black caps!?

General discussions on hiking in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
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walrus
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Joined: July 9th, 2014, 7:24 am

black caps!?

Post by walrus » August 14th, 2021, 5:41 am

Is it just me, or are black caps unusually abundant this year? I feel like I've eaten more this year than in the last 40. Not that I'm complaining, they're mighty tasty!

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Don Nelsen
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Location: Vancouver, WA

Re: black caps!?

Post by Don Nelsen » August 14th, 2021, 12:08 pm

My observation is that everything I usually graze on while hiking is more abundant this year. I'm a little surprised by that since it's been a very unusually dry year, too. the record warmth must outweigh that. Huckleberries, blackberries, salmon berries are my favorites. The only downside I've seen with the heat is that my blueberry crop was literally cooked during the late June heat wave. I lost about 90% of the berries.

My garden, only a little patch, about 80 square feet, is producing about 1.5 lbs. of pole beans/day, 3 cucumbers/day and about 30 tomatoes/day plus a few other odds and ends. I'm giving most of it away to my neighbors. :D

dn
"Everything works in the planning stage" - Kelly

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do" - Warren Miller

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bobcat
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Re: black caps!?

Post by bobcat » August 14th, 2021, 7:26 pm

Black caps seem to proliferate in areas recently affected by fire. I've never noticed them so much in the Gorge, but they now seem to be everywhere in the fire zone.

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walrus
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Re: black caps!?

Post by walrus » August 16th, 2021, 6:24 pm

I wish my garden was that productive, but alas, it took in too much sun during those heat waves.

Thanks for your thoughts - I did first notice the bountiful black caps at Wahclella and Eagle Creek, and yes, what a marvelous year for wild berries, especially as city berries are just raisins this year.

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Double Tree
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Re: black caps!?

Post by Double Tree » August 18th, 2021, 3:23 am

I spent a day picking huckleberries at my favorite spot on Mt. Hood. Most prolific year I can remember. And for some reason, the larger, juicier dark berries are much more abundant then usual. The medium sized frosty blue ones usually have been the most common.

Kelly

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