It's been a little like jogging through molasses to get started this sugaring season. The deep snow has been a real challenge in many ways. Even before the 30" dump last week, it was difficult to pull the sleigh on the snowmobile around the woods... but this weekend it was impossible. The snow is so wet, grainy and sticky, and the sleigh so heavy, especially when loaded with a tank carrying 100+ gallons of sap, that it just dug in and wouldn't move. After much pushing, pulling, experimenting, and cursing... we gave up. Sarah, Joe, Erin, Fra, U. Preston and A. Chris came for lunch so we retreated to the house to eat and think. After lunch we did attempt hauling 5 gallon buckets of sap by hand all the way from the sugarwoods up to the driveway, but it was murder. We gave up (again), dumped the buckets on the top of the hill, and tried not to think about the overflowing ones at the bottom. It wasn't too hard to forget about all that stupid snow while we were soaking up some steam in the sauna.
Erin helping Aiden make a snowman. Snow was PERFECT for that!
Sarah and Francesca
Hauling buckets up from the woods by hand (not recommended)
Not sure why Haley was upset (bottom right) but she was over it 2 seconds later
On Sunday we came up with a better plan. Our friends Andrea and Ralph came over to help and we stationed 3 people in the woods filling 5 gallon buckets and leaving them by the trail. Andy and Aiden buzzed around with the snowmobile and carried up 10 gallons at a time strapped to the back of the snowmachine. It was slow going, but it worked, and we finally had enough sap to start a boil. Dad got to work in the sugarhouse, trying to remember all the tricks and pitfalls to keeping the sap flowing and a good boil going to sweeten the pan. Maybe by the end of the week, they'll actually have some syrup made!
Andy fueling the fire
Finally boiling!
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