Schenectady-Albany-Saratoga Counties

[Wanabe1972]

Went to bed last night thinking today would be the day to do some chainsaw work in the 100 tap woods. I had a tree fall across a mainline a few weeks back that pulled it to the ground. Well then the ice hit last night. While loading my wood furnace I heard branches breaking all around me. Went to work on the mainline today and found a complete mess. The whole western side of the bush is covered in tree tops and limbs. Luckily there really wasn't anymore damage to my lines. I spent a good part of the morning cleaning paths to my lines and taking branches off them. I'm hoping to finish the RO plumbing tonight and start replacing drops in the morning. Jeff

[ADK_XJ]

Went to bed last night thinking today would be the day to do some chainsaw work in the 100 tap woods. I had a tree fall across a mainline a few weeks back that pulled it to the ground. Well then the ice hit last night. While loading my wood furnace I heard branches breaking all around me. Went to work on the mainline today and found a complete mess. The whole western side of the bush is covered in tree tops and limbs. Luckily there really wasn't anymore damage to my lines. I spent a good part of the morning cleaning paths to my lines and taking branches off them. I'm hoping to finish the RO plumbing tonight and start replacing drops in the morning. Jeff

Good number of limbs down in our back 9, too, but luckily no tubing up here yet and so no tubing down either.

That sounds like a mess but think the weather should cooperate before a real warm stretch.

[ADK_XJ]

Still have taps in from my late January run and expect them to start flowing again here tomorrow or Saturday and then thinking this is likely the start of the season. Will be curious to see if the taps hold up until bud or if I have to switch some to new trees. The grand experiment!

[Trevor5]

I put out four taps last night about 8pm, all four were wet. I don't think they flowed very long before the freeze set in, but I was glad to see that my trees are awake. I will put out all of my taps between now and Saturday morning as time permits.

[ADK_XJ]

Trees were running today! Reds were slow except the very biggest but my sugars (tapped in January) were going strong:

IMG_20170219_172407.jpg

[ADK_XJ]

About half the output today over yesterday but a check on the refractometer is showing 3-3.5% on my sugars and a little less on the reds. I'll chalk the lower production today to the wind. Still, guessing we'll have enough sap to run a couple gallons of syrup by week's end between our trees and our neighbors.

[Trevor5]

I collected I am guessing about 40 gallons from 23 taps yesterday, a decent day, but not the best day. Some trees definitely gave a lot more than others. Boiled about 40 gallons down to 10 gallons on Sunday, ran out of time to bring it down to syrup, so I have two five gallon pails of sweet buried in the snow until I can boil again this weekend.

[ADK_XJ]

I collected I am guessing about 40 gallons from 23 taps yesterday, a decent day, but not the best day. Some trees definitely gave a lot more than others. Boiled about 40 gallons down to 10 gallons on Sunday, ran out of time to bring it down to syrup, so I have two five gallon pails of sweet buried in the snow until I can boil again this weekend.

I'd take 40g from 20 taps all day!

[ADK_XJ]

Felt like May today! Think it was probably too warm for a good sap run and really didn't have one, although it was decently cool last night. Tonight it won't go below 38 so doubtful on any additional run tomorrow...luckily I have enough sap in cold storage to do a good boil Saturday or Sunday, whichever day it doesn't rain.

[ADK_XJ]

I certainly don't remember a February in the 70s...taps are completely dry two days running but the temp is headed down tomorrow into the next week. Seeing a very ruddy coloring on the tops of the red maples already, may re-tap to focus on the big sugars if things don't kickstart this week.

Still, boiling tomorrow!