We went into the sugarbush today on the date we set last fall for tapping. Unlike the seven previous years, this year there is essentially no snow in the woods. On all previous years, snowshoes were the order of the day for hiking in and tapping.

We placed 8 taps early in the day to check for a flow and, more importantly, to determine if the sap was still good for syrup making. There was a modest flow during the day, and we decided the sap was still good by sight and taste. We spent the last few hours of the day getting things in order to finish tapping--a total of 175 taps--tomorrow morning. The spiles have been boiled, and all the bag holders assembled. We will start mid morning tomorrow and go until we are done. With good fortune, we should have sap to evaporate Monday evening.