Blueberry Reports Please

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ChrisB

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OK, since we are all good buddies on this site...

How about sharing where you are seeing abundant emerging blueberries as you trek the hills?
 
Lots of blueberries on the cliffs on north pack Monadnock. Also on north & south Uncanoonucs.
 
I just got back from Rumford Whitecap this afternoon. I have given up on the over abundant years from 25 years ago when the berries were were raked by locals but the berries are the best in the last 5 years. I was about a week early so a fair share of unripe ones but I got my quota. My guess is the dry weather is going to impact the crop. Note compared to typical natural patch, it is still a lot of berries. This was the first year I had seen all the four varieties in relative abundance, the least abundant were the alpine variety, they are tart and few people really pick them so no loss. The silver berries are back and abundant in patches but small, they need rain or they will stay small. The regular low bush berries are abundant. I did find a few ripe patches of the black variety but many patches were unripe. I saw a new variety that I have not seen before which are dark blue mixed in some of low bush patches.

My guess is next weekend will be peak. The berries in my neighborhood are still mostly green.

BTW I took the alternative route to the summit per the recommendations on the signage near the trailhead. I have done it in the past and had some issues following the route in the past and this time I lost it. The trail in the woods is easy to follow but once tis break out on the ledges its easy to get off track. I did and spent 45 minutes or so wandering the subpeak. Lots of old flagging and cairns everywhere. I knew where the summit was but someone not comfortable with off trail navigation might have gotten quite nervous. I sent a note to the Mahoosuc Land Trust suggesting that the blazing needs to be improved. I cant recomend it and suggest sticking to the main route up and back. For dog folks bring water as the normal sources are dry or close to dry.

BTW, my quota was 2 gallons. I still need to clean them and pick out the unripe ones.
 
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Nothing impressive in terms of quantity, but they're coming ripe about now. In the past week or so I've had nibbles on Mt Washington, Cannon, Mt Cardigan, and the Blue Hills. Alpine cranberries will be ready soon, and I've seen a few bunchberries starting to turn red as well.

Last year I scored half a gallon of blueberries from a single bush outside my apartment building. I think nobody else in the building can recognize a blueberry if it's not wrapped in plastic.
 
The cultivated varieties of high bush blueberries planted around the septic system at Lincoln Woods are usually prolific ;).
 
The blueberries on the Baldface Circle trail on the ledges can be great some years but quite late. The stretch of trail from the Slippery Brook junction north to the unnamed knob SE of South Baldface also typically has nice blueberries.

The trail up the Mt Forist in Berlin adjacent to the cliffs used to have very healthy berries, I have not been up there for a long time to check if they are still worth the trip.
 
Did this loop yesterday. A gold mine on the open ledge section of the Mack Ridge Trail and Red Trail to and over Klem.

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Spent yesterday picking near the summit of Straightback Mountain in the Belknaps. Berries were small but crazy abundant. Should of had a rake!

Wife thinks next weekend will be the peak.

berry.jpg

Thanks for the beta folks.
 
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So how many quarts (or gallons) from the haul?

A couple of quarts I'd say.

We picked for two hours and there was no shade to be found up there. Just the rocky barrens of the ridge. I was getting loopy in the sun. Not to mention the work of getting up and sitting down a hundred times! Gimme those the HIGH bush berries.
 
I did hike up the Polecat ski trail on Wildcat on Sunday (a return visit from my broken ankle hike of last November). I tend to walk in the grass rather than walking the dusty truck road. I found a lot of very ripe very prolific wild strawberries along the way. I already hit the fields in North Conway a few weeks ago but I got my fill on the hike.
 
The bloobs are still abundant on Rumford Whitecap. All varieties. Grabbed a few quarts with little effort. The cranberries are coming into season.

20220722_140514.jpg
 
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