We still have snow. Quite a bit in fact. Though the snow pack has gone down to about half what it was, there are still piles from the plows well over our heads along the road. in the yard, maybe 15 inches of hard packed snow. This morning, at 5 am it was raining and 26 degrees. By 8 am there was a quarter inch of ice on everything and I called into work to say I would not be coming in. The rain stopped by noon and temps started to rise, and the extended forecast indicates highs above freezing, with nights below, for the next week. Figured if I was going to get the tree tapped, today was the day to do it.
Pretty basic. Using a hand drill at a slight upward angle, I drill into the tree.
Fit the spile into the tree. I use half inch stainless steel pipe we angle cut on one end to plug up the tree and funnel the sap.
Just a closer up shot of it.
Times three, and that part was done.
Fit sections of clear plastic hose over the ends of the spiles and run it down into 5 gallon water jugs. Last time we used buckets with holes cut into the lids, but this seemed to make more sense.
Then the kids sealed off the tops with tinfoil to keep out dirt.
Had each of the older girls do one. Sap was already running out the spiles so they got to let it run onto their fingers and taste it.
And done. Though we have had a few warm days previous to this, it is only just now that we are consistently showing warm/cold cycles. Was cold all weekend. Possibly will turn cold again in a week. Have not done this often enough to know how that might mess with, or assist, the sugaring season, but having missed last year due to out physical maladies, it is certainly nice to know that we have this going, and feel up to carrying it out.
