Finger Lakes Sappers

[briduhunt]

I have only had one good sap run since I tapped on February 28-29. This season seem to be off to a slow start. last year I tapped on the Presidents Day weekend and by this time last year I had a lot of sap backed up and stored. Then again I was boiling on two turkey fryers and this year I have a 2x6 leader drop flue. I do have my pans sweetened and they presently have 2" in them and I have 60 gal of sap ready to boil but that is not a lot. I try to boil when I have at least 100-150 gal of sap to make the boils work and not run my pans dry.
Am I having a personnel dry spell with sap or is it the area. I have out 150 taps and looking to tap more if the sap flow does not pick up soon. I am dying to boil and have even taken off every Wens. the whole month of March just to keep up with boiling but that does not seem to be working out.
Am I alone?????

[danno]

Hi Brian - I'm about 40 minutes east of you on the thruway corridor as well - so we have pretty similar weather.

I tapped the 2/24, so I got the 2/24 -2/27 run as well as the 3/5 run, sounds like you would have only gotten the 3/5 run. It was not a great run here because once the temps went above freezing, they never went back down.

For comparison, for my 400 on vacuum, I got about 1000 gallons on the 2/24 run and about 500 gallons on the 3/5 run.

Your taps are still fresh - alot of good sap weather coming starting today.

[gator330]

Same hear in Lyons, just the two weekends with about 300 gallons of sap collected. I see there is about 50 gallons in the tank. We've made 5 Gallons of nice medium. And the pan is sweet and ready to go. This week will run If it isn't already. Going to check the line this afternoon to be shure. Sold every thing we've made as of today. Waiting list started hope this week will get use ahead some.

[fireBill]

I'm ten miles north of Ithaca and we've had much the same experience - one good early run followed by an Ok run. We've collected about 500 gallons, finished 7, with about half fancy, a small batch ready to finish and the pans are sweetened. Looks like we may have a run tomorrow, but very cold night temps might be a problem. Lots of mud!! I'm dying to get back out in the shack - hopefully have enough in the tanks and thawed for Saturday or Sunday.

[davey]

Im in the same boat as the rest of you, sweet pans and not much else. Have a group coming this weekend and may cancel if I don't get some good runs quick.

[backyardsugarer]

I have had some long runs here in Victor but only the stuff on Vacuum. The rest of the woods has hardly been worth collecting more than twice. Got 1100 gallons of sap today off 1300 trees on vacuum (19") The rest of the woods was just dripping into the tanks so I left it until tomorrow. 215 gallons of medium (No Light) so far. Looks like a good weekend for all whether you are on gravity or vacuum.

Chris

[gator330]

I was surprised to see my 73 taps gravity, ran 50+ gallons yesterday afternoon and through the night. No freeze and windy here. Will start to boil in the morning and go all day and night till sap is gone. If we get a good run this weekend my little set up will never get it boiled.