Well we are finally getting into the woods to tap today.  Tapping reports thus far have been that the trees have not really started and buckets that have been put out in the St. Croix Valley have not yielded little if any sap thus far.  This weekend’s temperatures  should loosen up those trees as a 60 degree forecast is set for Sunday and cooler weather after that.  As all of you know we are not in control of the weather and we put the buckets/bags/tubing out there and hope!  We had 4-6 inches of snow in the woods two days ago and that has most likely diminished, so I am hopeful.

Be Safe out there, Don

It look promising this week to tap and we will begin, most likely, on St. Patricks day and have most of our buckets out by this Saturday.  Now granted Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday temps are warm, in the 50’s. Red and Silver maples will most likely begin to drip some early in the the week.  Keep in mind that we have not had any January or February thaw and that there is frost and snow and ice that really needs to go away for the big sap runs to happen.  Temperatures in the forecast for the next 10 days do not show extreme warmth so perhaps this could shape up to be a “normal season”  if there is such a thing. Hope for an early April, wet snow fall. These are awesome for large sap runs.

Be safe out there,

Don

Well we finally have warm weather in the forecast.   Temperatures will be sub zero this Friday night in the St. Croix Valley so the cold is giving us one last shot.  Then the warmup begins this Sunday.

The trees will not instantly thaw out and respond to the warm temps  because of frost,  snow cover and its been such a cold winter. We will probably wait to tap until mid or late week.  Red and Silver maples  may start earlier in the week. Put out a couple of test taps and see what happens.  The sugar shack will be all ready to go by Sunday though, as the smoke and steam stacks are going up Sunday afternoon.  Happy tapping!!