KTDontheGO: The Picking is Berry Good

We’re lucky here in Alaska; few other states offer so many opportunities for harvesting mother nature’s goodness within reach of our doorsteps. From basket to table, Alaska is a market of wholesome products upon which families have been feasting for centuries. Our favorite, though, comes in the form of crawling the mountainsides in a favorite end-of-summer ritual that means not only food for a cold winter ahead, but wholesome family togetherness as well. It’s berry time, and even though a scourge of caterpillars threatens our favorite spots, we’ve been hearing reports of fair to good picking nonetheless.

It’s easy to find a berry patch in southcentral Alaska, and kids love to pick berries, be they the low-growing crowberries found along many alpine slopes, or the plump blueberries familiar enough to most children but possessing a tart, crisp taste not found in any commercial fruit. There is nothing like a late summer afternoon spent canvassing the slopes with those near and dear, picking berries as fast as one can and listening to the shouts and laughter of other families doing the same. It’s a sound we only hear once a year at this particular time, and it fills my heart with a joyous melody I tuck away for the dark winter ahead.

What does a family need to pick berries in Alaska? Not much, other than a few household items and an enthusiastic crew to help. Containers need not be fancy; we use a leftover ice cream bucket with a sealable lid to protect berries from spills coming down the hill. Some folks count on their berry picker, a metal scoop sort of thing with tines on one end that collects berries, leaves and all, and deposits them into the nether regions of the picker. AK Dad is a pro with this particular tool and can clear a patch faster than one can say “homemade pie”. Other optional items include a pile of snacks and drinks, since berry picking is more fun on a full stomach; bear bells and bear spray for those unlikely encounters (but we prepare anyway, especially in the more wooded areas); and bug dope.

Alaskans have their favorite species of berry and thus their favorite berry picking spots, many within a short drive of downtown. Try the ultimate in views and berries at Arctic Valley off the Glenn Highway east of Anchorage. Exit at Arctic Valley Road and wind up a few miles to a pristine alpine meadow that offers one of the best vistas in town and a wealth of blueberry and crowberry patches. The Hillside area of Anchorage, including Flattop Mountain and Powerline Pass offer lovely spots for family berry time with plenty of company.

Girdwood’s Alyeska Resort has a bunch o’ blueberries on its ski slopes, so start by walking up Mt. Alyeska from the Day Lodge or take the Tram up and hike down, picking and grinning along the way. The Winner Creek Trail also has easy berry picking along the trail’s start right out the Hotel Alyeska back door. AND, the resort’s Blueberry Festival kicks off this weekend with tons of berry-related games, music, crafts, and family fun.

The Alaska Public Lands Information Center on 4th Avenue in Anchorage has a great map of berry picking areas, and so does the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where one can not only gather information on where to find berries, but how to identify and prepare them, too.

Sweet or savory, berries have long been a tradition of Alaskan families. Start yours today. Come winter, you’ll have more than just a jar of jam to remember it by.