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Thread: Crawford County 2020

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

    Default Crawford County 2020

    Monday, Feb. 17
    45 taps, tubes, and buckets have all been put in place and are now waiting for the weather to cooperate. At least 10 trees were dripping slowly after drilling. Glad to have all work done by noon as snow started falling around 10 a.m. Yesterday afternoon using a skid steer to plow the quarter mile path out to the woods was simple enough as long as I remembered not to put the blade down at much of an angle. There is no frost in the ground at all and it was very easy to take the middle crown out of the path. Some cold days ahead but good weather in the forecast for the weekend. Have a good season everyone.
    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. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Fox Crossing, WI
    Posts
    17

    Default

    Hey Irish,

    Good Luck to Ya!

    This is my second season doing syrup and I put my taps in today! All taps facing south were dripping already! 1 was very cloudy and tasted funny like wood, we shall see.

    My yard has 2 Large Norwegian's, 1 Small Norwegian and 1 Huge Silver: Last year I did 8 taps on them and had 80 gals sap= 1.5 gal syrup. This year I did 11 taps and my neighbor let me tap his Norwegian so I got 13 taps on 5 trees this year!

    I'm in Fox Crossing, Winnebago County and I think its time!

    Thursday supposed to be -5 degrees then Saturday 40 degrees Hoping to see some serious flow this weekend!

    Now back to building my RO system from scratch! And I bought a Hydrometer too! Very Excited!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Appleton
    Posts
    16

    Default

    Clifford I cook down in Appleton. I use a RO as well. I plan on tapping this coming weekend. If you want to come see my operation during the season just send me a message!

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

    Default

    Clifford, Second season? It's not too late. Get out. After another season you will be too addicted and you will be in it for good. You are already talking "RO"s. Anyway, after a few more cold days, I agree with you, the run will be on. My other thought and we will see how it plays out is that is this might be a quick season with the lack of frost in the ground. A few years ago we had a short season and some who delayed tapping right away lost a good chunk of the season. Working on gravity, every day sap runs is important to me.

    Best of luck to you and Medic5794 this season.
    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. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    West branch Kickapoo River Valley, Southwestern Wisconsin
    Posts
    192

    Default

    Hi Irish Ridge, Glad to see your still are hooked and doing another syrup season. We are not going to tap until the 29th, it may be a mistake but have to much to do first. I will give a report after this weekend.
    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

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Prairie du Chien, WI
    Posts
    201

    Default

    Hi Sugar Maple, The season is upon us or at least knocking on our doors. I'll be following you and the usual suspects over on the Vernon County thread. Glad to hear you did well out west. Can't help but smile and think of a different day and age. Now I'll have to get out my Deadwood dvd's. Today, I am back in the skid steer moving snow from Monday. Then the snowshoes come on and I will be brushing snow off of buckets and tamping down my trails from tree to tree. Tomorrow (Saturday) it is moving snow around the sugar shack and wood pile to give us some room to work. I forget your signature close from a few years back...I believe it was "tap 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

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Chaska, MN
    Posts
    64

    Default

    I’m across the river and north (TC). My first year doing this I just popped in 15 taps. I have 25 more to put in and now just waiting for temps to cooperate. Hoping for the best....fingers crossed.

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

    Default

    Morning ChaskaSap and here's to a good season for you. I am hoping for a little run over the next 4 days. Then cooler for a few and next week Sunday and on looks great. I remember my first years doing this. Learned something most every day. Went to our local True-Valu store last Friday to listen to a presentation for hobby sappers. It was put on by a rep from Roth Sugarbush over in Cadott Wisconsin. You might want to check out their website. They have lots of 2 and 3 minute videos you can click on sharing best practices for operations our size. It's a great feeling when you can watch one and say, "good, I am doing this part right."
    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. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Chaska, MN
    Posts
    64

    Default

    Thanks Irish Enthusiast, I’ll definitely be checking it out. I’ve been fortunate to have a coworker who’s been at it for some time. He gave me ins and outs. Regardless the more education the better.

    Excited as hell!

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

    Default

    Sunday, Feb. 23rd. Last couple of days the temps did their job. Trees on the top of the ridge are dripping fine. Lower down the north facing slope, and in more shade the drip is much slower or not at all. It didn't take much to get a Kawasaki mule stuck in very wet snow and slush. The walk back to get the skid steer did provide time to consider carrying and using the mule tire chains next time out and the old line that all 4 wheel drive does is allow you to get stuck further in. Collecting sap early tomorrow morning while the ground is still hard is the first item on the new weeks agenda.
    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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