tapping in the catskills.

[Dar-View Maple]

Hey Jody and Adam,
Come on over anytime! I will make it over to see your set-up this year as well. We are waiting for the sap to run like everyone else. I will give you a call about the pump. We are putting in a all new vaccum set-up this summer and tapping the remaining tree's behind the sap house. Hope to have 3000 taps for next year. I will be to the Hotel for the Grand Finale of Detour!!

[MillbrookMaple]

Van,

I just posted a question to the Vac category but I would ask your opinion directly. Are you planning on running your pumps 24/7 for this next week? I should be all set with our new pump tomorrow so I will hopefully pull some sap Monday.

[mountainvan]

If it's above freezing and saps flowing yes. Looks to me only tuesday night will be warm. weather does look promising.

[stimyg]

I'm a very small hobbyist producer, usually have about 12 taps that I run for a couple weekends to get some yearly syrup for my family. I work in the city and only come up to our home in Hancock NY on certain weekends, so it's tricky to do more. Last year I missed the season entirely. So as I plan my next month or two, my question is:

When does the season usually end in the Catskills? I know there have been some unusually early years recently. Just curious what your vague guesses might be as to when the trees will bud (and thus when I've got to get my weekends in by).

Thanks!

Tim

[MillbrookMaple]

That's hard to say generalizing the Catskills . Our sap bush is sitting between 2000-2300 feet so we are 2-4 degrees colder than the weather report for our town usually. Hancock is probably 2-3 degrees warmer than our town. Are you way up on a hill or down in the valley? I would guess you are at least 2 weeks earlier than us on average. We started last year at the end of January and were done on March 13th last year. Other years we made syrup well into April. I know Van has already made syrup from a couple of thaws in Jan but we are still waiting to get started. I think you might be starting your season now. Your forecast for the next few days looks great, High 30s to low 40s with nights right around freezing and recorded temperatures for most of Feb look like you haven't had very good sapping weather. The extended forecast for all of us looks cold so if that holds true you might be making syrup in April also. I would think you would be done late March most years. Hopefully someone on here might be able to give some historical data for your immediate area. Hope this helps.

[mountainvan]

every year is different. I've started in Jan. or the middle of march and ended the middle of march or end of april. you can't figure trends in the weather. people ask me how the year will be, I'll say ask me in May. maybe you can find someone who lives in the area year round who could use the sap when you're not up. I finished tapping today and have retreated to the hottub in woodstock for this storm. not much sap today but maybe thursday.

[stimyg]

Great, thanks for the replies. That's about what I thought but good to hear confirmed.

[MillbrookMaple]

Van,
How did it run for you today (wed)? Everything was thawed when I got up this morning and I started the pump, but sap didn't start running until about 2-3pm. I had band rehearsal tonight so I got back at 10:30 and my releaser was all iced up (I have no idea for how long). I took it apart melted the ice with the heat gun and back up and running. I'm going to check it in an hour and see if I'm still getting sap. 1700 taps on vac today only 400 gallons as of 10:30 for the day. Was hoping for better but oh well.

[mountainvan]

collect 1,400 gals this morning, 2.2% sugar. new auto drawoff was stuck closed. called marcland and new valve sent out today. that's good customer service. I did get it to open and it is working well, but marcland is sending a valve for my size rig. now that's customer service!

[MaplePancakeMan]

Hows it going up there Van! Its been going pretty well over here i'm only at 95 taps but i'm happy with it! Sugars been high and i cant seem to make anything else but light syrup. Which is good but bad for me because i don't really care for it. Hope all is well with you!