It is kind of a long process but I’m much further along now with getting the new 5/16″ sap lines in place. We had completed replacing the 3/4″ mainline that was laying on the ground and it is all now off the ground nicely secured to the hi-tensile wire.
Now we are about finished connecting the tap lines to the mainlines. I think this will be the main focus around here until we start collecting sap.
Off-Grid in West Virginia 
must of been cold up there, the film froze in the camera that took this picture. You all selling more Syrup this year?
We hope to get selling it after we get it all boiled down and bottled around late Feb or early March.
Does this lack of real winter affect the sap production of the trees? I know my rose bush is already trying to put out buds. It would be nice to have a couple of months of snow on the ground instead of mud. You must be excited to use your new equipment this year to get the sap boiled down!
Missy, typically around February you begin looking for the temps to be freezing at night and into the 40’s during the days for the sap to start running good. We can occasionally get those types of temps in late Nov and you will have sap run but the sugar content really is not high enough to get a quality syrup. Generally it takes around 40 gallons of sap to get 1 gallon of syrup. The low sugar content collected around November takes around 80 gallons for a gallon of syrup. Most do not process the low grade sap because of the cost and the extra time for boiling. The season last year was short at around 3 weeks or so. The sap will nearly stop if you do not get the needed temps. Also, if it stays warm for too long the trees will start to bud and if that happens it impacts the syrup taste.
Sonny and Linda, I just happened upon your blog through a connection on Facebook. I’m not even sure which FB page it was on now. Anyway, I am a native West Virginian, AND Doddridge Countian! Where are you in Doddridge County? I grew up on Nutters Fork, graduated from DCHS, and WVU. My husband was in the Air Force for 22 years and we ended up here in Illinois, in a suburb of St. Louis. My family still lives in Doddridge Co. and my husband’s family is in Morgantown. I am subscribing to your blog, but would love to “chat” with you in email. Can we connect??