Winter foraging in Jackson Hole is quite monochromatic. Greens being the primary color palette, with a bit of blues and blacks sometimes found. A few things I am on the hunt for these days: juniper, fir, spruce, mossy branches, and berries. I reach for the oversized wicker handle of my favorite basket, pull on my warm mittens, and head up the ski packed forest service trail. The snow accumulates so quickly my boot tracks are covered almost instantly with giant wet flakes.
Winter snow is brilliant and calm. I am inspired by the quiet and roam around the forest until something piques my interest. I notice some moss clinging to the low hung branches of a pine tree and post hole through the snow to take a closer look. I am just tall enough to reach a branch dripping with the pale greenish grey moss, I reach up, “snap” the branch breaks easily and the sound seems to echo in the quiet of the storm. I continue making music as I break the mossy branches off the robust base of these old trees.
Next up Juniper, which is my favorite during winter months. Juniper is harder to find as they seem to cling to exposed hillsides and windswept southern faces. I am lucky to find one with plump blueish lavender berries and vibrant green foliage. I use my big clippers with two hands to cut these branches at the base so there is plenty to work with when I get home. The color is stunning and the branches smell intoxicating. I fill a basket of juniper and begin to head down the trail back to the truck.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot some berries clinging onto a thorny stem. I trudge through the snow and carefully cut the branches, so as not to lose any of the fruit. After adding berries, I am confident in what I have collected and know it will add to the atmosphere of tonight’s gathering. When I reach the truck, I throw the hawthorn in the back, shake myself off, and head down the snow-covered road towards home to arrange my treasures.
- Tools you will need:
- Gloves
- Heavy duty clippers
- Basket or vessel
- Sense of adventure
