If you’re from here, I don’t need to explain the title to you. If you’re not, you have no idea what you’ve been missing. This is the season visitors to Island Park wait for all year — the huckleberry season. Berries started to ripen last week and will continue over the next two to three.
Berries this year are fat, juicy and sweet. Early rains and later sun provided just the right mix of nutrients for the little plants to work their magic. Although it’s early, I’ve seen tons of people out gathering. The most popular sites get picked over pretty quick, so my advice is take a day, jump on your four wheeler and find your own glory hole.
Whatever you do, don’t ask someone to show you their favorite spot. A huckleberry hole is like a fishing hole. There’s kind of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” aura around the whole thing. Once you share a hole with someone else, they’ll share theirs with you, and it grows from there.
For those of you who’d rather not get your hands dirty, you can stop at the Shell gas station in Thornton (about 3 miles South of Rexburg,) and buy them. The going rate this year is around $60 a gallon. When you take into account how long it takes you to find and pick a gallon, $60 might be cheap. It depends on whether you have more money or more time (oh, and whether you’re a wanny when it comes to getting out and tromping in the woods.) See you out there!
