That Sinking Feeling: Berry Picking in the Tundra

Two friends, myself, and the dog boated up the Kuskokwim River in search of berries.

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The previous evening, I was eating supper with an elderly couple when their son came in with a bucket full of berries. He said we should all go berry picking the next day.

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We loaded into the boat around 5 p.m. and made our way across the river, hiked up the side of a hill, and entered tundra land.

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The ground was squishy and sunk in beneath our feet. The Alaskan tundra is filled with berries, marsh, plants, and short shrubs. Walking in the tundra is somewhat difficult due to the sinking nature of the landscape. 

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The smell of the tundra is indescribable, a scent of beauty.

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I found a spot to sit down and starting picking blueberries and blackberries.

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I probably moved only four times because of the high number of berries that surrounded me.

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The bright sun brought out many of the greens, yellows, and other colors of the landscape, and it made me smile.

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