Southern Adirondack Tap Timing

Hi All,

New to the forum, excited to learn from, and, share with, you all!

We have property in Johnsburg, NY (southern ADKS). Just over 60 taps, gravity lines, (2) 55 gallon storage barrels, and a homemade evaporator. Before that we had buckets. We've been boiling for about 5-6 years by now.

Last year, we missed the sweet spot by tapping a little late, due to the wonky weather last winter/spring, and ended up with a disappointing haul. The year before we tapped around the same time and finished almost 5 1/2 gallons.

Those with southern ADK sugarbushes: when will you be tapping this season?

1 hr southwest of you and with the cold weather we have had,i will tap as I usually do,presidents week in feb

Same with me unless something major weather wise happens Ill be in on presidents week as Im on vacation. We will probably get a good snowstorm before then because ive only once ever tapped on bare ground.

Weather looks good to tap this weekend. Was hoping to Hold out another week but can't argue with the weather

I started on Presidents' Day last year also, but that was a week or two earlier than usual for us. We're up next to the Hoffman notch.

In the past 7-8 years I've tapped any where from before 1/20 to mid March. I watch the 15 day forecast and start tapping as soon as I see sap flow weather appear in the forecast. Since it has been so cold, it will take a few days once it warms to thaw the trees, watch for that. Mid thirties take a very long time to thaw a tree that may be 10-15F inside. Low forties do it much faster.

Like I was saying 15 days ago that I have only once tapped on bare ground. Since that post we have gone from bare ground to what looks like 2 plus feet of snow and snowshoes. The nice thing as maybe the snowpack will help moderate the temps and extend the season at the end. I'm still shooting for Presidents week. I drilled a test hole in a yard tree in direct sun yesturday and it was still frozen solid.

Thanks for following up! We've got anywhere between 12-16" of snow in the woods at our place.

We tapped one tree 2 weekends ago (test hole) and hung a bucket. It flowed 6-8 ozs. that Sunday and hasn't flowed since.

We are tapping all of our trees this weekend in anticipation of the warm weather coming through next week...may be too warm! :confused:

Regardless, I foresee this being a decent season so long as the weather doesn't get too wonky!

Great points, thanks!

Began to tap 2/15 with sap flowing in the Southern Adirondacks!

We tapped all 200 trees last weekend and after letting the snot out of the lines till Wednesday started collecting. Only collected 100 gallons since then. The trees aren't letting it up yet but it's coming. Tapped another dozen trees Friday and still frozen but we're ready.

i'm just south of you in thurman and i put around 45 taps in today, good flow and weather looks favorable for a good 10 days. should get 1st boil in by weekend couple of gallons !

I connected our taps (about 60) to our gravity lines Saturday and Sunday. Little to no flow. strikeee - I'm surprised you had that much flow that weekend; good to hear! Our laterals and main line were still frozen so we had to wait for them to thaw anyways (remnants of flushing the lines at the end of last season). I left the mainline open in a 5 gal bucket to drain the snot, knowing it would likely flow Monday and/or Tuesday.

Went back up Wednesday after work to connect it to our storage tanks. The 5 gallon bucket was overflowing..not telling how much actually went on the ground. A good sign for sure, and it's hard to say, but, it tends to be locally much colder in our neck of the woods so we may still be behind the curve. Hoping for our first big boil the first weekend of March. Let it flow!

up cutting firewood and some hemlock for the saw mill, checked about half the 5 gal. buckets and all had from 1 -2 1/2 gals.of sap, but not much if any flow today, hoping it picks up fri and sat. maybe boil on sunday. i like to get around 120 gals of sap before i boil. last year did about 10 gals of syrup, to much, still have about a gal. left so maybe only 3 boils this year !

back up to property for more cutting of firewood, another slow day. lines were frozen and never thawed, freezing rain around 3 so packed up and headed out. hopefully it picks up tomorrow !

collected around 100 gals sunday boiled all day monday and finished tues. morning 1.80 gals. of light amber ! hopefully another boil this weekend!

finished 2nd boil this am another 1.5 gals of light amber, hope to get 2 more in and i'll have my target amount for the yr !

Tapped 2/20, had a few good runs (150 taps on 3/16 gravity lines), made 5 gallons of syrup on Sunday the 4th, and 1.5 gallons last Sunday (the 11th). Everything is pretty much frozen up at this point, and unfortunately looks to stay that way for a bit (high of 25 this weekend and lows in the single digits?!). We're up to about 14 gallons of syrup total YTD.

I'm also in your neck of the woods (in Johnsburg, but very close to the Thurman line).

just did my 3rd boil, i thought the same that the lines and buckets would be frozen.... was i wrong ! collected 205 gals on tuesday morn and started to boil around 2:30 till 9:30 covered pan and boiling again by 7:30 till 1:am. finished off this am 3 1/4 gals of a little darker than 1st 2 boils. still only getting around 1.6 sugar in sap. maybe 1 more boil !

watching the 10 day forecast and looks like the cold will shut things down. went up to pick up trailer and snowmobiles today for some last chance riding and checked some buckets and it was running so even if its cold the sun is getting higher each day and melts the ice and trees quickly. should be ready for last boil next week.

Glad to hear you are getting a run to the south! No much new in my storage tank from last Sunday when I drained it down. No run today either, at least as of noon. I'm sure if anything ran today it will freeze solid tonight.

I too am hoping it thaws out and starts to run next weekend.

I'm watching to hear how you guys are doing this year. I usually do about 100 taps just off S. Johnsburg Rd, but for one reason or another couldn't tap this year and missing it. You Johnsburg and Thurman folks are right, always colder there, which has its good and bad points. I always found I was still boiling when everyone else was cleaning up. I'm guessing this cold snap has slowed things down, but hopefully it'll break.

went up to property yesterday to get load of firewood all buckets were overflowing, but frozen solid ! will go up on sunday, take out ice and get final boil in on tue. or wed. gotta get last snowmobile ride in on sat !

Thanks everyone for keeping this thread alive!

We've had 3 weekends of boiling (skipped last weekend as the cold snap limited our flows). We're only at just under 3 gallons finished syrup, so far. Two weekends ago we think we may have gone too far with our evaporation (syrup hydrometer issues) because we boiled something like 70-80 gallons yet only yielded 3/4 of a gallon of syrup...frustrating to say the least. Hearing everyone else's hauls makes me think there might be something other than cold weather inhibiting our sap/flow volume. I'm guessing we've boiled around 200 gallons of sap...seems awfully light from ~55 taps!? But everything we've bottled so far has been pure liquid gold! We're going to add a sap hydrometer for next season to see what we're working with.

One thing is for sure - it's been a gorgeous sapping season! Next, on to mud season - followed by bug season!

i don't think you did any thing wrong with the evaporating, my last boil was around 200 gals.and ended up with just over 3 gals. of syrup all 3 boils so far have been around 60-70 gals per 1 gal syrup ! headed up tomorrow for my last boil hope to get around 2 gals. of syrup and to finish off the season, that will be plenty for friends and family! i'll let you know what i got on thurs.

back home from my last boil ! had better sugar content for this one. collected 20 less gals. and had 1/2 gal more syrup almost 4 gals..it was darker and the amount of clay like sediments was amazing! it only my 4 th season of hobby boiling and the previous 3 weren't like this mud ! maybe it had to do with all the maples in my area had bad leaf damage from all the rain, covered with black fungus spots. maybe someone knows the reason on maple trader. finished out the yr. with almost 10 gals., friends and family will be happy ! hope everyone else finishes the season off well. thanks for all the info here !

I'm surprised you all did as good as you did with this cold weather. As I mentioned before I missed this season but am going to get ready for next year by cutting firewood as soon as I can get to it. To your comment on low yields, I've noticed mine has been lower per tap in the past than what I read about here. No complaints though. I put in 100 taps and get around 4 gal. Real good though. It's either that rocky Johnburg soil or my pipeline need work. I'm going to try to improve it next year and playing with the idea of vacuum with a generator (no power in sugar house) but have to research if that makes sense.

Good luck in your clean out and we'll see you here next year.