Wild Maine Blueberries

My brother, Tom, on the mountain's south side.
Blueberry plants are in the foreground.

The past two weeks I spent galavanting around mid-coast Maine, my family's preferred vacation spot.  Summer in this part of Maine is a treasure trove of quaint buildings, bright flowers, lush greenery, and wild blueberries.  These blueberries are smaller than those found in the supermarket, and in any given handful they taste tart, sweet and juicy.

My dad, brother and roommate/friend/Sprout volunteer Booters hiked up Ragged Mountain last Sunday.  Ragged Mountain is one of the peaks in the Camden Hills.  At the top the Atlantic Ocean is visible in the distance, along with the towns of Camden, Rockport and Lincolnville.  This particular Sunday was a beautiful day for a hike:  clear skies, great visibility, warm but not too hot and minimal bugs.

When nearing the top of the mountain, the flora transforms to small pines and scrub brush and much of the trail is rock.  Blueberry plants nestle themselves in sunny spots in between rocks all over the top of the mountain.  It is the perfect time to stop for a snack, and the blueberries supply a sugar punch for the last climb in the hike.