Blueberries or Huckleberries? Highbush... lowbush... Join wild harvesters Lukas Burgher and Katie Trozzo for an exploration of the wild blueberries at the 4650ft saddle known as the Scales. Located in National Forest between Pine Mountain and Third Peak, the Scales is famous for its density of blueberries. 

The Goal

We will learn, together, to identify all of the blueberry species in the highlands (10 known in Virginia) through keys and close inspection of the leaves, stems, fruit and habitat. Don't forget to bring a berry bucket along to harvest these flavor and nutrient packed treasures for a cobbler back home.  We will also discuss some of the history of the place and how the name came about. 

Schedule

As with any natural history expedition, preparation is key. We will be holding a short meeting to research blueberries and talk about logistics on Wednesday the 19th at 5:00PM at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center Office in Mouth of Wilson (12627 Wilson Hwy - where highway 16 and 58 meet)

We will be camping Friday night at the Scales and plan on having wild blueberry pancakes in the morning! Youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Getting to the scales requires a four wheel drive and a 30 minute truck crawl on a forest service trail. We will be parking at the bottom of the mountain along Highway 603 at 4:30PM in Fairwood Valley and carpooling for the trek to the top. 

What to Bring

Bring your bushwhacking boots, a berry bucket, tent, drinking water, some grub and proper gear for rain and chilly weather that the highlands often bring. The camping location is a fenced in field at the saddle with an outhouse, so it is not completely amenity free, but it is very remote.

RSVP

Please notify us if you plan to join the expedition by emailing info@blueridgediscoverycenter.org or calling (276)-579-2464
We have backcountry tents and sleeping pads available for use.