I was thinking of how our forebears survived without 'scope sights, Goretex, Polar Fleece etc. They only had wool, flannel and skins to keep them warm.

Then it struck me - how on earth did they guard against the scourge of mariners - scurvy in the white world of the Rocky Mountains, and much of Northern USA & Canada, in Winter?

It was before the time of tinned fruit and vegetables & fruit are true 'seasonal products'.

Did they, like geese etc, simply migrate South to warmer, greener pastures during the Winter?

They were MEN and Women, frontiersmen and women.
They survived by their wits.
We've lost our Frontier Ethos.

Some got scurvy, but vit C was present in things like persimmons and Indian cherries that are late fall/winter fruits, and in the fresh liver of animals.

They ate fresh meat, either cooked rare or raw, which contains enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy.

It's been studied pretty well, the Inuit did not suffer from scurvy and their diet of marine mammals and fish, generally raw, was why. Arctic and Antarctic explorers who ate seals did not get scurvy either.

Pine needles are also chock full of vitamin C and were commonly brewed into a tea, which is actually kinda refreshing.

An herbalist chick, degree in botany and an RN, who raises chickens for eggs and meat, who gives me eggs and I keep her in fish, makes all kinds of 'all natural' things. One is a tea made from stinging nettles, which is really good.

Speaking of stinging nettles, the whalers of the Makah tribe would bathe in a cold stream and then rub or thrash their naked body with stinging nettles in preparation for a hunt. Kinda like a purification thing to heighten their awareness.

I'm pretty tough, but I ain't that bad ass. Well maybe if doing so earned me access to certain chunks of private lands teeming with waterfowl.

Thank you.

I did not know about the nutritional value of pine needles.

In parts of the country whwere we have 'blanket' plantations of Pine, Spruce etc, the needles kill of just about everything. It could be light penetration to the forest floor though, like with Beech tree canopies etc.

The needles are said to make the soil, and surface water run-off, brooks and streams very acid. Hence, why mountain streams are 'crystal' clear apparently - all down to the Eh & pH of the water.

Rose hips, I eat them all the time while hunting. High in vitamin C!

Dunno' for sure, but staghorn sumac sure tastes like it has vitamin c in it (very strong citrous flavor). Used to make teas, etc. Pretty good stuff, and found all over here.

MG

quote:

Originally posted by robthom:
Thank you.

I did not know about the nutritional value of pine needles.

In parts of the country whwere we have 'blanket' plantations of Pine, Spruce etc, the needles kill of just about everything. It could be light penetration to the forest floor though, like with Beech tree canopies etc.

The needles are said to make the soil, and surface water run-off, brooks and streams very acid. Hence, why mountain streams are 'crystal' clear apparently - all down to the Eh & pH of the water.

Pine needles are very acidic and high in vitamin C.

I just read a book on Scurvy of all things.

One of the things early explorers learned from Indians was to boil and make a tea out of cedar needles.

I read somewhere that the life span of the average Mt. Man such as Jerimiah Johnson etc was 35yrs. I dont know how true that is but if you figure death by freezing, indians, bear/wolves etc it probably wasnt something you live to retire from.

Wild Rose grew all over the Rockies and the Hips are a good source of Vitamin C.