I’m your…..Huckleberry???

Junkyard

Junkyard

Joined
Aug 8, 2002
Messages
710
I don’t post much at all, but I have been enjoying Bladeforums and especially the WSS Forum for many years. I’m not sure, but I thought some of you might enjoy this.
Huckleberries, sometimes called “mountain blueberries,” are the State fruit of Idaho. They range in color from red to dark blue, and are tart to sweet in taste. Mostly they have a tang to them that drives people wild. They are highly sought after here in the Northwest, and at roadside stands, they can sell for over $40.00 a gallon. People are as serious about “huckleberrying” as they are about chasing Wapiti. (For those of you that don’t know, Wapiti are elk, and that is very serious.)
It is so serious that locally it is considered rude to ask where you found them… kinda like asking a guy where he keeps the key to his gun safe. For the uninitiated, their queries are usually met with sarcastic responses such as:
“Take the dirt road up NO-Where Mountain, turn left where the old silver mine USED to be, go over NO-TELL-UM pass, and follow it down to NO-NAME Creek. They’re just on the other side of the creek.”;)
For those of you that are interested, they are usually found on alpine and sub-alpine slopes, in damp, slightly acidic soil. Pay close attention, as the berries are generally hidden under the leaves. But be careful, they are addictive. Also, I would advise taking bear spray, and a firearm, as the bears don’t pay attention to the no trespassing signs, and they don’t like the competition.
My wife and I picked a little over two gallons on my days off, and we barely made a dent in the patch. We’ll be at it again on my next days off. No bear encounters this time, but I really upset some hornets that didn’t want me around. I got stung/bit almost a dozen times. (For those of you interested, I’m sorry, I can’t identify them any better as I decided to run, slip, and fall down the side of the mountain for about 200 yards before coming to a stop.) When I go back, I’ll try to take a picture of one, after I exact my revenge.:mad:
Just in case anyone decides to ask, just follow the directions above, but be careful, as the berries are on private land, owned by a really big, ugly, guy with a funny hat. He’s been known to carry a shotgun, and is as protective of his huckleberries as a bear…. (He’ll run from stinging insects though.):D

Sorry, almost forgot the obligatory knife shot.

Jason
 
same for wild strawberry and blueberry patches back in my home town... I happen to know the locations of two wild raspberry patches as well :D
 
Neato. Thanks for sharing that, Junkyard. We don't really have any region-specific jealously-guarded wild fruit around here, but there are a few strawberry patches that are probably known only to me and my dog. We spent a half hour last weekend wandering about a field near the Bruce Trail, picking berries. None of them made it home with us.

There's a great trail in the interior of BC that runs from the west arm of Murtle Lake to a lookout over MacDougal Falls. The trail runs through temperate rain forest and crosses a few streams. In a few spots, the path is bordered by thick bushes that are abundant with little wild blueberries with the most intense flavour. One is tempted to linger and pick fruit, but the abundance of grizzly tracks in the area cautions against such a decision. I have passed that way a few times, and I always quickly grab a few handfuls before moving on, bear bells jingling.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Junkyard said:
I don’t post much at all, but I have been enjoying Bladeforums and especially the WSS Forum for many years. I’m not sure, but I thought some of you might enjoy this.
Huckleberries, sometimes called “mountain blueberries,” are the State fruit of Idaho. They range in color from red to dark blue, and are tart to sweet in taste. Mostly they have a tang to them that drives people wild. They are highly sought after here in the Northwest, and at roadside stands, they can sell for over $40.00 a gallon. People are as serious about “huckleberrying” as they are about chasing Wapiti. (For those of you that don’t know, Wapiti are elk, and that is very serious.)
It is so serious that locally it is considered rude to ask where you found them… kinda like asking a guy where he keeps the key to his gun safe. For the uninitiated, their queries are usually met with sarcastic responses such as:
“Take the dirt road up NO-Where Mountain, turn left where the old silver mine USED to be, go over NO-TELL-UM pass, and follow it down to NO-NAME Creek. They’re just on the other side of the creek.”;)
For those of you that are interested, they are usually found on alpine and sub-alpine slopes, in damp, slightly acidic soil. Pay close attention, as the berries are generally hidden under the leaves. But be careful, they are addictive. Also, I would advise taking bear spray, and a firearm, as the bears don’t pay attention to the no trespassing signs, and they don’t like the competition.
My wife and I picked a little over two gallons on my days off, and we barely made a dent in the patch. We’ll be at it again on my next days off. No bear encounters this time, but I really upset some hornets that didn’t want me around. I got stung/bit almost a dozen times. (For those of you interested, I’m sorry, I can’t identify them any better as I decided to run, slip, and fall down the side of the mountain for about 200 yards before coming to a stop.) When I go back, I’ll try to take a picture of one, after I exact my revenge.:mad:
Just in case anyone decides to ask, just follow the directions above, but be careful, as the berries are on private land, owned by a really big, ugly, guy with a funny hat. He’s been known to carry a shotgun, and is as protective of his huckleberries as a bear…. (He’ll run from stinging insects though.):D

Sorry, almost forgot the obligatory knife shot.

Jason
Click to expand...

Cool! So where do you find them?:D
 
Cool - those do look a lot like cranberries! I've been eating raspberries like mad the last couple of days while on Peche Island. I've even got the bear-like stools now :D
 
Good lookin' berries!
Some people are like that about Morel mushrooms around here:D:D
 
They're not ripe here just yet but there are a couple of pretty good size patches I have been watching. They are on National Forrest land so there may be others watching. Most are so small that it would take hours to pick a gallon and my Mother would never forgive me if I sold them to anyone for any amount of money. They are nice as you pick them but Mom sure makes some good jelly!
 
Great pics, thanks for sharing!

We don't have any secret fruit patches around here either...probablly because the fruits like Blackberries, Red raspberries, and black raspberries grow like weeds out here. I picked 14 cups alone in about 2 hours. I think I ate too many one time though....which I don't recommend. I took quite a few trips to the bathroom :(
 
Junkyard said:
It is so serious that locally it is considered rude to ask where you found them… kinda like asking a guy where he keeps the key to his gun safe. For the uninitiated, their queries are usually met with sarcastic responses such as:
“Take the dirt road up NO-Where Mountain, turn left where the old silver mine USED to be, go over NO-TELL-UM pass, and follow it down to NO-NAME Creek. They’re just on the other side of the creek.”;)
Click to expand...

Around here the saying goes, "Anyone dumb enough to ask where you got your (elk, huckleberries, morels, etc.) is dumb enough to believe the answer." :D

I didn't realize they were in season yet. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Junkyard said:
For the uninitiated, their queries are usually met with sarcastic responses such as:
“Take the dirt road up NO-Where Mountain, turn left where the old silver mine USED to be, go over NO-TELL-UM pass, and follow it down to NO-NAME Creek. They’re just on the other side of the creek.”;)
Click to expand...

I know that spot, it's just this side of "lost lake" where I fish.

I find mushroom hunters are pretty secretive too.
 
dectia said:
Around here the saying goes, "Anyone dumb enough to ask where you got your (elk, huckleberries, morels, etc.) is dumb enough to believe the answer." :D

I didn't realize they were in season yet. Thanks for the heads up.
Click to expand...

Nice. i like it. The berries are ripe up to about 2800 ft. The berries much higher than that are not ready yet. Fine by me though, that gives me more of a season to pick them.
And for the record, I'll never sell them. They're too good.

Jason
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top