Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[johnallin]

Just checked the tank at 8 pm and there is 1800 gallons from today’s run. That’s a .5gpt for the day. Still testing 1.4%.

Spud

We sure don't have that over here in NE Ohio!
It's all over but the crying here and no one's on the NE Ohio thread anymore.
I think it's great that you Vermont guys keep posting. Thanks!

[spud]

Had a breakdown today and lost about 2000 gallons of sap. Sap is still running 375gph and should continue all night and tomorrow. I hope for a better tomorrow.

Spud

[Mooneybc]

Sorry to hear that spud, what happened?!

[tcross]

been a good weekend up this way. got home from work friday and my main tank was over flowing. first time that has ever happened to me. got .75 gpt saturday and sunday. Went down to check the tanks this a.m and they are full to the top. only got to 36 degrees yesterday. had to pump sap up into my feed tank in hopes that'll keep things from over flowing till 10 today. gonna be a long day in the sugar house today! sap was down to 1.8 this weekend. today its back to 2%. syrup quality has really improved over the last 3-4 days. made dark robust and even darker all season up until this past weekend. making amber rich currently. going to be warm today, but looking like anotehr good week of sugaring weather.

[Baka]

Good that you guys to the north escaped the weekend ice storm. I'm thinking a lot of lines laying on the ground today. Ice was terrible in this part of the state. Stood outside yesterday and it was nonstop sound of limbs and trees snapping everywhere.

[spud]

My #2 woods runs on generator. I went to fill the fuel tank at 5 am and the generator was not running. Yesterday I fiddled with it for a few hours in the rain but could not get it to run. I brought it to a guy in Hyde Gate and he is looking at it today. He said based on what he sees, it’s not looking good. I ran over to Tractor Supply and bought their last one in stock. Eight hours later I got the new one running. I did get 2000 gallons overnight and it’s running pretty good this morning. Sap is clear and testing 1.5% now. I did have sap running gravity all day yesterday so it was not a complete loss.

Spud

[PARKER MAPLE]

Well we received 2 days of freezing rain and ice. Everything was frozen hard. Then the damage started yesterday. Trees and limbs coming down all over. Power outage for two days not good. I just got to be able to walk in the woods this afternoon as all the ice was off. Lots of work to get this up and going again. Chainsaw ran for hours this afternoon and will be again tomorrow. I sure am glad we didn’t have any wind. As the mountain side would be devastated.
I’m going to plug away tomorrow in hopes of ending the season on a high note. I would like to think we have another week and a half left.
PM

[johnallin]

Well we received 2 days of freezing rain and ice. Everything was frozen hard. Then the damage started yesterday. Trees and limbs coming down all over. Power outage for two days not good. I just got to be able to walk in the woods this afternoon as all the ice was off. Lots of work to get this up and going again. Chainsaw ran for hours this afternoon and will be again tomorrow. I sure am glad we didn’t have any wind. As the mountain side would be devastated.
I’m going to plug away tomorrow in hopes of ending the season on a high note. I would like to think we have another week and a half left.
PM

Hoping for the best for you guys up there...running chainsaws and generators at the same time is usually not a good thing.
All the best and good luck with the cleanup.

[TapTapTap]

Well we received 2 days of freezing rain and ice. Everything was frozen hard. Then the damage started yesterday. Trees and limbs coming down all over. Power outage for two days not good. I just got to be able to walk in the woods this afternoon as all the ice was off. Lots of work to get this up and going again. Chainsaw ran for hours this afternoon and will be again tomorrow. I sure am glad we didn’t have any wind. As the mountain side would be devastated.
I’m going to plug away tomorrow in hopes of ending the season on a high note. I would like to think we have another week and a half left.
PM

Almost sounds like the January 1998 ice storm. Does anyone remember that one? I was away and it was long before I had a sugarbush. It was devastating and I'm sure that many maples were destroyed or damaged.

Ken

[VT_K9]

I remember the '98 ice storm. I was living part way across the state when it hit. We were just starting with pipeline and my Dad and Uncle were running most of the operation with my Aunt. I was busy with where I was working/living and wihtout power for over 1 week...got a generator after that one. This weekend was a little snow, maybe 2" and mostly rain/ice. Not much for trees down in our community this weekend.

Here now we fought some leaks or ice issues over the weekend. It was hard to get over 10" of vacuum between two collection points running one vacuum pump (normal operation and used to be able to maintain 25-26.5"). If we shut down station 1 (350 taps) then station 2 (400 taps) would get to 26". I stripped and cleaned the mechanical releaser at station 1 which is about 10 years old and the vacuum increased 1". I wanted to walk the woods today but got tied up with work. Plus when things warmed up tha vacuum increased to 21". I will have to try to get out of work early tomorrow to walk a line or three (I have some in mind to check first). Seems to be flowing into the tanks decently this afternoon.

Mike