Alaska: Wild Blueberries

Words by Kath Baker

Whenever I get a message asking if I’m down to go to Alaska, the answer is always yes.

I was stoked to join the Evergoods trip to Juneau. I’d lived in Southeast Alaska before, but had never made it to Juneau. We arrived to rain, which made for some of the most beautiful, misty walks through old-growth rainforest. Along the shore, we were all awe-struck by the smooth, rounded rocks in all sorts of colors. Between shots, I laid in them to get a closer look.

When the weather finally cleared enough to fly, we boarded a seaplane for a cabin tucked into the Tongass National Forest. My eyes were glued to the window. For the first time during the trip, the clouds parted and the sun illuminated the landscape below us. The Tongass stretches across nearly 17 million acres of Southeast Alaska, and seeing even a small piece of it from above gave me a new sense of its scale.

Landing there felt like incredible magic. A light rain fell as the sun broke through the clouds, and I starfished out in the moss to experience it in all its glory. We ate wild blueberries, made a fire, and ate some delicious food. It was a trip that I won’t soon forget.

The landscape in Alaska is alive. There is so much to feel from hugging a tree that’s been growing for centuries, holding a rock shaped by ice and water, and laying in the rain. I love how those small moments make me feel connected to a place so much bigger than myself.

Alaska always shows off. Getting to experience it with this incredible crew made coming back even sweeter.