Maple Sugar 2023

[Old Greenhorn]

For different reasons, I find my self in the same situation, not a lot of use, but when you need them, well....
 I got a pair of Viking chainsaw boots and you can buy their screw in spikes and install them yourself. Pretty sure you can remove them after. I got a tip from another guy (my buddy Bill) that I could just screw short SS sheet metal screws into the pre-molded holes. SO far, on ice I find these very helpful, but we haven't had a lot of ice/snow ...yet. They are NOT spikes, but they sure grip on ice. Also the boot design with the felt liners work well for standing in snow and cold while working. For other times, with lighter (logger type) boots, I wear those commercial slip on traction spikes and they worked well for me cutting mushroom logs last winter doing similar work to what you do running/checking lines and taps.
 I have only worn the Vikings a couple of times this season, but so far they seem promising. I need to add a few more screws after the initial test, because  the heavier weather will be here soon enough and I have several orders to fill when the trees settle in to the cold stuff.
 Good luck.

[SwampDonkey]

Can you can some strap on ice spikes? They are a rubberized gadget. Pull them over your boot soles, heal and toe.

[SwampDonkey]

I use chaulk boots all year and I only wear wool socks with a felt insert not liners. When I'm working or moving my feet stay warm. A guy running skidder or loader truck would have cold feet I suspect. Our woods is wet in places but lots of spruce roots that will put you on the ground quick. I used to try to work in leather work boots. No way.

I've got the chaulk wrench and can get spikes to replace as well. I get them from good old reliable Deakin Equipment in Vancouver, BC.

Viking also has a logger sole with holes for studs like in winter tires.

[SwampDonkey]

The maple syrup report for 2022 in New Brunswick was recently released. 810,000 gallons (10.56 million lbs). A 3.2% increase over 2021.

NB producers are looking at more public land to nearly double production acreage from 34,000 acres to 64,000 acres, which is less than 1% of public land holdings.

Quebec produced 15.9-million gallons (207 million lbs) in 2022.

[beenthere]

SD
Are chaulk boots something different from caulk boots? just curious...

[Stephen1]

I think SD uses chalk boots to mark the trees.....

[snowmountain]

I’ve been wearing micro spikes in the woods. But I want to try a pair of cork boots. However I can’t see paying for a good pair to wear for (maybe) a week or two of cold/no snow. Any recommendations? I have Hoffman pac boots and love them but, like I said for a few weeks I don’t want to drop that kind of change.

My woods are steep and often icy. You might want to try mountaineering crampons. Google Black Diamond Contact Crampon. I wear them all winter. They take getting used to because your foot never slips. You can’t shuffle like you do in snow shoes. They also are terrible on rock but can’t be beat for steep and icy.I wear them with my pac boots. Not too expensive and I have 6 winters use on mine now.

Jack

[SwampDonkey]

SD
Are chaulk boots something different from caulk boots? just curious...

One in the same.

[Big_eddy]

Boiled yesterday and today. Early January and it feels like April, crazy.

33 barrels, 1815 gallons so far in 2023!

What's CRAZY is that Chris made more syrup in one day than I will see sap in an entire season!

[celliott]

Boiled yesterday and today. Early January and it feels like April, crazy.

33 barrels, 1815 gallons so far in 2023!

What's CRAZY is that Chris made more syrup in one day than I will see sap in an entire season!

Even crazier, once we get into March and April, that’s a 1/2 days production
We got to 81k tapped so far, no snowshoes today but likely will have to on Monday. We had been driving pickups way up a woods road, that was nice. 
Thursday we set another company record, we tapped 6,900 trees in one day. Just good going all around. Averaging over 500 per person. Our tapping numbers will drop probably 200 or so per person once we put the snowshoes on. 

[celliott]

We crested the 100,000 mark today.
Snowshoes the last week, and the last few days especially have been deep, no bottom to the snow yet. We’re now doing 3-400 per person. But we’re closing in on it! 20k left to go here in Eden, 17k or so for Cabot, then we might farm out and help some other producers who are behind. Or see what the weather does, we might be starting the real a season at that point.
Tap on!

[Stephen1]

Thanks for the update Chris, at 300 taps I think I have enough taps. 
We are knee deep in snow and more on the way. It was looking great last week as I was able to walk across the top of the snow. 
We started to research getting an RO machine. We have 200 taps on vacuum and another 100 on 3/16 green line for a self vacuum. 
I see a small company that does reasonable priced ones are the RO Bucket.
Any other manufactures we should look at?

[celliott]

The RO bucket is probably as small scale as you can get commercially made. I know some maple equipment manufacturers also make small units but probably more gph (and $) than the bucket. I know some have made their own as well.
Going from 2-4% is a huge savings, it’s alot of water you don’t have to evaporate.

[Chuck White]

Thanks for the update Chris, at 300 taps I think I have enough taps.
We are knee deep in snow and more on the way. It was looking great last week as I was able to walk across the top of the snow.
We started to research getting an RO machine. We have 200 taps on vacuum and another 100 on 3/16 green line for a self vacuum.
I see a small company that does reasonable priced ones are the RO Bucket.
Any other manufactures we should look at?

The 3/16 inch line is no different than the 5/16 inch line, except for its smaller diameter.
The 5/16 line will ALSO FORM IT'S OWN vacuum as long as it fills and starts to flow, just like the 3/16 line does!
There are quite a few in this area that quickly switched to the 3/16 inch line when it first became available, then the next year they switched back to the 5/16 inch, and absorbed the financial loss of messing with the 3/16 line!

[celliott]

We finished tapping in Eden today. 118,500 (ish) trees tapped! Started December 12th, and had almost 3 weeks off for repairs and leak checking.
Next week is looking like great sugaring weather and we’ll have some sap this week too.

[cutterboy]

We finished tapping in Eden today. 118,500 (ish) trees tapped! 

Is that the total number of taps or the total number of trees tapped? Either way it boggles my mind.

[celliott]

We finished tapping in Eden today. 118,500 (ish) trees tapped!

Is that the total number of taps or the total number of trees tapped? Either way it boggles my mind.

We have 95% eliminated double tap trees, and will not have any next year so it’s close to the same, trees and taps. We’ve found it’s not really worthwhile putting two taps on one bigger tree. Puts a lot of holes on a tree quickly, and they’re usually the slower growing trees in the woods. It’s not a 2x return with two taps on one big tree either. Also a big source of vacuum leaks early on, as quite often 1/2 of a two tapper is missed.
But organic standard and VT current use standard say 2 taps is ok on a 16” tree 🙄 and 3 for 22”+ (20” for 2 taps if using 7/16 spouts!) I can tell you for sure, if you do 2 taps in a 16” or 3 on a 22” you’ll run out of conductive sap wood to tap in just a few years.
Still got 25k or so to do at the other sugarhouse.

[SwampDonkey]

I'm with you on the tap holes. We had no more than 2 on huge large crown trees. Talking over 30" dbh.

Keep on keep'n on.

[Stephen1]

I agree with running out spots to tap. We have been tapping for 52 years and it is real hard to find good sap in the large trees that we put 2-3 taps in. I have tried to use the 3" rule, 3" apart and 3" to the right and 3" up as you go around the tree. Using tubing and vacuum makes it very hard to follow that rule. 

[cutterboy]

celliott, thanks for the explanation.