Maple Sugaring - Tapping the Trees

Step by step, here's how it's done. It's pretty easy, and everyone was involved. A special thanks to Patience, our photographer. We put in four taps (two in each of our maples), using our new 3/8" drill bit. I discovered this is the largest bit our drill will take, so it's good we didn't get the 7/16" one recommended in our book. It took us all of about 15 minutes, including unwinding the extension cord, referreeing some whining about who got to do what, and cleaning up (winding up the cord again). Also, despite the 24-degree temperature (not bad but below freezing), you can see the sap was running a little on account of the warm sun on the trunk, and we collected an inch or two of sap in each "bucket" by the end of the day. Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them and get a great view of each step!