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That's why you make the seat removable and keep it next to the wood stove and take out when you need it resulting in nice warm cheeks. Hoping to get this work project wrapped up in Oklahoma so I can get back to Wisconsin to tap some trees.
Take care, DJ
Mr. Sugar Maple,
I just read you post about your trip north and hauling buckets and 100 gallon tanks. Then cheeks hitting the seat. I am sitting in a warm house on the couch and man that just gave me a chill. Ha Ha
Mr. SM, Read your weekend report and figured I better get moving. My observations over here in Crawford County match yours. Deep snow in the woods, however for me, it was snowshoes for me going tree to tree. Not as many deer beds as some springs. Will put in my final taps today and come up with a total. Some dry, some wet and dripping slow. First collection set for Friday. Gotta love the extended forecast. We will see what the Lord gives us this year. Still have plenty to do around the shack to prepare for a Saturday fire.
Hi IR glad to hear from you, our land has more deer sign then last winter.Think their hungry because eating the red cedar thats around. Stay safe and healthy. God Bless.
My new report, Friday Feb 26th arrived at our land 3:00 unloaded gear for the weekend used the snowmobile with the otter sled . then took all the bucket lids up top to place by the pails. Snow is deep yet 9-10 inches. had to cut up two large branches that were over the syrup trails. worked past dark then down to the cabin to get the wood stove going and supper. Sat morn my son and friend John came, we tapped the top hill 235 trees. took 5 hours then they rolled the main line down the hill to the big tank by sugar house. next supper and relax. Sunday the 28th we tapped our 17 hillside trees with tubing, needed to fix some squirrel damage,then they cleaned the flu pan bottom, we call it the Big Dirty.The guys went home and I stayed to clean the sugar house, pile more snow around tanks. we have been disturbed by some animals living under the cabin, their hissing and scratching on and off all night long. still have a lot of winter birds around. The trees were running on sat but not on sun except the tubing was running strong right away. Could be a short season with above normal temp forecast for March. God Bless.
Hi everyone,
Finally made it over to our land in Vernon county and tapped about 20 trees on Saturday March 6th. All running moderate to crazy fast. I know we have a warm spell coming up but expect to have a lot of sap by Tuesday that I'll shore up w/sap ice in barrels and will do first boil on Saturday March 13th. Last year I was so worried about the COLD weather that I was keeping the sap tote in the heated outhouse. Yes, The Annex :). Hopefully won't have to do that this year! Keep posting and look forward to more chatter soon.
Hey Lulugrein,
Was wondering when you were going to check in. Saturday was a good day to be in the woods. Too nice to be chained to a fire actually. Consequently I sit here this afternoon watching the sun move across the sky as I boil away Friday and Saturday. I see a few days off in the near future so I will work until done tonight. Looking forward to your reports.
Well I am back from 4 days in the bush, arrived Friday March 5th spent 5.5 hrs gathering sap. Got 350 gallons. still used the snowmobile but some spots up top were snow free , was a bit concerned if I spin out on leaves with 65 gal sap in the tank then what. worked till 7pm needed to start the cabin wood stove and a late supper. Sat the 6th my son and I cooked all day until 5pm then went up top using the 4 wheeler and tank trailer. the snow was soft now from the warm day but she clawed her way up the ridge road. those tire chains payed for themselves on that run. We gathered 200 gallons for the next cook. 8pm cabin. Sun started cooking at 8am till 4pm. was a mild day had one scare my son just left for home and I would finish cooking when I ran out of sap with a hot fire yet had to shovel the wood out of the fire box, add a little water to the flu pan all good. Cool down clean up. then our tubing tank was not holding sap dug it out from the snow piled on it and found when I put the tape on the plug threads
Hi Folks - Tom & Sophie the Dog, a few friends and kids occassionally,....tapped our usual 25 by La Farge,...ran crazy last week like everyone else, so I took off work to boil what I thought would be a record,....no such luck. Only about 25-30 gal. Trees didn't restart until about Saturday noon,.now slow but all steady. Amish up on Cty D said all their trees stopped about Tuesday - but now restarting.
So, I learned my lesson in 2019, no more "farmer-carrying" 20-30 buckets down 1/4 mile from the ridge. Have a 100 gal tank up top and tubing all the way down to the pan,....but only 35 gals boiled this weekend. Hoping to fill that tank on Friday.
Anyway, 4 months of sitting on the couch and watching football and now "Alone" (TV series), I can now grunt up and down the ravines getting pails to the field edge for pickup. Ooof-da.
Good luck!
Tom
Hi Tom I can relate to that grunt up down and over the hillsides. my heart gets a year older just like my joints.