Not much for bluberries this year

[peakbagger]

I made my annual run over to Andover Whitecap in Maine for a blueberry hike on Sunday. Whitecap normally has a prolific crop of blueberries and the views that come along with it make a good excuse to hike. I normally go over the last weekend of July and get the peak of the berries and pick a few gallons for the freezer. This isnt one of those years. I went a week early figuring that the early spring would have moved up the season. It did, but unfortunately the best way to describe the berry crop is sparse. Many of the blueberry plants are stressed and have already turned red. Many of the berries are turning into "raisins". The moss patches that usually retain mositure for the berrries are all brown and crunchy. We did manage to pick some berries by looking for shady patches or spots that might have retained a bit more water but in general its not a year for hilltop blueberries. It does appear that its been a bit drier up north than southern NH so I dont know how the berries may be doing down south, but as for the north country I dont think its going to be a great year.

The area is starting to recover from the ATV use in the past and the new trail network appears to be somewhat mature, so its still nice but out of the way place to visit.

 

[Lefty E]

I agree with this assessment, as I have noticed very few blueberries in other areas also...cold start to spring and a dry summer must be the reasons why...

 

[natron]

bummer..

the season in the oxford hills, actually came early this year (1st week of July) and I was treated to some great berries and froze 3 lbs on 3 picks.. The big rains of June were great, but the July heat and no July rain were bad.. I noticed last week my favorite honey hole was getting beat by the heat, was hoping for a better report from whitecap, oh well there's always next year

 

[Quietman]

SW NH is extremely dry, the latest round of thunderstorms missed us completely. I went up North Pack on Sat (7/22) and even the usually medium sized 1st stream crossing was bone dry, no water at all on the trail. The berries at the 1st set of ledges were all small, wrinkled, and pretty sour. Most of the berries at the top were the same, and I was pretty disappointed. I did find some bushes of a darker variety of berries (may have been Huckleberries) that were in much better shape and were very sweet and tastey. I did leave some of these behind for others. Overall, compared with last year's bumper crop, this year's berries are in sad shape. The Monadnock area needs a good rain storm soon!!

 

[psmart]

It's pretty dry and crunchy in Carroll County. The blueberries are drying out before they ripen, leaving the bears pretty hungry. I'm noticing more rocks turned over than usual, as they look for other food.

 

[Stan]

Well, my blueberries at home are sparse, too, but not because they are dry. I water them and there are lots of unripe berries but the birds beat me to it every time one ripens ... especially blue jays who then squawk at me when there are no more ripe berries.

What about the mountain cranberries?

 

[JacobH]

There were lots of ripe blueberries up on Bondcliff this weekend.

I haven't been to Blue Job since they've been in season this year. I'll have to make a trip to see how the crops are doing (literally acres of blueberry fields there).