January Journal

[ennismaple]

We got a couple days in the bush over the weekend. The snow was about knee deep with a slight crust in the middle that made walking a bit more difficult that I'd have liked! My brother and I replaced a bunch of old tubing with new semi-rigid and that only leaves us about 300 or 400 taps of old green laterals to replace and we're completely switched over. We stretched about 8 rolls and got the droplines cut in and saddle manifolds installed. Both bushes we were working in had initially been tapped with tubing 20 years ago and a lot of nice young maples have grown to over 8" since so we picked up another 40 taps or so.

We had a tree on one piece of mainline but it bounced back up once we cut it off. We got the cable skidder on the back of the International tractor and pulled a few skids of firewood out. One tree didn't quite go where we wanted it to fall and came down on the mainline - DOH! It stretched the wire a bit and will need to be tightened but no serious harm done.

Lots left to do, so little time!

[red maples]

I am ready Finished up the remaining plumbing by the sugar house now I think I 'll make up some more drops and put in another lateral or 2 to those that I didn't think I was gonna tap maybe.... no pressure If I get to it I will. or just go Ice fishing!!! hhmmm what to do fish/maple fish/maple fish/maple!!!! maybe do both.

[3rdgen.maple]

fish now maple later. When maple comes the ice goes.

[red maples]

oh yes good advice ....taking the little guy fishing tomorrow...he went last year for the first time we had fun didn't catch many fish but he had fun drinking hot choc. and eating jerky. I use my hunting ground blind for Ice fishing so when nature calls and it always does with him!!!! then he has a place to go. And the wife is going to some yoga retreat thing in western mass, So the kids and I are going on Saturday too. bring the fire bucket nothing like franks and beans ( I wanted venison steaks but he wanted hot dogs!) while your ice fishin and a few brews as well. Ice is real thick now!!!

[Gary R]

I had better get things ready. The ground is not frozen and the weather is starting to break. I have to spend 4 days in Erie the end of this month for work. I hope it's cold then. Also, will be hosting a backyard sugaring seminar on March 6th.

I "attended" the Penn State webinar on beginner syrup making. It was OK. I don't think it helped any beginner's by showing and talking about wet/dry lines, vacuum, releasers and a 6X18 evaporator with a piggyback. Most of the questions from the attendees were very basic. It was good to see a lot of interest in making syrup.

Dan W, are you tapping soon?

[3rdgen.maple]

Red My daughter loves going as well. I have 2 fishtraps a 2 man and a single man. Heater flips up to hold a pan for some hotdogs and making the hot chocolate. I use to tournament fish for walleyes and in the winter we had to camp on the ice for 3 days. Some of the best times I have had in my life. Had to get out of it, rich man's game. Spending 10's of thousands in hopes of just breaking even at the end of the season is like thinking you are gonna make a profit on syrup

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Last season we didn't start tapping until the third week in February. And you are right, every thing is pretty well frozen solid around here. We'll be watching the weather closely though. How much snow did you get down there in souther wv, we got about 25" here (mostly gone now).

WE have gotten close to 50" so far this winter where I live and probably about 60" at the sugarhouse. Way things are going, I am shooting to tap big south bush around Feb 6th. For next week, it is supposed to get above freezing every day for a few hours during the day which is abnormal the way is has been for the past month. I would guess it will get the snow way down as there is way too much snow around the trees for them to even think about running.

[backyardsugarer]

I am in the woods every night until dark. I have about 400 more feet of mainline to run. I have run 3,000 feet of laterals so far but a long way to go on that front. Hope to have all the mainline and laterals up by the end of the longs weekend. The I will make drops in front of the tv for a couple of days. Evaporator is coming late next week so I will have to set that up too. Lot's to do in only a little over a month.

Chris

[jrthe3]

weather man said it is going to be in the forty tomoorow and warm the rest of the week so i will be out in the woods putting tubing up like to have it all up by the end of the weekend to take advantage of the nice weather

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I am with you there with the warm weather. Above freezing today for first time in a while and managed to get out for a couple of hours and wade thru the deep snow and repaired the tubing in the south bush with 145 taps on it. It is pretty much ready to go. Supposed to be 40 to 45 for next 6 days, so hopefully I can get some more done and I am off for holiday next Monday. Need to walk the other 2 bushes and repair the lines there. Everything in sugarhouse about ready to go, need to wash the 2 new 160 gallon galvanized tanks I got today while it is warm. All the other tanks and evaporator are clean from last season.