You gotta love when nature provides fresh fruit free of charge, especially berries, even if it’s only a few handfuls of wild strawberries :)
I’ve seen wild strawberry plants all over the place for years hiking and backpacking in the mountains of SW Montana, and more recently in the mountains of the southwest, but I’ve always missed the berries themselves. Always flowering, or too late in the season, and from memory mid-July seems to be the opportune time in Montana, so I was surprised to notice patches upon patches of ripe strawberries in late August on a recent hike above my campsite on a very old logging or mining road!
I’ve always found them near water, usually mountain and forest creeks, especially in open meadows or patches of sunlight. These were also along a creek, although a decent ways above the water, but in an area with lots of smaller streams crossing the old road.
Two days in a row I found patches of ripe berries, some were still yet to ripen so maybe in another week there’ll be a few more to pick. Only got a few handfuls, maybe two or three dozen total, so not that filling, but so yummy and always fun to be able to eat fresh wild treats. They are so tiny, but so sweet!
Thanks nature...