First Full Spring Weekend

When we last left the northwoods, the Lake was dusted with snow and the deck was clear. Weathermen predicted some snow and cooler temperatures. They were masters of the understatement.

Over a foot of snow and sub-zero temperatures blanketed the lake and surrounding woods.

Both sap cookers on Knott lane leaked steam into the cold evening air as sap collected before the cold was pushed to syrup.

The first 7 gallons of the season were bottled before mid-night on Friday.

The sub-zero cold on Saturday morning was also cursed with some lake effect snow. There was less then an inch of accumulation.

By late Saturday afternoon a quart under 11 additional gallons were in bottles. The trees are no longer running. The cookers are currently dormant.

Three of us managed to drill a new hole in the lake ice on Sunday.

There is almost an inch more ice this week than last. The ice may make opening day (of fishing) this year.

On top of all that ice is 6 to 12 inches of snow. The white stuff should compress to about 1 to 2 inches of airy ice by next weekend. Spring has taken a giant, blue skied, sub-zeroed step backwards this last week. It's going to be a few days until the Winter momentum can be turned, but all that snow has got to push the lake level up a bit. If it ever melts. Not too sure that's ever going to happen at this point. One year ago the Nicolet Country Club opened the front nine. They're still sledding on 4 this year and all our sleds are being used to cart frozen sap to West Shore drive. On a hopeful note, the late March sun on Saturday had cleared spots on the deck railing large enough to park a cocktail.

-Nemo has had enough Winter.

First Full Spring Weekend

March 25th through 27th , 2011