First good run in the Sugar bush

[Adirondack case guy]

Well we filled every bit of storage up today including both gatherings tanks full and nowhere to dump them. We had made 86 gal of syrup as of yesterday. Cousin fired the evaporators this morning at 8:00, and we started gathering at 9:00. The sap ran all last night. We are pulling off some real nice light amber syrup today, and the batches were comming off big and quick. The cousins and uncle will likely boil until midnight tonight. We're expecting to have an 80gal day. A very good day for us. The sap is testing 2.75% sugar and very clear.
It is supposed to cool off tonight with rain turning back to snow by day break and into the day, tomarrow. Sunday is supposed to be cold also, and don't know yet weather we will be in the bush that day. Rain predicted for Mon. & Tue. If it warms up next week and stays that way, it could be a short season. We are aming to make 600 gal of syrup to meet our market needs, so we have a long ways to go.
The snow is melting away from the tree trunks now, and today was the first day without snowshoes.
When the snow starts receeding from the trunks the sap really starts to run, if temps cooperate.
The fields have lots of mud and the ponds that were forming in the fields went away last night. Apparently the frost went out in some of them.
The wood pile is shrinking fast. Hope we don't have to cut more to finish.
Hope you all arn't getting bored with my updates as the season progresses. We still have a ways to go before the fat lady, (mother nature)sings.
Loren, the Acg.

 

[larry@stinescorner]

really interesting,and nice pictures,,,thanks for posting them!

 

[jon f mn]

Always enjoy your posts Loren! Please keep us posted.

 

[bill mart]

some of the buckets seem high up on the trunks . Was the snow deeper when tapped? Bill

 

[Den N Ms]

Loren,Please keep the updates coming,very informative and interesting process.Great pictures also, as I was never around any maple syrup making its good to see the equipment and the steps you take.Thanks

 

[Frank 41]

Great pictures and updates. Any one of your many facets that you do to produce syrup would wear me out. LOTS of very hard work.

 

[Greg1959]

Thanks for the updates! Keep them coming.

 

[ditchwitch]

I am enjoying the updates and the pictures . keep them coming for sure. Ive learned alot
by reading and seeing the pictures. Pretty interesting to me.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Bill, If you are refering to the pic of the young lad in the gray parka, he is about 10 yro. The little guy really worked up a sweat trying to gather like his dad, who is an old family friend. His dad is the one in the pic. dumping sap in the gathering tank, that I took through the back window. The little guy was soaked by noon, as the gathering pail and snow was a bit much for him, but he sure was a trooper. He got dried out in front of the evaporators over the noon hour and was back at it in the afternoon. We are blessed with some great friends and neighbors who all come to help and turn hard work into a fun and rewarding event, day after day during the season.
Loren

 

[fixerupper]

Not boring at all. What you are doing doesn't happen on the barren plains of northwest Iowa. Very interesting.

 

[kevinecwi]

Glad to hear the sap is flowing for you.
We pulled our taps last weekend. Finished off 20 gal. which is way more than we need for ourselves.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Ditchwitch, did my e-mail get to you? I was having some issues with my TW-RR provider last week.
Loren

 

[ditchwitch]

Yes all good , got the email and the shipping quote .ill be sending my stuff to you the first of the week. And i cant wait LOL. Actually pretty excited to taste it on some pancakes. I know that sounds kinda retarded but when it comes to pancakes they just make everybody happy LOL

 

[ditchwitch]

Loren i have shared your pictures and post with my grandkids and told them that i was ordering some from you .There pretty excited also. They say PawPaw you going to make us some pancakes when we spend the night LOL.

 

[NEKS]

Like the pictures keep them coming. That is something we don't do here in Kansas.

 

[Just Bill]

Looks like you are doing well, we had no sap yesterday, and from the forcast not today. From what I reed on our chat line most of Ontario is not doing well. Don't you just love those midnight boils/

 

[Cory Schmidt]

Not boring at all. Its interesting seeing how a big setup like yours operates. Keep the updates coming.

 

[David G]

Where are you at in the Adirondacks?

 

[37chief]

Can you send the ordering info again for your syrup. My wife made your last E mail disappear. Thanks again Stan

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Will do.
Loren

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Dave,
Actually, I a bit south of the Adirondacks. 12 miles north of Cooperstown NY on US Rt. 20.
I have ties to the Adirondacks, thus the handle.
Loren

 

[David G]

It looks like you are west of Albany, I flew into there a couple of weeks ago and drove down 87.