We started tappinf the sugar bush today. Kinda long.

today the family started the 2015 maple syrup season. Four generations headed to the woods in the morning, But I wasn't there as a result of a really bad afternoon yesterday. My blood pressure dropped to all time lows and pulse rate up to an all time high. I have had several minor strokes, so we have a blood presure monitor in the house. The wife called our primary care doctor, and he squeezed me in for a 10:00 am apointment. I am also on Lupron, preliminary treatment for cancer, so I needed to have a chat with the doc. He cut my BP meds in half.
When I got home from the doctor visit, I got into my coveralls and headed to the woods, just in time to meet them coming back out of the woods for lunch break. My cousin Mike, who is in my kids generation, and the lead guy drilling the holes, wasn't doing good. He is a bit over weight and wasn't negociating very well in deep snow on showshoes, and he was wipped.
Decided to regroup after lunch and get a bit more help.
We all met at the saphouse at 1:30 and came up with a different plan. Another of my cousins, Kevin, (my generation), and one of Mike's sons Mikey, started out tapping and driving spiles. The rest of us eventually got into a routine where Mike, now sticking close to the trailer, would hang buckets close to the roads, and toss buckets with a cover in them out to another cousin tromping through the snow about 30 feet from the road, hanging buckets near him, and he would toss buckets back to me about 70 feet from the road. (The sugarbush was layed out years ago with parallel roads about 150 feet apart with a intersecting perpendicular road in the middle). This plan tossing buckets sure saved a lot of steps zigzaging from the edge of the road to the far reaches between roads.
Unfortunatly when we start gathering sap, we will have to carry sap in gathering buckets from the far trees to the road where the gathering tanks can go. At that point when we start gathering sap,I become a full time tractor driver.
At the end of the day we had 550 buckets hung and covered, and Kevin and Mikey were about 150 to 200 taps ahead of the bucket bergade.
The sap is running and I am afraid the sugaring season is coming in a rush, and we need to get the evaporators and sap storage tanks cleaned and ready for the first run which is starting now. I'm afraid we will be gathering sap and still trying to get all the buckets hung.
Just a side note. I'm feeling good tonight. Guess I just needed to get back in the woods again. It's been a long winter.
In the pic, the guy in the orange coat is Kevin's son. We have 2 gas powered tappers, and were running both at times.
I will post more detailed pics. tomarrow night. Sorry for all the rambling tonight.
Loren, the Acg.

Good to hear that you are feeling better. Thank you for the report on the tapping ,tossing, hanging and getting everything else ready for the season.
Was an interesting story to a retired grain farmer.
Glad that you guys have snow shoes, but still an awful effort to plod thru all that white stuff.
clint

Do you think it will still be going by the 25th? Or do I need to try to get there sooner?

Loren, I hope your health gets straightened out quick! Dont appoligize for a long post because its the only way I can get to see your family in action and not leave my farm. I think keeping up the tradition going is wonderful. If you will ship some let us know because I would love to buy a little. Thanks for posting. Lee

Not long for me, I love this stuff, Loren. It is soooo foreign to me--a westerner all my life. I cherish the bit of education.
My hat is off to the hard-working effort that goes into this. The crew of four generations has to make you proud!
Keep listening to your docs, Pal. Hope you get feeling better soon. We want to see more pictures of you working that ol' Case...slim

Jon, I think around the 25 would work out great with all the snow and deep frost we have this year.
I will keep you posted via phone and posts here.
Loren

many thanx for the show , loren ,, now stay healthy ,, glad you have plenty help ,, you folx make a fine product ,, mike beeker sent me some at chrismas ,,and that reminds me I need to return a favor ,,

Let me know when product is ready for purchase. I'll be placing an order this year.

When do you normally start ? I have heard they are about a month behind here in Ohio due to all the extreme cold weather.

Loren,

Got another day of plowing roads here. Then we can start tapping. I afraid that it will be all at once and then over, something like last year.

That is one nice operation you all have there, My one person operation has a hard time keeping up with 10 tapped trees... This year I have 5 maples, and 3 Black Walnuts tapped. Going to try the Black Walnut, the Walnut trees are already running here a little, about a quarter of a bucket from each tree yesterday, nothing from the maples here yet.

Black walnut syrup ? Have you talked to someone who made some ? I have plenty of trees I could tap if it was any good. Wonder if it is toxic ? You hear so many stories about this and that won't grow near a walnut tree due to toxins.

Tapped mine yesterday, at 80 trees kinda small potatoes compared to your operation. Trees haven't "let go" here just yet but my bush is usually a week later than others around here. Just got back from picking up about 40 gallons or so of sap. Tested at 1.4% so with the cold that's coming the next few days! I just gave everything a final rinse with it. I'm about 15 miles north of the St.Lawrence, straight north of Malone of which the lights can be seen from here at night. Often our best runs here are during Holy Week just before Easter. Happy sapping and I do wish you good health.

David

I went out to tap yesterday, and do some repairs. The snow is still 3' deep and got very stickey. I normally do 100 per day, got 26 due to conditions, went out this morning, but found it to heavy going so came back and started on sugar shack. Son said he will come over on Friday to help Sap not running yet. We have just over 400 taps now.

Hope all goes well. Put me on the list again. Will make my yearly purchase. Wife and I really love the stuff. We give the grand kids the store bought maple syup

It is not toxic, and I got the idea from a sugar making book. Hope it tastes as good as it sounds.