Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, Wasilla: Did some late currant hunting. Got lots of nice northern black currants and red currants. Things are getting squishy but there’s still plenty to be picked. Also picked nice rosehips.
August 5
Swamp land, Big Lake: Tried to pick every kind of berry around. Picked tons of wild raspberries. Also picked quite a few red currants and very ripe watermelon berries (almost too squishy to get.) Picked many perfect trailing black currants from one spot. Picked a few ripe crowberries, cloudberries, and rosehips here and there. Snacked on ripe timberberries. Lowbush cranberries are large and green and highbush are turning red. Huge, interesting mushrooms are everywhere as well as a ton of mourning cloak caterpillars in feeding frenzies.
July 16
Crooked Lake, Big Lake: Picked lots of red currants. Some rosehips are ready.
June 22
Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, Wasilla: Picked lots of perfect, huge rose petals. A few rosehips are ready. Northern black currants are big and green. Raspberries and nagoonberries are small and green, a few beginning to redden.
June 2
Woods, Wasilla: Roses have been blooming around the Valley. Watermelon berries and high and lowbush cranberries are all flowering. Most red currants have small green berries forming, some are still flowering. Raspberry flowers are generally buds. Spruce tips are super good this year so we’ve been eating a lot.
May 19
Resurrection Pass Trail, Hope: Crowberries flowering very nicely. Trailing raspberries flowering in some patches. Ate watermelon berry greens. Still some snow around. (Caribou Creek Cabin.)
May 10
Resurrection Pass Trail, Hope: Ate lots of very sweet watermelon berry shoots (salad). The trail still has snow and I didn’t see a ton of flowers around, although currants are flowering everywhere I’ve seen the plants.
August 19
Alcantra, Wasilla: Highbush cranberry in these woods and all over the Valley are turning clear, ripe enough to pick, though later is better. Rosehips are pretty good everywhere. Some old red currants, watermelon berry, etc. are still available.
August 15
Government Peak, Fishhook: Last chance for tons of ripe watermelon berries and trailing raspberries. Rosehips are good everywhere, probably time to gather some.
June 1
Woods: Wasilla: found lots of very happy/good morels to get. Highbush cran, lowbush cran, and watermelon berries flowering. Rose blooms just starting. I’ve seen them fully out blooming in other Valley places.