Willow Creek Sugarhouse 2017

[red maples]

Hi everybody, guessing it is about time to get this thread underway. Crazy January weather. Could have made some syrup but decided to hold off and work in the woods. Ran a separate vac line across the street to get more taps on vacuum. So setting up a separate released and tank over there so I can turn 25 gravity taps into 75+ taps on vacuum. There another 50 or so taps over there but not enough time to get them on line. Changed out 200 drops in the old woods which were about 6 to 7 years old and pretty beat up from squirrel chews. So lines are nice and tight now. Glad the pats got #5.

Speaking of squirrels I gave myself a new semi auto .22 with a high powered adjustable smart scope and was able to take out about 12 squirrels this year. so that will help out with damage. There are still more around too. There are a lot of them here lots.of hickory and acorns in my woods.

Did a walk through with chainsaw yesterday it wasn't too bad. Mainly branches, and had a small oak up root and fell over 2 laterals and a standing dead.something fall and lean against one mainline.

This morning I put in 50 drops across the street and picked up 20 on gravity all big sugars. I can get another 15 on gravity but debating if I want to do that.

Planning on tapping this weekend hopefully get in 500. Weather isnt gonna be the best but gotta get em done. Sugar house just need a little pick up and need some slightly warmer weather to get ro going.

Hope everyone is enjoying the snow. I am in the jackpot zone here down south.

Good luck with the new season everybody.

[Russell Lampron]

Hey Brad, I was wondering when you were going to start your new thread. I started mine and Josh started his this week too. Good luck with the new season.

[BAP]

Brad how much snow did you end up with? 11" here in Walpole. Looks like a lot more headed our way this weekend.

[red maples]

yeah I am almost ready. but its going to be on hold for another day or 2. got all 21 saddles cut in yesterday after noon. I had to do some major fixes to the slope of the mainline which I knew I needed to do I couldn;t find my site level but found it yesterday. just a few more side ties and about 25 or so drops yet to put in. set the tank and tie in the releaser and should be set to go.

yeah josh I got the CDL 1.25 gallon your more than welcome to come see it if you need to see the components.

still have to get all my buckets and a new gravity line on some of the trees to make collection easier but I think that will be this weekend.

Got a very light freeze last night probably more so back in the woods so should be another good sap day. but sugar on average isn;t very good but there hasn't been consistent freezing nights either andwith 4 or 5 days of warmer weather with no freeze in site until sat orsunday night. buckets and gravity will peter out after a day or 2 anyway. next week looks like it gets back to normal.

not that I am wus but man my hands hurt!!! between water and chapped and cuts, scrapes and splits they are just beat up!!!

off to the day job!!! hope its a good sap day foreveryone.. knock wood!!!

[Dill]

My hands are killing me as well, I almost felt old yesterday. My neighbor who helps, said that this part of sugaring is fun with visegrips.

[eustis22]

it's going to be frigid the next couple of days....will that affect outside boiling, i.e., the cold temps impacting the pan?

[Dill]

It will boil it will just take a longer time to get the pan up to temp. Kind of like firing up the BBQ in a blizzard. Can you do it? Yup, will it be as fun? Probably not. The other concern is make sure your valves and tanks are flowing before you really get rolling.

[red maples]

RIP Eric Johnson, I didn't know him as well as others but he was a great guy and had a.passion for maple and the outdoors. Gone waaaaaayyyyy to early due to ALS.

[red maples]

man that was a nasty storm and one heck of a time moving he snow!!!! f.......ing heavy!!! and clogging up the snow blower too!!!

I will be surprised if there is no line damage from falling branches and trees nothing visable from the house but I can only see so far back!!!

I will also be nice for maple season to come back too!!! no sap for any of us since last week!!! doesn;t look too good going forward either!!!!

[red maples]

thats pretty funny.... Dill...

I didn;t want to hold sap I'd rather have good syrup then have sap for show. which I am glad I did. because what I did make will be beautiful in glass.

If worst comes to worst I drain the evap. put water in the flue pan add some sweet to front pan and just boil water I have done it before with the enclosed hood you still get the visual in the front pan and the sweet steam and you can clean the back pan at the same time. The forecast for me is pretty bad not many freezing nights next week. I hope that changes. for the better. I will end up just a smidge over last year if thats the case.

then basically hold sap for sat and sunday because we aint gonna git much friday its a thawing day espeically with no sunshine on saturday or sunday. blah!!!