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Sap Journal 2009
January 7
The countdown to sugar season is on! Scott has managed to get up to the woods to do repairs. Still has one big hole in a mainline due to a bear... Once these are completed, he hopes to add some taps.
We are receiving group bookings for the spring already. Quita's lining up staff now...
February 24
Scott is about halfway through tapping in our 2500 taps. We got another dump of snow yesterday and last night - he hopes to get out again Thursday to continue.
For those folks wondering if the sap is running yet...remember that the sap is mostly water - 98% or so - so we need temperatures well above freezing to thaw these trees out and to get the sap running. And then, even if we get one day of warm temperatures, it usually isn't enough to thaw these sleepy, frozen trees; we need a good warm thaw to wake them up. Once they start running, they'll freeze up again as soon as the temperatures drop...then thaw, then freeze. That's what we want. Cross your fingers for great sap conditions...but only after we're all done tapping!
Wednesday February 25
Scott's better than 1/2 way through tapping. Good thing...as it sounds likely that we'll get the first run this weekend! Temperature projections are pointing to a good possibility of sap on Friday, perhaps Saturday and on. Spring is poised to arrive! Hard to believe...we have SO much snow up here right now. It's gorgeous...but Scott says there is about 3 feet in the woods. We'll post the first run here as soon as it comes!
Now...if only Scott could get to that bear-damaged mainline...
Thursday February 26
Today's a beautiful sunny day - good for tapping, although it could be a bit colder -makes the snow firmer for snowshoeing.
It sure sounds promising this weekend in terms of temperatures. Sounds like we may get the first run tomorrow. We're guessing that we might collect sap Saturday and do the first boil Sunday. That first boil is unproductive in terms of actual syrup. It's a boil that merely primes the evaporator; we put about 75 to 100 gallons of sap in the evaporator and put a fire under it.
Our group bookings are virtually full for March and we are booking into April.
Saturday Feb 28
The sap has started...spring is here!! It is just trickling at this point. The trees are waking up slowly. Rain today but good driving conditions to get here. Still lots of snow in the woods.
Wednesday March 5
All we've had over the past few days is a couple of temperature spikes - rain and warm temperatures that last only a few hours and then plunge back down to sub-zero freeze. Nothing extended enough to warrent sap collection. Today is minus 10 and windy, but the weekend weather sounds promising. Scott thinks we may finally be boiling by Saturday.
Friday March 6 11:15 pm
Don't think we'll be boiling after all on Saturday...maybe Sunday. This is so hard to predict. It's snowing hard right now and the temperature is rising. Supposed to be mild and rainy tomorrow so perhaps we'll collect. Then MAYBE we'll get enough to boil Sunday...
The folks in Cumberland County have been hard hit by the recent ice storm. We are grateful for the rain we've gotten. They didn't get it...and still have inches of ice on every branch, making access and tapping very slow and difficult. Our thoughts are with them.
On a good note...Sugar on snow starts tomorrow...!
Saturday March 7 8:05 pm
The sap ran today and we collected, but not enough to boil. It was fairly warm and fairly sunny...LOTS of people out enjoying it all. So...hope springs eternal, we'll wait for warmer weather over the next few days to bring on more sap.
Samara says that it's actually "sprinter"...neither spring nor winter. That limbo time between winter and the first boil, I guess.
Monday March 9 10:15 pm
FIRST BOIL of the season today! Samara and I were in town doing errands all day and came home to find Scott boiling. The sap had run a little yesterday, so on top of what we collected Saturday, we were able to fire up, prime the evaporator and even make a bit of syrup for pancakes tomorrow morning. Now it looks like Wednesday may be the next sap day!
Wednesday March 11
Today is cold...but it's supposed to be mild overnight and rain tomorrow. We'll see what that brings. Interestingly, it is the "Sugar Moon" tonight: the full moon during the months of March/April, that often brings sap.
Friday March 13 12:45 pm
Cold last night (minus 17) and today (high of minus 9). Did indeed have a bit of sap the night of the sugar moon...but not enough to fire up. Doesn't sound like we'll get any sap this weekend, although Saturday is calling for plus 3. We'll see...
Monday March 16 2:00 pm
Today is the third lovely sunny day up here...but still no sap! We did have a very little run over the weekend, but temperatures have still not been much above zero, unlike in Truro and Halifax where apparently it was plus 10 this past weekend. It's always like that for us - we are close to the highest point in mainland Nova Scotia (Nuttby Mtn.) so we are always colder and snowier. In fact, we still have 3 feet of snow in the woods. Great for hiking, but not for sap.
Cumberland County is slowly beginning to clean up after the ice storm and begin tapping. I was talking to one producer near Springhill who is currently digging all their lines out 5 feet of snow. It's gruelling work.
So...we await warmer weather. Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday, it sounds good. Rain, warmer temperatures. Could be the beginning...
In the meantime, we are VERY busy at the restaurant - brunch, tours, sugar on snow. Check out our Hours of Operation (including March Break) as well as our FAQ page for advice about visiting us in the spring; you'll find out what to do while you're here, our hours, prices, times for tours and sugar on snow, road conditions up here, menu items...and strategies for visiting us during this busy time.
Tuesday March 17 9:00 pm
Beautiful sunny day. No sap...but they say it will be plus 7 tomorrow so we are psyching up for a run and a boil.
We are VERY busy for the March Break crowds in the afternoon. Makes us wish we were bigger - bigger parking, dining room etc. However, we know it won't last and we will be back to "normal" once the season ends at the end of April.
In the meantime, know that we have record-breaking numbers of visitors coming out this year - people must be excited about spring. Try to arrive before 10 on the weekends (we open at 9), or come prepared to wait. And whether you come during March Break (afternoons 1 to 4) or weekends, upon arrival, give your name to the restaurant hostess if you want a table at some point. Bring winter clothes for a hike. Bring snacks or feed your kids before leaving...!
Remember that we don't open til 1 during March Break weekdays.
Wednesday March 18 10:40 pm
Sap running in a steady, thin stream. Really didn't get quite as warm as we'd expected up here. Temperatures right now are below zero so sap has stopped. We'll check in tomorrow and make a decision about firing up, perhaps later in the day.
Thursday March 19 9:25 pm
First productive boil of the season! That means that after having primed the evaporator last week, we finally gathered enough sap to boil some into syrup. Scott fired up today and made some great early season syrup. A little to go on the shelves.
We await more sap...doesn't sound like anything til next week at this point.
Friday March 20 9:30 pm
Looks like temperatures will remain cold over the weekend so no sap...no boil. We look forward to more...
Saturday March 21 10:00 pm
Talking to other producers in Cumberland County and sounds like we are all in the same boat - too cold, little sap, wondering about yet another late late season. Folks coming to our farm are so surprised to see empty shelves - no syrup, butter, cream, candy. We explain about the weather conditions...and only hope that they return later when the season is truly underway.
Tuesday March 24 11:25 am
Blizzard conditions today. We expect up to 20 cm of snow. However, looks good for later in the week...perhaps Thursday/Friday...for a run and a boil. We remain optimistic!
Antigonish Co. has apparently had a couple of good runs and some production. It's us northerners in Colchester/Cumberland Co. who are just not getting warm enough temps.
Saturday March 28 8:25 am
Well, we gathered around 1/2 tank over the past 24 hrs and today looks like a gorgeous sap day. We'll fire up and boil around mid day. !! sounds like we may get more tomorrow. We'll update this later tonight.
Later on Saturday (9:20 pm)
Sap running a little and boiled today, for perhaps 4 hours this afternoon. Sap stopped...temps below zero. We expect it to do the same tomorrow. Would love to see it "open up"...it hasn't really yet!
We have fresh product on the shelf now. Yay.
Earltown Community Maple Supper was a great success today by all accounts. Hard-working volunteers and syrup donated by SMF. The supper has been around since Bob (previous owner of the farm) and Sue Williams helped start it over 35 years ago. A rare and special slice of rural NS life.
Tuesday March 31 2:15 pm
We have gotten SO much snow over the last 24 hours. Of course, no sap. None on Sunday either. We have concluded that as long as the trees have so much snow around their bases, they will not thaw completely. Hence, the trickling runs. Talked to producers in Cumberland Co. and it's the same thing. VERY late season. It is just beginning.
We now have delicious new product on the shelves...and more to come.
Rain is expected this week...so hopefully it will knock some of this snow back.
Wait times at the restaurant have reduced since March Break ended.
Thursday April 2 9:10 pm
Apologies for the delay in posting an update. We have been so busy with groups and sap and Samara!
Things are looking much better now. Scott is boiling as I write. The sap ran yesterday, picking up a little at times but generally not a big run at all. Today it opened up and at times was quite a good flow. Scott's just boiling til he can catch it and then will come home, sleep and fire up again in the morning.
Now the weather is supposed to be pretty mild right through the weekend. We expect that the flow will slow down during that time...but one can always hope!
Now we have product on the shelves.
Check out our Easter Weekend Hours.
Friday April 3 5:00 pm
Scott boiled til 1 am last night...and then all day today...and continues, trying to get to a point where he can shut it down for the night and start again tomorrow. When I left an hour ago, there was still one full tank and the sap's still running. We are grateful. It is the biggest run we've had in two years. We'll be boiling tomorrow again, starting in the morning.
Wednesday April 8 9:35 am
Saturday we indeed had a good boil and made lots of good syrup. Sunday we didn't have enough sap to boil...but were still very busy at the farm with visitors and sugar on snow and tours.
We were then waiting for cold temperatures and it wasn't looking good. However, Monday night we got some sap - suprisingly, enough to collect all day Tuesday. We are boiling it off today. Then...again, we await cold temperatures. The trees need to freeze enough to create pressure inside that will make the sap run. Fingers are crossed!
Good Friday April 10 9 pm
Got a little sap today...but not much. We are hopeful that we'll get more over the weekend. We're supposed to get rain tomorrow, then snow overnight - up to 15 cm. Perhaps it will get cold enough so that it runs on Sunday. Dunno. Apparently parts of Quebec have had a bumper crop. One day we'll get ours. In the meantime, we have lots of GREAT maple syrup on the shelves.
We continue to be very busy at the farm with visitors enjoying sugar on snow, tours, meals etc. We're grateful for all.
Saturday April 11 7:30 am
Last night the moon was big and orange - beautiful. The temperature got a few degrees below zero - that's a good thing. Today Scott will be boiling off the little sap we got yesterday, and perhaps more if we get any today.
Saturday April 11 6:45 pm
Scott boiled briefly today. There was no new sap today.
Tonight they are calling for 10 cm of snow and another 10 cm of snow tomorrow, with blowing snow. So...Easter Sunday, call our toll-free line before setting out for the farm. We may not be plowed out. We'll update our line as conditions change. 1-866-81-maple.
Sunday April 12 8:35 pm
The snowstorm they were predicting did not amount to anything for us. We only had rain. Apparently Amherst and Moncton got the brunt of it. So...we were business as usual at the farm today. Pretty busy despite the weather warnings. We'll be open tomorrow (Easter Monday) 9 to 5. Lots of maple products now - syrup, cream, butter, candy.
We got about an inch of sap today (!). Scott thinks that we might get more later this week. It's supposed to get to minus 5 around Wed and Thurs. We'll see. At this point, we are barely half a crop. Dismal. But always hopeful. And it can only get better next year...right?
Wednesday April 15 8:55 pm
Scott is boiling tonight, finishing up a small one. We had sap yesterday too, so he boiled then too. It seems that this will be the pattern this week. Nightly temperatures of around minus 3 or 4 and daytime temperatures of plus 3 to 12 are bringing on small runs. We are making tasty "end of season" syrup.
Sounds promising for the weekend - perhaps our last hurrah! Then the restaurant and store continue of course to be open year round.
Friday April 17 7:00 am
Very little sap yesterday, but temperatures got down to minus 7 and it's supposed to be plus 4 or more today. We're expecting to boil some time today...or perhaps collecting today and boiling tomorrow.
later (10:55 pm Friday night)
Collected today...boiling tomorrow!
Thursday April 23 2:30 pm
Apologies for the lack of postings. We have continued to be so busy with school and group bookings...and Scott is gearing up to go to Saltscapes Expo this weekend - check it out! It's a fabulous Maritime event that shouldn't be missed. It's also the only show we go to all year.
The last boil was Saturday April 18. We were sad to see it end, but the trees are budding and it's time. We have made lots of lovely "end of season" syrup - you know the stuff - dark, strong - the one many of you await in spring.
Our last weekend for sugar on snow is this one coming up. We will see if we can find snow! Believe it or not, we still do have quite a bit around!
In the meantime, we feel the mixed feelings at the end of a sugar season: relieved because it has been exhausting(!) but grateful for all the traffic we have had at the farm.
Scott will be doing about a week's worth of clean up: removing the taps, cleaning out the old sap, plugging up the taps and pushing the tubing up the tree to await next season out of the way of animals and snow. He'll then be cleaning up the evaporator and sugar camp, ready for all the visitors that will continue to come throughout the year for guided tours.
The restaurant is catching its breath! We had a very busy spring. We are switching from sugar camp dishes to our "real" plates and getting ready to add items to our menu like blueberries and omelettes, round about mid May.
We are already thinking about summer and staffing and preparing the building for the next season's activities.
In the meantime, Scott, Quita and Samara all very much look forward to gardening, hiking and enjoying the spring weather.
We all at Sugar Moon Farm deeply thank you for visiting this journal and for your ongoing interest and support. Don't forget about us! We love having visitors all year and look forward to seeing you here sometime soon.
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