Huckleberry Pie
I was born on April 22 and to most people that seems irrelevant, but to some it marks a special date for our planet and is called Earth Day. On this day people are encouraged to pay respect to the place that everyone calls home and pick up some trash. Sharing this day with our planet has made me realize the importance of respecting our home.
But when thinking about stories and memories made outside, within nature, and on our beautiful planet, many came to mind. Some of the earliest were camping in my backyard with my little brother or sleeping under the stars with my friends at the Kootenai Outdoor Adventure Program. Even packing my horses into the Bob Marshall wilderness a few summers ago. But one that came to mind and took place was last summer when my family from Minnesota came to visit us here in Montana. They live in the suburbs of Minneapolis and don’t have any mountains where they live so every time they visit, they are blown away by the gorgeous peaks in our back yard. My family just so happened to come out around prime huckleberry season so we decided to fill some water bottles, pack a few snacks, and head out into the woods.
My family that came out for this trip consisted of my aunt, uncle, and cousin who is about five years old. In order for everyone to go on this trip, we flipped up the third-row seat and all seven of us piled into the car. We began our climb up the windy mountain road admiring the lush greenery. When we arrived at the trailhead, we all got out and immediately started up the trail to find some huckleberries.
Everyone had a gallon zip lock that we tried to fill, or had to at least try. As we picked, I taught my little cousin how to delicately pluck the small purple berries off the bushes and make sure that she didn’t pull the bush out of the loose ground. She quickly learned and just as quickly asked for a piggy back ride. We searched, picked, and ate for about thirty minutes before the collective decision was made, snack time. We munched on our pre packed snacks, making sure to pick up any wrappers or trash left behind, and began our search again. Another thirty minutes went by and everyone ended up back at the car.
We compared our baggies and we only had collected just enough to make one sweet pie. Even though we didn’t get very many berries, the quality time in the woods and the time spent with my family was irreplaceable. Teaching my growing cousin about “leave no trace” and the importance of the trees and their creatures was special and memorable, and at the end of the day we all sat down and enjoyed a very yummy huckleberry pie.
Joslin is a graduating Senior from Libby High School. They submitted this essay for FSPW’s high school scholarship contest. Stay tuned for more winning essays from students across Idaho and Montana.
