys got our numbers in It would really add up!!!!!

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Gator,
I haven't seen the article you speak of so I might not be addressing the correct thing here. 2002 and 2007 were US census of Agriculture years. To be counted as a farm and fill out the census you need to have $10000 of farm income. Most small/hobby producers do not reach that threshold so are not counted. Other producers try to avoid being counted, figuring that the less any gov't agency knows the better. That being said, I believe NY conducts a survey each year after the maple season to guesstimate total production, value, what current prices may average, quality of the crop and other data. Try contacting the NY State Maple Producers (on the web). They may assist you in getting on the list to be counted. Hope this is somewhat helpful.
Doug

[gator330]

Thanks Doug it was very helpful. It was the USDA census small artical in the Wayne County Times You may be able to get it on line. I don't see there web sit in the paper but I know they are online. It did say that there was a 10% decrease in maple farms and a 17% decrease in taps sence 2002. Also stated that Lewis county was the leader for New York. It (LEwis County) also had a 37% decrease in production from 2002.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Gator,
I'm next door to Lewis County. The stats are really not representative because 2007 was a poor production year. It's the old "single snapshot" problem. I think our production has been trending down but not in the dramatic way those figures suggest. I also think that, given a decent production year, this year will have us headed in the upward direction. I do know that in 2007, NY ranked 3rd in US production behind Vt. and Me. In 2008, we produced more than Maine..... Of course that is because Royal Maple had to quit before May 10th:rolleyes:

[gator330]

I kinda thought that may be the case a good year compared to a bad one when you look a stuff like that. Just semend like a big number with no good reason or explanation behind it.

Are you getting snow? Froze to the bone here lots of snow comeing down. Hard to beleave big run weekned comeing up. Hope to be boiling first thing friday morning and have enough to go all weekend. Be nice to beat all of last years production in two days!!! Now that is fixing numbers at its best!!!!

[danno]

Danno,
I'm just south and west of the city, or across Lake Neahtawanta. I'm on Lakeshore Rd., which runs between Rt.176 and Co.Rt.8, and along the south side of said lake. I'm 1/4 mile east of Rt. 8.

The main trail crosses the road right next to our place, and if you were on it you could see our green Willow Creek Farm sign. The trail connects to the powerline trail that runs into Onondaga Cty., and also to Flojo's in Lysander and Southard's Hill, if any of that rings a bell.

Tim

Yup - it all rings a bell. I know exactly where you are and ride past your place a few times each season. I'll keep an eye out for your sign. Couple years back, we had enough snow and my daughter and I rode to a couple of open houses on Maple Weekend. That was fun.

[danno]

Anybody in CNY not going to be tapped by this Thursday. Still have not decided whether I'm going to tap this week (tomorrow). One day in the low 40's does not excite me - but our season is getting shorter by the day.

Last year was the weird exception when I boiled till the 3rd week of April. Usually I am done within the first few days of April - that only leaves 4 weeks.

So, do we tap now to take advantage of a couple small/moderate runs with the idea that we will be done by early April. Or hold out with the thought of going deeper into April again.

I'm not a believer in tapping in cold weather just becuase it's time. If it's going to be a short season, I want to hold off so that taps are as fresh as possible for when we get a couple week waterfall.

Sure wish I had one of those crystal weather balls:)

[sapman]

I won't be tapped, as you could probably tell by my postings. I did finish drops on the hill today, now need to get all the multi-fittings in, set tank and pump, finish mainline to saphouse. Hopefully we'll finish that all by Sunday, and tap sometime after that. Oh, and get as many reds setup and ready to tap, too.

Next week looks to have a couple decent days.

Tim

[briduhunt]

I have been putting in between 15-20 per night after work mostly in the dark. Also my trees are yard trees. So far I have in 65 taps and another 100 to go. Hope to have all tapped by Sat. night. Then its a waiting game to collect enough to start boiling. I have All Wens. off of work for March and hope to be boiling by this comming Wens. Crossing my fingers and praying to Mother Nature for her help.

[gator330]

I'll be boiling Friday. Steady stream running out the end of the line. Would like to see a little more Then i'm getting... Just got home from work it's still running about the same as it was all day. The temp is in the fortys right now, I think it will run all night. I kinda wish I knew a little more what to expect for flow. Having never had tubeing before. I don't know what to expect. I walked the line today. Had a steady little stream running but as I walked the line I didn't see one tap that was running?? Must have been something going in. What sap that was in the lines didn't looked to be flowing???? Just kinda was there??? Must have been it was running out the end. I'm Just going to have to watch and see what takes place with this for now. Kinda glad it isn't running half a pipe full. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I saw sap like that!!!!