220 Maple Half Tapped

[mapleman3]

Mark We too are sorry for your loss, I'm sure it has been a tough time for you all. I'm sure as Brookledge said he's looking down on you now hoping you have a great season !

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

My prayers will be offered daily as I remember for you and your family. I can't imagine the pain and I am sure the past few years have been rough with that in the back of your mind.

God bless and maybe we can hook up some day soon and good luck this season.

[220 maple]

Thanks to all for your kind words. My wife read some of them and wants to print them all out to keep.
I was back in WV at the camp Wendesday and Thursday. Got several more trees tapped. Pendleton County sugarbush probably 90% complete, Grant County sugarbush about 50%. The best news of all is my helpers have boiled every night (Sun thru Thurs.) . I finished one batch down and have four milk cans setting in the kitchen to finish. The trees that I have open have run pretty good but I believe they have run harder in the past. One factor that could be causing this is the ground is frozen. If the ground would thaw then we have some heavy frosts I believe we would really get some big runs. The sugar content has averaged 2.4 to 2.7. Now all we need is some good freezes and business will pick up.
Mark 220 Maple

[220 maple]

Season winding down. Considering that it started later than usual. We made some really good syrup. Myself and my helpers are hoping to make some commercial syrup this week. We got 5 inches of snow this past friday and the overnite temps dropped back in the twenties. Hopefully the trees will recharge and run again. Some of them was opened on the 20th of March. They are reaching their 30 day production cycle. I have had this happen in the past where they ran good then froze up but would not run after the freeze. A fellow syrupmaker who has made syrup for many years said that it's hard to get a run after 30 days.???? Has anyone had a simliar experience? What is the longest you've had a taphole run with out doing anything to the hole like reaming with larger drill bit?
Visited some fellow syrup makers in Highland County, Va. during their festival. Some are happy and some are not. Even the happy ones said it was difficult with the weather this year.
Hopefully this coming weekend I'll make it Pa. to visit the camps around Salisbury. Henry has two of my stainless steel syrup barrels and I'll need to get some Glass for my Lite Syrup.
Mark 220 Maple

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

2 years ago we had sap down here for 6.5 weeks. I tapped 17th of Feb and am expecting a run the next 3 days. Hopefully the holes didn't dry up last week. I don't expect anything big, but I think it should be decent. Never heard the 30 day theory, it is not uncommon for me to go 5 weeks which seems normal but it all depends on the temps and I am 3 to 4 hours south of you.