Sunday, September 12, 2010

Huckleberry Heights - Picking Huckleberries

Since I have done so many posts on Huckleberries, I figured that it might be time to post a few pictures from my adventure into the wilds of the Washington Cascade Mountains (Mt. Adams) to forage for these elusive berries amidst the Forest Primeval.

So this is where I went... Up to the wilderness around Mt. Adams (Pahto or Klickitat - Depending on which tribe)

Mt. Adams is a stratovolcano, just like Mt. St. Helens (Loowit or Lawala-Clough) though Mt. Adams has been docile for the last 1400 or so years. This doesn't mean it's extinct by any means, just slower to erupt than St. Helens which is 30 miles west of Mt. Adams.

There are several wild berry fields up there, but the lower elevations have a lot of Wild Blueberries.

And while wild blueberries are tasty, if a little tannic, they are still not Huckleberries.

So up to Sawtooth Ridge we went, where the fields of red leaved Huckleberries were to be found.

Armed with recycled milk jugs hooked to our belts, we trotted off amongst the bushes in the hopes of returning with copious amounts of berries.

We were in constant danger from the ravenous Huckleberry eating chipmunks... LOL

But in the end, we were victorious in our endeavor and returned home, without getting caught in a volcanic eruption, or having swarms of chipmunks raid our precious Huckleberry buckets.

Now I just need to make a pie.

Mangia!!
~~

1 comment:

Patti T. said...

Awwww, what bittersweet memories, of me and my grandma picking huckleberries. Around here they are considered an endangered species, one bush has been determined to be 1300 years old. Hey, that is older than me!