Tapping in the Golden Horseshoe 2014

[argohauler]

Hey it froze last night! Hopefully a big sap day today. Gathered the bush we gathered Friday and they are the freshest taps and found a half dozen overflowing buckets. The rest of the bush didn't run much. It was such a nice day yesterday, we would of had a really good run if it had froze harder. My drinking bucket kept up to me yesterday anyways. Got around 300 gallons to boil today. Still making a really light medium, almost light. Not liking the daytime highs though. 10 (50F) today, 14 (57F) tomorrow. There were a couple flies buzzing around yesterday and the swans were the most I've seen this year.

[daverobitaille]

Going to be a busy day...While I was boiling my friend went to collect last night and came back with another 30 gallons and I already did pick up 15 at 2:00 PM. Got the gear fired and and boiled till 10:00 PM. Now still 15 gallons in the storage tank and probably another 20 in the bush plus what ever we get today.
Beer is in the fridge!
I call for a cloudy day tomorrow...A lot of us will be contributing to cloud's making today! lol.

[Run Forest Run!]

Collected 25L from 17 taps today. Sap volume was all over the map. Some taps were producing between 2 and 3 litres, and others were just trickling. Three are still locked up tight. When everything thaws out completely it's going to be great!

Got my propane burners all set-up, complete with a new metal wind screen to maximize heat retention. Also purchased a 2 burner electric hot plate so that I can do my pre-heating outside instead of in the kitchen. I have a nifty little table for that. Now that it's all organized for the pending sugaring, maybe I'll just move into the garage for the next few weeks.

[argohauler]

Well that was a let down yesterday. I guess it wasn't cold enough, maybe not long enough either to recharge the trees after the warm spell because it was a small run. Gathered most of the bush and got 600 gallons, plus there'll be some in the line tanks. I could tell right away that it wasn't going to be that good with the way my drinking bucket was running. Syrup is the same colour as the light grade on the tester set. I don't like the Weather Network's forecast, cuz we could be done and the temps. aren't ridiculous, it's the April showers. I'm hoping for the -4 Environment Canada is calling for Wednesday night. Also it barely froze, so there won't be nothin' today, but some April showers this afternoon and wind.

[drpud]

8 gallons finished from 75 taps so far. Sap was running great yesterday but really variable today as some buckets were full and others barely had an inch in them. I've got about 80 gallons of sap in barrels buried in the snow to boil again Thursday . My trails are getting pretty trashed though and that may be the limiting factor this year. Good luck to all.
Paul

[argohauler]

When the sun came out yesterday afternoon at the hottest part of the day, the trees decided to run a tiny bit. Way too warm yesterday. Made a little darker syrup than the day before.

Saw my first peeper frog yesterday and killed it accidentally. Seems it was sheltering under some leaves, where I throw out my filter wash water.

It's time to declare major war on squirrels. Finding where they are chewing on a lot of the drop lines that I have going into the buckets. 1 they chewed right off the tree. Gathering yesterday we were at a tree that constantly overflows the buckets and we could see it was again. WRONG! Friggin' squirrel stood on the root of the tree and chewed a hole in the bottom of the plastic bucket! Was he thirsty or needed a shower??? Took my first load back to pump out and go to start the generator and there was a chew on my gas cap! It wasn't there when I gassed up in the morning.

Got a good 500 gallons to boil today. Hoping we get a good hard freeze tonight, but tomorrow is only like 2 and windy???

[Bruce L]

Argohauler , finding the same thing here, 5 of us went over the whole bush, line by line spoil by spoil checking for and fixing leaks. Yet more are showing up daily, probably easier food than digging down through 3 feet of snow.

[Run Forest Run!]

How is it possible that absolutely nothing is happening out there?

[Clinkis]

How is it possible that absolutely nothing is happening out there?

Was thinking the same! Went down to -2 here last night. I thought it would at least run a bit. Pretty much nothing.

[argohauler]

Bruce our snow is 99.9% gone now. We were rabbit hunting earlier in the winter and all we could see was squirrel tracks and no squirrels, but they could find their nuts in a foot of snow.

No sap ran today because it didn't freeze hard enough last night. We need a big time freeze like the -4 Environment Canada is calling for tonight, but it better start soon. Unfortunately the Weather Network is calling for only -1.

Had almost 600 gallons to boil today. Syrup got darker as the day went on. Almost amber, next boil it will likely be that.