Just looking at the nighttime temps here and unless they change we are in trouble! Sugar is already at an all time low and no cold temps to help it out. And it’s still February. Uggg!
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Just looking at the nighttime temps here and unless they change we are in trouble! Sugar is already at an all time low and no cold temps to help it out. And it’s still February. Uggg!
I agree, weatherman keeps talking about a colder than usual March coming up, I don't see it yet. Perfect daytime temps but even us at 1600 feet only have marginal freezing at night 30/31. Good thing is the buds are still pretty tight even after this weeks fiasco or back to back 70 degree days.
Hopefully you had the same 22 degree morning we had. Should be enough to bridge us til Friday when some normal sugaring weather starts
My taps have been running like crazy. Just finished the 187 gallons that came in with what seems like no freeze. Have talked with other sugermakers and no one knows when it went below freezing but we all got flooded with sap. They started flowing again this morning and are still running. I have boiled 7 out of the last 11 days and they were all long boils. I can't find time to wash and clean things up. Sugar content is low, lots of niter, I have to clean my pan after almost every run and the syrup is dark. I am not complaining but I need a break, this is crazy. Forecast (not that it ever works out) is for freezing temps every night after Thursday.
Hope you guys are right that it turns around. I’m not nearly as big as you guys but I went from 200 gallons of sap the 19th-23rd to 50 gallons the 23rd to the 28th! First year on lines and I was almost in tears today watching the pump pumping next to nothing. Hope it changes soon before the taps dry out
Well finally into some freeze thaw cycles after this snow. Now we just have to go fix everything after the snow and wind stops. Electric keeps going on and off so I'm sure there are branches and maybe a tree down somewhere.
Tree down... like this 90’ white pine. I got home from work and noticed it had a lean to it. Luckily it’s just outside my woods where my two lines exit so I was able to take them of the supports and lay them on the ground. Sure as hell, we were sitting inside at the table playing a game with the kids and we heard that terrible sound of a tree starting to break. Looked out the window and saw her fall with a thud. My lines were buried 6” in the ground but luckily no damaged. The pump was running and sap was flowing while I cut out an opening. Crazy big tree. Gonna mill it up to make shiplap for my basement I’m refinishing this summer.
I walked a little during the storm yesterday, lots of branches down, a few taps pulled off, and lots and lots of snow. 20" or better. I guess we will don the snow shoes and work on vacuum the next few days. The life of a sugar maker! Still glad to see the colder temps come in brings hope to the season. Craig
Same here. 2ft of snow and no power til maybe Wednesday. Can't even turn the pumps on. At least it will be cold, probably wont miss too much sap
Who would have ever thunk that it would be colder here in N.E. Pa than in northern Vermont!
Well that colder than normal March sure came true. Here we sit...waiting.
And sit....
Good sugaring temps forecasted last week are slowly eroding into colder than normal again this week
Yup, getting sap up north but not down here. Crazy!