Chris ,
No wax. just a spit shine.
Just checked the 15 day forecast.!0 days with snow and no above freezing temps. I guess I have time to finsh everything I still have to do.
Printable View
Chris ,
No wax. just a spit shine.
Just checked the 15 day forecast.!0 days with snow and no above freezing temps. I guess I have time to finsh everything I still have to do.
Must have a dry mouth by now. Do you have a old evaporator hanging around to use so it dosn't get dirty.
Chris; We have moved vac pumps,generators, drums,barrels,buckets and rolls of tubing into the garage.(cut a hole in the fence)We have yet to do anything with the building.Since we have everything but the rig moved out of the sugarhouse we have enough room to move around good in there now .Darlene wants to look at making a retail area over there now that we have cut trees and bush and opened up the front so you can see it well. We plan on tapping this saturday. Doug is coming in from dayton Friday evening and the crew is due to arrive at 8:00am to start.
Good luck
Jim
Jim Brown,
Sounds like you have been busy. Last year I was able to make syrup on my birthday (Feb 27) but by the looks of the accuweather forcast it might not happen this year. Almost go time!
Jim
last year i taped on presidents day and boiled the nexted day but that is monday and i don't even have pans
Chris,
If I get a steamaway, it will be bought. Don't have to worry about me making one. I love to make things and can do about anything but weld. My dad taught me about everything except welding and electrical. I am learning a little electrical as I go but have only welded one time. Besides, with my work schedule, I wouldn't have time to build one anyway.
Will have to wait and see how this season goes. I am running 625 taps on a 2x8 which isn't a problem but all my boiling help is getting older and won't be around for how much longer?? I tapped my biggest bush Jan 31st last year and this year, it doesn't look like I will tap before Feb 20th. This weather is completely crazy. More snow this week on top of what we already have. At 9 this morning, it was 10 degrees and well below 0 wind chill and at the same time, I was watching weather channel and it is 40 degrees in Vancouver. Something is bad wrong with that as they are trying to haul in snow just to have enough for the olympics and we are up to our ears in it. Usually never even snow on the ground when I tap. I can only remember it a couple of times in last 10 years and this year I am going to need snowshoes. Not supposed to get out of 20's for next 10 days and the 9th and 10th day in low 30's. Crazy cold, but we'll see what happens. Hopefully we can get 4 good weeks from Feb 20th to March 20th. One thing for sure, the ground is super saturated and 24 to 30 inches of snow on it now and snow every day for next 7 days.
Snow, snow, snow. The stuff looks nice but is a real PITA. I was planning on tapping this weekend, but with the snow and the forecast calling for more cold I think i'm going to push it back until next weekend instead. I've got plenty of other things to do to occupy this weekend. Still need to hook up the vacuum pump, wade snow to fix more lines, etc. After plowing last saturday we got in the woods in the afternoon and again sunday. Slightly funny, after the fact, was replacing my mailbox post saturday morning, after my dad backed over it while plowing my driveway! Got some lines fixed and some new ones put in. Got 45 new taps online, should put us at about 915 taps right now, I hope to make it to 1,000 by early season. Focus now will be on fixing, tapping, then trying to add a few more.
This is starting to look like it will be one of those true to the book seasons. The ones that start in March and end in mid April. With great temps for huge sap flow.:) If not when this cold goes out and the warm comes in and stays you may want to be ready for a short season.:cry: Hate to say it but this might be the case for you guys in the south. Still ready to get to it no matter how it turns out. One thing for shure it won't be this week. I'm going to hitch the team Saturday and drive some folks around the fields drink coffee eat fritters and have some good old winter fun. Little pulling will do my girls some good for when the tractor won't start and the sap needs picking up. I'm also going to try them on a few trips to the woods for a down tree or two. Want to start pulling wood with them this spring and summer. I'm not shure but I think being ready to go in January was a big mistake. Next year I have to put it all off till it's only a week away. All this waiting is starting to really suck!!!
OK I see I got some jucies flowing in NWPA!
Boyd,
Yes Greg as in Edinboro industries. You know Greg taught me how to solder. We really should have a class on soldering for those of us not fortunate to have welded pans. Its really not that tough to do.
BTW I really need to resolder my front pan in the middle partitions at the rear. Lots of heat there. but will try to get through the 2010 season as is.
I thought you had your pans???
The WRU will be worked on as time and funds permit. If it comes together this year that would be great ( seems to be up to how fast I work:)) I can usually get a lot done if I have the materials available. Running out of stanless to fab and need to start shelling out the old green stuff. Which doesnt seem as plentifull these days:)
Jim Bortles let me know if you need a hand with tubing. I could at least hold one end:)
Jim Brown,
That property will be like a pocket in a shirt (real handy)
Brandon, Yikes your getting dumped on. Gota love the global warming! Adam in Pittsburgh and Stacy in Columbus are struggling with the unusual snow too.
Chris
yes i know greg when i droped off my pan yesterday he had another one out there that must of been t&s
been busy the last couple of days trying to get everything set. still afew things to get done. beautiful day out yesterday. couldn't ask for better weather to outside at this time of year. Vacuum is all set plumbed and wired and ready to go. releaser is all set. all mainline is adjusted and spoed and ready. Went though al the laterals pulled off limbs and a few small dead trees rechecked all the slope. shortened up a few and added in more saddles. installed the take down lines from my neighbor's place. gettng there.
sugarhouse is a bit of a mess:( from the going in and out trying find fittings and stuff. but it'll be cleaned by the end of the week!!!
There must be tapping weather coming soon. I know I have at least 10 days left then it will BE TIME!!!
WHAT IS UP WITH THIS WINTER WEATHER? I am about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh and last year on this date I tapped my trees and made more syrup in February than in March. Today I spent 7 hours plowing snow at my place and a couple of neighbors and helped clear a fallen 30 inch white pine that fell across the next door driveway (my son). If I can talk him into splitting it up rather than leave it in the wwods, I can get a jump on the firewood for next year!!. Cleared out a big spot around the sugar house with the plow/sap hauler. Tomorrow I will finish opening a path by hand around the doors and firewood. We have had close to 30 inches of snow from friday afternoon to today on the ground with a few more due tonight. Maybe for all the work we will be blessed with run after run after run. We'll see?
We got another 8" of snow with the other 18" and it is now blowing!!
I walked the lines today, I had to clear snow from around a few trees that my wonderful neighbor powed in while doing his drive. I had to be sure he didn't damage the tubing.
I believe it will be a very short season this year when it gets warm enough. Still seven day forecast below freezing. This has been a very cold year for us down here.
There is only about a foot of hardened snow here, and it was in the 40's yesterday.
No snow today at all. It was sunny for most of the day.
We're thinking of tapping at the end of next week, as the temps are supposed to be in the mid thirties and forties by then.
Did somebody mix up the weather maps up there?
We have your weather, and you have our three feet of snow!
It has been a winter for the ages in WV. I can't count on one hand how many days of lake effect snow we have had. I live several hundred miles from lake Michigan, but it has been coming straight down at us a bunch this year. Unbelievable would be the best way to describe it. Never seen anything like that this far south. I would guess we are at about 100" at the sugarhouse in less than 2 months and probably about 80" where I live. Today's forecast was showing snow every day for next 7 days and not out of the 20's. Amazing! LOL!
Oh well, it will end sometime and we will definitely enjoy spring and summer more this year. Opening ceremonies at the olympics tomorrow and it is supposed to be 48 degrees and rain and 10 to 15 here at the same time and below 0 wind chills. Guess we can blame it all on Al Gore, he ask for all this!!
My brother lives just south of DC and he was telling me this evening that at BWI airport they have recorded 76" of snow so far for the year and the normal is 12" for the entire winter!!!
It just seems like this year every wave of winter weather has a bullseye for southern PA maryland and Northern VA.
I do have to say that I am getting a workout walking around in this stuff. when it is 2'+ it takes quite a bit of effort to get around in this stuff.
You guys down south would love getting around on snowshoes. It may harden up a bit in the next few days and become really great snowshoeing.
We don't seem to need them this year for some reason. I walked to the top of our woodlot today and back and only crunched in once.
This is a wierd turn of events.
It must be close to tapping time down your way.
Revi,
I guess I will get my first turn at using snowshoes next week. I ordered a pair off of ebay Sunday and the are supposed to be here next Monday. I hope to put them to work tapping soon.
No disrespect but it is funny reading these post. 80 to 100 inches is small potatoes in my area. It is about time I got a break from it this year. You guys can keep it all. Sure will be nice taping treeswith only a foot of snow pack for once.
Hauled out some logs today, and managed to make a muddy mess. Ground is definately not fozen. Been playing around with the etching equipment for the glass bottles. Nothing is as easy as it seems. Manged to burn through a case of glass before I got it to my likings. Now the fun starts of etching the good ones. Also got to print up the hanging tags and Will be done with that until a few businesses get their logos to me to put on their glass. Getting closer by the minute till tapping time. Never tapped with snowshoes kinda hard getting on and off the tractor with them. Just gotta man up and sink in:)
had a surprise in the mail today i bought a gas power sap pump from tsc a few years back well when i was getting everything ready i tried to get it running it would not run so i called the warinty company seeing how i bought the exstanded warentiy they could not find any one to work on it in my area so they sent me a check refunding the full purchase price
I too ordered a set of snowshoes from a military surplus website and they arrived yesterday. I never had the need for them before but this year is different. The snow is so fluffy here that even with the snowshoes, you still sink in 6 inches or so and although thats better then sinking in 3 feet, its still a workout. The wide gradual turns and no backing up is going to be a little hard to get used to. Should make for an interesting and tiresome time getting things tapped this year!
It looks like snowshoes will be a necessity here, there's around 24" on the ground. buffalocreek, I hope your army surplus shoes are better than the ones i've used! My experience is that decent modern ones can't be beat.
I got a pair of these and cost me about $ 43 with shipping. Don't know how good they are, but hopefully will at least last for mapling season.
They do have a big screw in stainless spike on the bottom for traction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-MTN-25-Snows...item2a04b9ab9c
Does anyone have a Dunnam(spelling) sports store near them? Wife and I each bought a set at Christmas from our local store and they were,with tax and Etc. about $75.00 Work great and we intend to us them over the weekend to tap.
Jim
We've tapped a few years in snow shoes and it's not fun. The real benefit to them is if you need to follow the same trail twice because it will harden. If you're breaking trail it beats a trip to the gym for a workout!
Some advice - If you find the heel strap keeps slipping off try tying it up around your ankle with a piece of string or bailer twine. I've taken more than a few spills when one shoe came off and down you go!
We are right in to the big ginning of the season and there are still 67 of us on right now.
the thing i don't like about tapping in snow shoes is you have to carry a step ladder around the woods to reach your taps to pull them
Snowshoes are a way of life here in Maine for anyone who needs to be outdoors in the winter. You think using them to tap is tough? Wait till you have to start carrying two five gallon buckets of sap uphill to the shack. Fell backwards one time and the snow was so deep, I could't reach the ground to push myself back up. Flopped around like a fish out of the water for ten minutes. No gym needed here. Can't wait though!!
According to paper today, we have gotten 101.4 inches of snow so far this winter where I live and about all of it in less than 2 months. I would guess they are around 120 to 125 inches at the sugarhouse so far in the same period of time.
One thing is for sure, if we can get a couple of good weeks of weather, there is plenty of moisture and the sap should run like there's no tomorrow. Snowshoes should be here on Monday and hopefully start tapping sometime next week.
It might run like there is no tomarrow Brandon but I wonder how it will affect the sugar content. I now here at my place that is not alot of snow and on normal years it does not seem to provide us with anymore sap. I will have a better aspect on that thought this year as mother nature has spared us for once. I cannot remember a winter where there was this little amount of snow here.
Had a real fun day today. Started the truck up and heard a weird noise under the hood and quickly figured out the water pump was on its way out. Got a new one and put it in along with hoses. Got that done and decided the day was wasted and figured mine as well work on getting a better splash guard made for the evaporator. While in the process of that I was drilling through the sheetmetal and just as the drill broke through my dog decided to run into me and I put the bit clear through my finger. The fun part was putting the drill in reverse and backing it out. Manned up and did a self doctor job and finished the guard. I think I will take the weekend off and watch the big race.
Carhartt's now 40% off at Tractor Supply, wool socks too. Apparently I spend too much time at TS.
Finished the two new short main lines, lats and drops today. Picked up another 100 taps. Deciding whether to add another for this season. Glad I picked up the RO, my wood pile looks a bit smaller than usual. I've run out of wood every year - I assume I will this year as well.
I finally got to go glissade today for the first time in my life. I grew up with no hills so we didn't even own a tobaggon. I went up and down until I was tired. Then we had a tug a war and they found out this old man isn't as whimpy as they thought. Why I never had a coronary today lord only knows.
I am getting someplace with maple finally. Tomorrow should put a good hole in most of the work except washing which I need a bit warmer weather to do in. Found a place with cheap SS so I bought what I needed instead of trying to cut cornors.
Just have to figure out just how high to make the splash guards for my drop flue pans. I am hopeing 6 inchs extra will help. If I go to high she who has to be obeyed is only 4ft11 so she won't be able to reach over the top. With a test boil I should know better sort of as water dosn't spit as much as hot sap does.
I added 4 inch splash shields to my drop tube sap pan, but after yesterdays test, I found that was not enough. Will try some aluminum screenover the top and if that works, will look for some SS screen.
Man do those drop tubes boil.
I leveled up the mainline where it crosses the sugarhouse yard on it's way to the main storage tank. I wired it off the end rafter of the sugar house so I can drive the tractor under it on the way to the wood shed to be. I cleanned out the local Leader dealer of 5/16 tubing and have all but one roll strung out. The dealer is expecting their main shipment of supplies next tuesday. Good thing to as they dont have a single T to their name or any filter liners.
It's 5 degreesF here right now but sunny so when it warms up I'll go run out that last roll of blue then work on wood,tanks etc. until tuesday. Hopefully I can be already to go by this time next week.
after much thought and talking i think i going to tap in my tubing this week will see what happens i keeping my fingures crossed
today, i went up to the woods and put some saddles in, tomorow i plan to run some mainline wire for a other line to pick up a other 100 or so taps, then off to the other bush to fix lines and add some more if possible and then off to the two other bushes to get them ready and then i have to clean the sugarhouse and clean tanks get everything set in the sugarhouse and then ill tap, probably 2 weeks, then ill probably start drilling holes if the weather looks good,
Today was a get ready day. Spent the morning at Amber Gold's. Supposed to be helping. But most of the time, I spent holding a ruler and looking confused. He was trying to get the grade on vac line back to the sugar house. A little different scope of technical know how. After all I was trying to figure out how to a hang a bucket so "buddy the steer" couldn't lick it yesterday. Never figured I'd have a "buddy" problem in February. Checking the line that I tapped yesterday, I got probably 20 gallons or so in the tank, which isn't back for feb 12.
Then Josh came over to my humble shack and we got the evap just about ready. The arch board is in, the pans are leveled, the blower works, the hood fits. All that's needed now is tomorrow's trash can roof jack and a stand made for the head tank. I'm shooting for a boil on wensday.
Also noticed some trees next door to one of my new tubing runs that I'm going to ask about in the morning.
More snow on the way Sun night thru Tues and no warmup in sight next 10 days. Kinda crazy as I had made decent amount of syrup by this time last year. Looks like we could easily go over 150 inches of snow this year, its quite unbelievable.
What's crazier is our forecast is calling for high 30s maybe 40s for a week. And the woods are bare ground. Just a bit of granular/icey snow. Sugar snow.
Today I went and got jugs another hydrometer just to have a second one and a hydrometer cup. I also got prefilters. They didn't have filters in stock but they were coming in later in the day so there shipping them out to me Monday. I still need to replace the back of my halfpint evaporator. I'll get it done this week. My pump should be here Monday or tuesday. Yesterday my grandpa set up a woodstove in my sugar shack. It stays nice and warm now. I got some stuff cleaned up yesterday. I got a load of slabwood today. It's about a cord and a half I'll cut it up this week. The rush is on. Maple seasons almost here.