Picking Wild Rose Hips In The Yukon

The Adventure Begins

The most important thing about wild harvesting is to plant new plants as you pick to ensure a future supply.

So as I pick, I drop rose hips on the ground in order to allow for seeding and of course for the wildlife to eat.

I also left a very special pile of rose hips for a certain squirrel who sat scolding at me while I picked.

DAY 1

Here are some of the results of Day 1 rose hip picking in the Yukon. We found some spectacular patches where they were lit up like Christmas bulbs! We are heading north today to our favorite secret location.

DAY 2

SOMEWHERE IN AN UNDISCLOSED AREA OF WHITEHORSE...

This is one of our favorite Whitehorse rose hip patches and it’s got a bumper crop this year! These beauties are loaded with vitamins C and A and will become our Wild Hip Face Cream when we get home.

The Prickley Wild Rose (Rosa Acicularis) will shred your shirt, but offers such crimson bounty.

DAY 3

We are off on another Yukon rose hip picking adventure today. The forecast is good – warm and dry with a minimal chance of bears. They do love rose hips this time of year!

DAY 4

Today we traveled west to Kluane National Park, home of Mt Logan, Canada’s highest peak. On the way, we watched a dog musher training his team with an ATV and saw a herd of elk, 2 fox, 1 coyote and the most beautiful frosty rose hips. Another grand Yukon day for Botanical Bliss!

And here’s part of the elk herd grazing along the Alaska Highway on our return trip from Kluane National Park, Yukon!

DAY 5

Yukon Wild Rose Hip Pickathon. Today was our first really cold morning and the fingers were as frozen as the hips! We have picked over 100 pounds of hips for face cream now and the suitcases are almost full. We’ve had our dehydrators going 24/7 since Wednesday morning to dry our precious berries, but most of what is going home tomorrow is frozen..and its heavy!

LAST DAY

One last shot before we say goodbye to the Yukon. We were a little overweight at the gate but some shuffling of rose hips got us on the plane. We are bound for Calgary to pick up our van and drive back to Vancouver Island.