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Thread: Crawford County 2018

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

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    Tuesday, March 6th Heading out shortly to pick up any buckets that blew over in the winds yesterday.
    Lulu, I checked out the yaktrax and they look nice. They are definitely a step up (or two) from the brand I use. I purchased mine at Fleet Farm years ago. They are made by HT Enterprises and are called Sure Grip safety treads. They sell for about 6 dollars. They are made for ice fishermen and I see that Frabil also makes a similar set of cleats. My HT grips do not have a set of cleats on the heal. That has not been a problem as I remember the design and make sure that I plant my step on the ball of my foot rather than the heal. Mine have held up over the years but I try to make deliberate and 90 degree turns.
    Time to check out the woods....later.
    2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
    2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
    2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
    2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
    2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
    2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup

    56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
    43.01N

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Viroqua, WI
    Posts
    62

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    That's a good price Irish Ridge!. Yaks cost $19 for the basic ones.
    Anxious to hear how sap is running by you. Our place is just north of the Crawford Co border. Sap was running very slow when I left on Sunday. The anticipation of what I'll find in the buckets on Friday night is killing me!

    2014 - Cinder block fire box, 2 roaster pans (thanks Mom), mix of 11 red and sugar maples tapped, 1.75G syrup.
    2015 - Same fire box reconfigured for Smoky Lake 24" x 33" pan. 17 taps on 16 trees with tubing to 5 gal buckets. 114g sap down to 2 3/4g
    beautiful syrup.
    2016 - Cinder block fire box is holding up fine. 20 taps, 155 G sap, 3.37G syrup. Great fun with friends.
    2017 - 21 taps on 5 gallon buckets. Good sap runs and reached my goal of producing 5 G syrup.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    West branch Kickapoo River Valley, Southwestern Wisconsin
    Posts
    192

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    Yes glad you were going to check your buckets, hope they were still on the trees. wonder how things are at our place. as of Sunday afternoon very little sap flow on our buckets.
    12x16 Sugar House 2x6 Maple Pro wood fired evaporator Arctic Cat 4x4 1980 Snowmobile 225 taps on buckets 17 Taps on 3/16th tubing on steep hillside

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

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    Wed., March 7th. This morning was spent dusting 3 inches of snow (and a small crust of ice) off the bucket lids. The wind only knocked a handful over and none were lost. A check of sap showed that the slow flow must have stopped some time Sunday night. I had collected sap Sunday afternoon and there was very little frozen sap on the bottom of the buckets this morning. Zero sap running from the taps.
    2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
    2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
    2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
    2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
    2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
    2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup

    56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
    43.01N

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

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    Monday, March 12. Sap in the buckets today - not ice. Sap finally dripping at a slow consistent rate. We collected just over a gallon per tree - some more, some less. Looking at Wednesday or Thursday to begin my life around the fire for the season. The good news to share is that based on the "first snow where you can track a cat in relation to the full moon" formula the next trackable snow will be some time next fall.
    2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
    2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
    2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
    2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
    2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
    2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup

    56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
    43.01N

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Lancaster, Wisconsin
    Posts
    25

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    Tuesday March 13---boiled all day yesterday and all day today and it looks like tomorrow also. Once the trees woke up we have to get right at it to keep up. Weather looks good for the next few days. I was surprised the trees ran as well as they did today given it barely reached 32 degrees. Hope everyone else is doing well. Spike
    Either lead, follow or get out of the way!

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

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    Thursday, March 15th - We collected sap first thing this morning and was surprised the wind had blown numerous buckets over. With the covers on tight we didn't lose sap but didn't realize it had reached such gusts. By 10 a.m. we had a good fire working. Great day to be outside. At 4:30 p.m. the cub scouts showed up. We explored the fire and the wood pile, actual sap boiling away and then took a walk to the woods. The boys got to taste sap out of the tree and hunt for scars from previous year drillings. Then it was back to the shack to taste syrup and have maple candy made in the maple leaf forms. Good time had by all. Starting early tomorrow to try and keep up.

    Spike, like you, I can finally say the sap is flowing and and the season is truly on. Heard red wing blackbirds today.
    2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
    2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
    2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
    2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
    2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
    2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup

    56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
    43.01N

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

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    Sunday, March 18th - Made about 2 gallons today and about 1 yesterday afternoon. So syrup is being made but not like years past with similar weather. Sap flow continues to be way down on my north facing slope. A very different season for us here. I won't even try and predict the future of this season. Perfect days Saturday and today for collecting sap and watching a fire burn. Waiting to hear other weekend results.
    2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
    2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
    2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
    2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
    2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
    2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup

    56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
    43.01N

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Lancaster, Wisconsin
    Posts
    25

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    Sunday 3/18/18--Took today off other than picking up sap. Back to boiling tomorrow. We went Monday thru Saturday last week and just kept up with the sap. Back at it again tomorrow for at least two days. We have bottled 14 gallons so far. Don't know if well meet last years output but we'll take what we get!! Irish Ridge- are you auditing SREC again this year? They have me down for it again. Spike
    Either lead, follow or get out of the way!

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

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    Hi Spike. I always like to hear the Grant County report. I am always a little behind you so maybe this week will be the one where it turns up a bit. I thought last week would be the one where I fall behind. I have to finish off some now on the gas stove and should be right around 5 gallons for the season. Not complaining. I think I have found the number of trees where the fun remains and the wife doesn't mind spelling me a bit. Glad to hear you will be at SREC; same here. I was thinking I could get the full details on the season from you. Sap on.
    2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
    2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
    2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
    2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
    2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
    2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup

    56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
    43.01N

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