Eastern Ontario 2015

[rtgambit]

This definitely seems to be the weekend for it!

I bought a homemade 2x2 evaporator in the fall, spent some of this morning getting the chimney pipe hooked up. Just need to pickup some firebrick to finish it off. Yes, I moved indoors this year. Gave the lawnmower the boot from the shed and setup the evap there. Lots of room!

I'd like to get most of the taps in, but this'll mean pulling out the snowshoes for the 2+ feet of snow in the back. Not looking forward to walking those buckets back, at least until the snow is gone.

[hillbillybee]

I plan to tap Sunday, don't want to miss Tuesday and Wednesday's +temps, but was talking to an old timer syrup producer this am who said he heard the trees are froze solid! Suggested to hold off. I guess I'll know by Friday if that's true or not!

Game on near Almonte!

Can't wait to sip some whiskey and half sap!

Cheers

[Galena]

I plan to tap Sunday, don't want to miss Tuesday and Wednesday's +temps, but was talking to an old timer syrup producer this am who said he heard the trees are froze solid!....

Hmm maybe he's just trying to psyche you a little? Though whenever I hear a frostquake like I did last night at bedtime, kinda makes you stop and wonder...besides, I'm going to wrap all my trees in electric blankets ;-) Hey, I only have 6 of em!

Thinking now of upping tapping date to this Sunday, if this week, Wed in particular, is as good as it's meant to be I don't want to be caught out. Will check with EnviroCan forescast shortly.

This year I am also going to try tapping a friend's virgin bush (gawd that sounds so wrong!) of, if I remember correctly, reds and sugars, try to keep her sap and syrup separate from my trees' output. I will double-check dimensions before I drill, but pretty sure most of them can take 2 spiles.

[Kyle Baker]

I'll be tapping this sunday as well. Seems as good a time as any.

[BrutemanAl]

I am sad to say, this year I will be not doing the maple syrup thing. I have no time, my wife and I are in the process of adopting to little boys and that is taking up all our spare time, they move in with us April 2nd and with everything going on over the next few weeks getting everything ready for when they come and going to see them and spending as much time with them till they come to live with us, I just don't have the time to do the Tap em and Sap em thing this year. Also have to go to Montreal for 4 days April 7th for training for my job, so that is thrown in there also.

I will miss doing it this year, I was looking forward to it, but have to put it on the back burner till next year.I will be checking in to see how everyone is making out this season and probably get jealous from hearing everyones stories. Sucks because I am almost of my Syrup from last year.

[Big_Eddy]

Al
My hat is off to you on the 2 boys. Great news there and all the best. If you're in need of a maple fix this spring drop me a line and maybe you can pop by. Hopefully be lots of steam to share .

[nudlebush]

Today is the day! We are heading back this morning to get the shack cleaned up, ready the evap/bluk tank and and tap trees. Thank goodness for tracks on the four wheeler, been keeping the trails packed down when getting my firewood out,

[Galena]

I am sad to say, this year I will be not doing the maple syrup thing. I have no time, my wife and I are in the process of adopting to little boys and that is taking up all our spare time, they move in with us April 2nd and with everything going on over the next few weeks getting everything ready for when they come and going to see them and spending as much time with them till they come to live with us, I just don't have the time to do the Tap em and Sap em thing this year. Also have to go to Montreal for 4 days April 7th for training for my job, so that is thrown in there also.

I will miss doing it this year, I was looking forward to it, but have to put it on the back burner till next year.I will be checking in to see how everyone is making out this season and probably get jealous from hearing everyones stories. Sucks because I am almost of my Syrup from last year.

Al, sad to hear you won't be tapping...but I bet those two little boys will be getting a whole lot of love and attention! Get them hooked on sirop d'erable ASAP so they will WANT to help out when they're old enough. Teach them that lugging a full 2g pail through waist-deep snow without spilling it is a manly thing to do! ;-)

Still, glad you'll be around to vicariously enjoy our exploits, triumphs and tragedies. Will do my best to help keep you amused :-)

[keith]

Hello all,
It's that time again, I just got my shiny new evaporater home and am currently working on fire bricking it! Very excited to test it out. I had a few hours this morning were I wasn't on daddy daycare and I tried to get back to the Bush on the tractor but the blower was having trouble with the four to five foot drifts on the trail. Hopefully tommorow I will be able to get the rest of the way back and get the taps in. It seems there is more snow than last year... Didn't think that was possible.
Well I'm off to clean buckets so good luck everyone I'll keep you all posted.
Keith

[Big_Eddy]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1425773168.340838.jpgHere's the view from the seat this morning. Was pretty easy blowing where the snow had not been packed down but tough where our ski trails run. All the trails are clear and 95 trees tapped today. Will do the rest tomorrow. Some of the smaller trees were damp but not really dripping