Eastern Ontario 2023

[paulslund]

So watching the weather forecast and wasn't concerned about the warm spell this week as originally next week was still cold.. but now the forecast for next week shows great sap flow weather, but then a deep freeze by the following weekend. I know it's still a ways out, but I'm nowhere near the mindset to start putting out my tubing (I also have a concern I may have ruined it all) and I still have a lot of prep work in the shack, my pump needs bearings replaced, and assembling my RO (parts were just recently delivered about 2 weeks behind!). I thought I was still about 2+ weeks away until I saw the weather...

If the forecast holds, is anyone else in the Ottawa and surrounding areas getting their taps in for next week's supposed mild temps and get a first run in? I'm debating whether to rush to get all set up this weekend or just let it be and wait until the next warm front. I don't think it will take long for sap to flow as there really isn't much in terms of frozen ground. I mean, the snowmobiling really just started about 1.5 weeks ago here, and I'm already afraid we'll lose it..

[ennismaple]

We aren't planning to start tapping until Family Day weekend - we need 4 days with a couple crews to get tapped plus another couple in the sugar camp before we can boil. At least the warmer weather will knock the snow depth down a bit. It's still early...

[Galena]

Yeah the temps we're seeing now are awfully tempting, but I don't like the look of the weather from the 15-21. Planning on holding off til the first week of March. Don't want to hurt my trees and trying to get in an early run just seems too risky to make it worthwhile.

[Corey_d]

I’ve been playing with this sugaring hobby (addiction if you ask my wife) for 6 years and I’m finally starting to ignore that first urge to tap. It seems like every year we get what looks like the perfect week to start, which never runs very much despite the temps, which is followed by a couple weeks of not so great temps and nothing in the buckets. This year I will not resist my laziness and hold off until March as well. Im in the long sault area.

[Galena]

I’ve been playing with this sugaring hobby (addiction if you ask my wife) for 6 years and I’m finally starting to ignore that first urge to tap. It seems like every year we get what looks like the perfect week to start, which never runs very much despite the temps, which is followed by a couple weeks of not so great temps and nothing in the buckets. This year I will not resist my laziness and hold off until March as well. Im in the long sault area.

Good idea. I find the February weather patterns to be too fickle to be trustworthy. In 15 years of tapping I've only tapped in February one year, and that was a somewhat freakish season. Of course we can also get crazy weather in March but February always seems to be the worst.

[jungmaria]

Going to tap 1/2 our trees this weekend to catch the early run we should have. Will wait to tap the rest until can get a better look at the forecast for the rest of the month.

[Fort Wisers]

Hi everyone!
What a weird winter.....logged in this morning to see what others were doing.
We were out splitting firewood for next year and boy did it feel like a "sugrain' day".
We will wait until at least after this next cold snap forecasted for this weekend and then maybe drag everything out and start cleaning.
Probably won't tap until close to early March though.

Good luck to everyone, hope the season goes well.......

Brent

[Galena]

Hey Wisers! Glad to see you back on board for this year! Yep looking at the 24th on, not liking those minus double digits at all. So gonna continue holding off til my usual tapping season of early March.

[Bushfrosh]

Put out my 50 spiles yesterday (Sunday) afternoon with the assistance of my daughter. Collected for the first time this evening and trees were producing well. Gathered 224L, just shy of 4.5L of sap per spile. Should be an interesting week.

[MikeC82]

Put out a 100 taps and collected around 50 gallons last night. Too early - but what the hell - need something to do.
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