Tree Tapping Week

February 26th through March 4th

At the beginning of last week, it was cold. Not the Arctic cold of January, but cold enough. The forecasts were for a warming, but we have been taken in by false weather prophesy before, so there was little excitement among the men.

Early in the week, we took advantage of the cold by going to Brule to see the snowcats and ride the lifts.

Riding the lifts is much more fun when the air isn't so sub-zeroy.

Going down the hills is better, too.

The somewhat less cold weather has pushed some early risers out of their dens and onto the roads and yards. Watch your bumpers and bird feeders.

It's been a long Winter. Many of us prayed that the forecast for warmer weather would hold.

It did, in fact, warm up. Above freezing temperatures moved in mid-week and had an immediate effect on the local wildlife. Not long ago, vast herds of 2-cycle noise makers roamed the lakes, trails, and yards of the northwoods. The warmer weather has reduced the hordes to just a brave few who plowed through the slush with a grim determination.

By the end of the week, it was time to join maple to spile. The ATV with the feet was loaded with buckets and pointed to the sugarbush.

The trees initially were leaky. Then their output trailed off.

There's still much snow in the woods, but there was some question whether snowshoes were really necessary.

They were. There's nothing like stepping on a snow drift and sinking up to your bellybutton in white. The air might be getting warmer, but the snow is going to be around for a little longer.

By Saturday's sunset, 220 maples had spigots dripping into buckets.

Then it got cold again. The remaining 140 trees were identified and staged (a bucket was placed at their base), but not holed. They'll each get their spile as soon as it goes above freezing.

All that snow on the lake turned to slush. Then to ice. We'll get a lake ice check soon, it could be close to a yard thick. Last year the ice left the lake on April 10th. It might stick around a little longer this year, but you never know. A foot or more can be melted during a warm week, so we are only 3 warm weeks away. However, it looks like next week will not be one of them.<br><br><br>-Nemo: Collect, boil, filter, bottle, repeat.