Vernon County

[Irish Ridge]

Nice report Mr. Sugar Maple. It sounds like you are all set now. My taps were running like yours this afternoon. I am glad I got a gallon and a half of syrup out of the first warm days because I just don't see the night temps cooperating with me. I am not even going to try and predict what the rest of the season will bring. The only things I can predict are that no matter the quantity of syrup produced, the season will be a success, good times had, and good memories made. A brother in law tapped for the first time ever this week. That's been worth it all in itself. All for now.

[Mr Sugar Maple]

Irish Ridge, Well it sounds like you got your brother in law hooked on our crazy passion. Well done my friend.We all hope for a normal season but it seems like any thing goes with the weather now days.So continued good luck and have fun. God Bless.

[Irish Ridge]

Wednesday, March 4th. Thanks for the nice thoughts. Just so you know, you will be coming back to sap this weekend. Just collected half of mine and will gather the rest tomorrow morning. All my trees are a go and in mid-season form. Starting a fire tomorrow morning after any rain showers pass through. Lent service, a potluck, and then the Badger game and to bed early cause tomorrow is a marathon session for me.

[Mr Sugar Maple]

Hi Irish Ridge, Yes the trees are in full swing, I made a trip over today to gather.I was thinking of waiting until Friday but thought I should go see. Well six hours later I had 310 gallons of sap. Still used the snowmobile with deep snow in the valley. Up top snow cover ranged from 2 inches to 8 inches.got back home at 8;15 a quick supper and this posting. The mild weather and sunshine was sure great, but need those cold nights for continued sap flow. Keep a keen eye on that evaporator tomorrow. My neighbor told me when he was a kid. his dad put him in charge of watching their syrup pan, well his mind wandered and he burnt the pan, so his dad made him clean it in the Kickapoo river using sand to scrub it out. He said that river water was sure cold in March. So beware and God Bless.

[Tommoore30]

Hi Friends - -Tom & Sophie the dog are back for 2020. Tapped our usual 35 a few miles NW of LaFarge. I think I got sunburned this weekend. The snow in places is still unbelievable. No gator or snowmobile, just legs and arms,...;last year friend and I "farmer carried 22 5 gal pails down the ridge. This year. carried 2 55 lbs rolls of mainline tubing and tank to top of ridge to prevent any future "farmer carries". I think this is gonna kill me, but I can't think of a finer way to go. All taps, both ridgetop and coulee, are running great. Back for 3-4 day weekend to boil. This is one great hobby,....people at work are mystified by the stories (or think I'm really strange,...). Good Luck my friends, have fun.
Tom

[Mr Sugar Maple]

Hi every one, Just had a 4 day stay at sugar camp, went over on Friday the 6th hauled the 4 wheeler over but found the snowmobile was still the way to go.after hauling stuff up to the cabin and the sugar house fresh water buckets front pan etc. I went up top to straiten up the buckets from Thursdays wind.Saturday my son came and we cooked 350 gal of sap, all went well until pumping the valley tank sap up into the big tank the darn recoil broke. So siphon time and carry the buckets up the ladder to the tank. we finished at 6:30 then cool down . Now time to gather but with out a pump we had to get the 4 wheeler and trailer up the ridge road ,so with my son leaning out on the front rack it clawed its way up top, thank God. We gathered under a great moon and 400 gal later we hit the bunks at 1:30 am.Sunday we cooked until 5:00 and my son went home.I stayed for clean up till 8:30. Today Monday the 9th I hauled snow from the valley up to cover the tanks, then the rain came so time to head home. Saw geese flying north hear the first robins and red winged black birds. Tom that main line will be a life saver ours is 800 feet long.did not want 65 gals sap pushing me down a snow and ice covered road. Stay safe and God Bless. Also we did make 16 gallons of light amber syrup

[lulugrein]

A really nice day of boiling outside on Saturday 3/14. Little wind and manageable temps with toe warmers in place :-). Sunday morning cozy in the cabin with humidity up to 80% while I finished syrup on the stove. I got my mojo back this year (thanks, guys, for the therapy sessions last year!). Enjoyed all the prep work and anticipation of what I'd find when I got to the cabin on Friday night (most taps bone dry when I tapped on 3/9). Yesterday nearly all trees running crazy fast. Can't wait to get back there Thursday night and hoping weather cooperates for a 2-day boil. Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the season!

[Mr Sugar Maple]

Hi every one, I am back from a 3 day stay at sugar camp, went over Friday the 13th after hauling things to the cabin and sugar house I went up top to gather. The ridge road was clear of ice and snow, there was still 4 to 5 inches in the shady valley. gathered 260 gal and the tubing tank had 70 gal Saturday my son and I cooked till 6:30 then cool down, supper at 7:20 he hit the bunk and I went up top to gather 70 gal of sap for the morning .When I went to send the stored sap down the main line it stopped, there was ice in the 90 degree elbow at the big tank, so I had to pull the elbow out of the tank and remove the elbow from the 1 inch line, and when I did, Wow I got sprayed the sugar house and roof got sprayed until I could get the line back into the tank. THAT WAS FUN. Sunday we cooked till 2:30.then cool down and clean up. left for home at 6:00. Saw chipmunks, geese, no deer except for the one snorting at me Sat night gathering. Made 15 gal medium to dark syrup. Stay healthy and God Bless.

[Mr Sugar Maple]

Hi Lulugrein. The weather looks like a warm bunch of rain for mid week then Fridays high is 29 with a low of 15.Saturday mid 30s and 17 sat night that will give us problems of freezing sap in tanks and just plain miserable.

[lulugrein]

Thanks for the weather update Mr. Sugar Maple. The trees were running fast when we left last Sunday. I am expecting that the buckets will be full when we get back out there later today. A good problem to have but I have not yet figured out how I'll keep the sap from freezing hard in the tote that I'll surely fill up today. I have some ideas and will give an update tomorrow on how that all turned out. A heater probe is the simple answer but I don't want to spend the money! Am happy to see that the wind is going to die down. Stay safe out in the woods and keep us all posted.