According to the Spokesman Review …
Time is ripe for hounding huckleberries
The same weather that brought a thin snowpack, early runoff and an explosive wildfire season has delivered something that is infinitely more positive: an early and flavorful huckleberrycrop.
Berries are now ripening at all elevations, and the word is getting out. Pickers are appearing on Inland Northwest slopes in goodnumbers.
Highlights from article include ….
The fruit is generally found above 4,000 feet in elevation and is a dominant shrub type in subalpine zones. However, there are small patches of lower-elevation huckleberries, including a number of tantalizing bushes in areas like PriestLake.
But most huckleberry picking occurs up the slopes, often along hiking trails and old gravelroads….
…For many locals, Mount Spokane State Park is the closest, easiest place to go for berries even though there are many other locations where the berrying is at least as good orbetter.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort has its ninth annual Huckleberry Festival set for Aug. 2, with picking tours and a “huckle shuttle” to ferry pickers back and forth from thepatches.
Priest Lake had its huckleberry festivalSaturday.
In Wallace, the town’s huckleberry festival is set for Aug. 14 and15….
…Huckleberries are found all over the mountain at Schweitzer, and that includes the ski runs. The same goes for Mt. Spokane and the 49 Degrees North ski area at ChewelahPeak.
Despite the early season, some reports indicate that berry production is spotty in places. Dry areas exposed to sun and heat are not producing as well. Berries may also besmall….
… Inland Northwest forests contain numerous habitats, many of which offer more shade and moisture. While temperatures reached triple digits in the valleys in late June, temperatures at upper elevations didn’t top the80s.
And some stress is good for the berries, said author Asta Bowen, who wrote “The Huckleberry Book.” The amount of water a huckleberry gets from melting snow and seasonal rains will dictate flavor intensity. Less water yields moreflavor.
Since this year’s berries have been growing on limited moisture, the huckleberries should prove to betasty….
Also quoted in the article is Asta Bowen and her book: The Huckleberry Book.
Her book is filled with fun stories, information and recipes.
You can find Asta Bowen’s book on our sister site: Tastes of Idaho.
