Berry-picking, kid-style.
We found the fat and sassy blueberries all the way at the top of the mountain. "They're warm!" exulted my 4-year-old.
The sun, in a rare showing, was gracing Arctic Valley, just 20 minutes or so from Anchorage. The dark blueberries and crowberries were ripe, and the bright red low-bush cranberries weren't far behind.
In Alaska, this season usually only lasts a few weeks before the snow arrives. The colors of the changing arctic tundra, with their yellows and reds, are incredibly beautiful. Berry picking is a tradition in Alaska, one my family looks forward to each year.
As the
Fiddler on the Roof character Tevye says, tradition is what keeps us in balance. Continuing family traditions -- and creating new ones -- pulls families together for brief respites in otherwise hectic lives.
For some Alaskans, berry picking is a vital part of subsistence culture. People take off from their day jobs so they can gather gallons of these nutritious fruits to put up for winter. For others, like me, it's a chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors and a community spirit of shared wonder at nature's bounty.
With backpack and three young ones in tow, it's quite a hike up the mountain. But a few pickers on their way down had confided that the best blueberries were further up. The trek was worth it.
We climbed high enough so we couldn't even see the parking lot. A breeze kept away the bugs, and there were no signs of bear. Plopping down in the middle of a low-to-the-ground patch of berries, we began to eat, gather and pretend we were on top of the world.
We were, really. Just like the blueberries we were picking, days like this are sweet, healthy, and worth the effort to gather in abundance.
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