Get in the Summer Spirit With Berry Picking at Mount Dickerman in Washington

When he was around nine years old, my brother went through a phase where he’d only eat one ice cream flavor: huckleberry. To this day, our family has no idea what came over him. His first taste of that flavor — on a vacation to Lake Quinault one fateful summer — rewired something in his mind. For about a year afterward, he lived to recapture that double-scoop of flavorful revelation.

As most phases do, the huckleberry ice cream obsession faded without fanfare. Still, that stretch of devotion left my family unusually attuned to this seasonal Pacific Northwest treat. So, decades later, when I was hiking Washington’s Mount Dickerman Trail and came across some of the lushest huckleberry patches I’d ever seen, of course there was only one person I could call: my brother.

Tucked in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the Mount Dickerman Trail is renowned for its breathtaking alpine views, — and somewhat infamous for its difficulty. As someone who’s fought my way up its slopes on three separate occasions, I feel obligated to confirm the rumors: Dickerman is not for the faint of heart or the unprepared. That said, while its 3,877 feet of elevation gain will certainly test you, it also rewards adventurers with rare vistas and — between July and September — dense clusters of huckleberry bushes.

If you’ve never had them, fresh huckleberries are unlike any other fruit. Though undeniably sweet, they retain a distinctive tartness even when ripe, making them perfect for the many regional desserts, including ice cream, in which they shine. While I’d never knock a U-pick blueberry, huckleberries offer a delicious earthiness all their own. That complexity, paired with the specific habitats they require, makes them a uniquely Pacific Northwest treat.

In the spirit of sharing nature’s bounty, it’s important to remember how many other creatures rely on our landscape’s seasonal berries. Not only do summertime foods help them nurture their young and stock up for winter, our feathered and furred neighbors are also nature’s gardeners, helping spread the plants’ seeds and ensuring there are berries for generations to come. Now, I’ll be the first to admit I find huckleberries endlessly munchable, which is why I always bring snacks of my own. It makes it much easier to stick to the recommended one to two quarts.

With the right know-how, or a knowledgeable guide to teach you, foraging native berries is a wonderful way to connect with Washington’s seasons. And while there are plenty of places to savor these seasonal flavors, one of my favorites will always be the Mount Dickerman Trail. Maybe it’s because the berries here feel like a sweet reward after a challenging climb. Or maybe it’s because huckleberries will always remind me of my brother insisting, for no apparent reason, that the only ice cream flavor worth eating was one celebrating this nostalgic regional delicacy.