steaming drill bits in Andover- 2009

Tapped 50 this afternoon with my girls...one drilled, one hammered. Lasted about 10 taps and then they had had enough. Of the 50, about 15 were running- not bad considering the thermometer in the truck was reading 22-24 deg. w/ bright sun...

Mark (co-op partner) tapped his earlier running 25 taps today also...

set up stock tank, vac. pump and temp. control later in the afternoon in anticpation of tapping our 135 tap bush tomorrow or Thursday morning.


still need to wash buckets and set up dump station for the f-350, clean up sugarhouse, etc...but if the sap comes on Thursday/Friday we'll be ready...

After the season's over I'd like to make a trip up and check your place out. Is Parker close by? I'd like to see his as well...see how big Mighty Marvin really is.

Good luck over there Eric. I hope the sap is running good for you! We're still going to hold out for next weekend. Same time as last year for us, and we thought that was a week too early but the itch is setting in.

Josh, I've seen Mighty Marvin. The fire box is as big as a hot tub.

Todd

tapped about 100 of the 130+ we have on vacuum this morning- would have liked to finish but the girls were ready to mutiny...hope to get the rest of these in tomorrow and hook the vac. up. Perhaps hang a few buckets as well... maybe be up to 225 or so in by the weekend.


Josh- yes Parker is about 10 min. from my place..I can see a couple of his sugarbushes from my house...

Todd- best of luck to you as well up on the other side of Ragged- when I'm grooming up there I have a good view of Cardigan- any chance I could see you place?

Josh think of Mighty Marvin this way. Going by pan size you could put 4 evaporators like yours inside of it.

Thanks Eric. We sit below the top of Brown Mountain so you can't see us, but we're a little over 2 miles southeast from the summit Cardigan. Just sight a little bit to your right and you'll be looking right over the top of us.

Todd

lined up a babysitter for the girls today so I got the rest of the mainline taps in and vacuum running...pump seems most happy around 23-24"- hot, but spit does not sizzle..

need to replace some of the old green saddles on the 1/2" with cut-in/stars. There are 2 trees out there that I think this will be the last time we tap them- they look a little ragged...

got up to around 40 this afternoon and good sun, but not much running...tomorrow is a crap shoot- then cold again after that.

Do you think I can fit Mighty Marvin in my sugar house...

Mighty Marvin is a 5x16 evaporator. Is your sugar house big enough for that with the stack?

hung about 100 buckets today, tapped some of the shorter tubing/tote runs, and we are 90% tapped. Parker- not sure if we are going to get over to tap Fultons this year or not...I'll give ya a call...

was running only a little bit by afternoon- but its still 37deg out a 1am. Tomorrow's forcast looks amazing, but we'll see...

need to work on wiring up the bilge pump for the bucket dump station as I think its going to get a work out over the next few days. likely gather late tomorrow and fire up Sunday morning. Bring it on....