if you find a good patch that is hard to tear yourself away from. Take food, water, and supplies for outdoor bio breaks. Huckleber- ry picking roads are notoriously bumpy, rut- ted and hard on tires. Make sure you have tire changing equipment, and that your spare tire is filled before leaving. Dress in layers-weath- er conditions in the mountains are significant- ly different from your starting point, and con- ditions change rapidly. A lightweight folding stool can be a godsend. Bear spray, first aid supplies, and bee sting kits are helpful. Tuck- ing your pants legs into your socks and spray- ing yourself with insect repellent helps deter ticks, mosquitoes and biting insects. Lastly, never underestimate the importance of a good huckleberry bucket. As a kid I picked with my grandmother, using metal Folger’s Coffee cans. The plinking sound of the berries hitting the bottom of the can is still a wonder- ful, vivid memory. It wasn’t the best picking system though. You could only pick one hand- ed, unless you put the can on the ground. But that inevitably resulted in tipping the can over, spilling berries all over the forest floor—a trag- edy of catastrophic proportions. I’ve graduat- ed to a more foolproof and efficient system. Buy an approximately gallon-sized, tall Rub- bermaid-type container with a secure lid and heavy duty strapping about 1-2 inches wide, long enough to tie around your waist. Cut two vertical slots about three inches apart toward the top of one side of the container. Thread the strapping through both holes and tie the bucket around your waist. Cut a hole in the lid of the container, leaving a 1-2 inch lip around the edge of the lid. You will now have two hands free for picking berries and navigating the steep slopes. If you tip forward, the ber- ries will be caught by the lip of the lid without spilling.
social media and farmers markets for the first berries to start showing up. Research potential picking spots, and how to identify huckleberries. Huckleberry pick- ers have favorite patches and keep these ‘holy grail’ locations a closely guarded se- cret. Sometimes, seasoned local pickers will share general areas to pick. The berries can be found in forested areas at 2,000-11,000- foot elevations, growing best between 3,000- 6,000 feet. Priest Lake is known for plentiful huckleberries. Abandoned logging roads, Forest Service or Department of Natural Re- sources roads, and areas with old burns at the right elevation are good places to try. If you will be in federal or state lands requiring pass- es or permits, bring those along. There are at least seven huckleberry species in the Pacific Northwest, each having distinct elevation preferences, physical characteris- tics, and flavor profiles. Some have BB-sized berries on bushes about six inches tall. Other species are quite tall with large berries. Huck- leberries range in color: red, purple, navy blue and silvery blue. The majority of flavor and aroma are in the skin of the berry, explaining why smaller huckleberries often have such in- tense flavor. Be well prepared for picking, and unexpect- ed needs that might arise. You may be on the mountain longer than expected, especially
purple gold: hunting the elusive huckleberry story and photo by JOANIE CHRISTIAN Season’s Bounty
There’s gold in them thar hills…purple gold. For many Idahoans, the months of July through September wouldn’t be complete without heading up into the mountains to partake in huckleberry picking, an annual rite of passage. The highly coveted huckleberry is a tart yet sweet purple punch of flavor for which the Pacific Northwest is famous. Huckleberries are so popular that researchers have tried for years to domesticate them for commer- cial production, employing all kinds of meth- ods and growing conditions that would en- courage most plants to thrive. It turns out that huckleberries are a fickle lot, stubbornly resisting the opportunity to thrive in a pam- pered environment. Instead, they prefer more inhospitable conditions: high elevations in sub-alpine or alpine habitat, acidic soil, partial shade, forest cover, cold winters, and in my
personal experience, ankle-twisting spots on mountain slopes in the middle of nowhere. So, the tried-and-true way of getting huckleber- ries remains, which secretly makes me kind of happy. The process is part of the allure. Noth- ing worth having is easy, and huckleberries are no exception. Determined, persistent and seasoned pickers know that a ‘lucky’ huckleberry picking day ends with purple hands, full buckets, happy hearts, and anticipation of huckleberry pan- cakes and pies. I’ve been picking huckleberries for over 40 years, learning tips along the way that will help the newbie huckleberry picker have a positive and productive experience. Weather conditions vary from year to year, affecting when they are ready to pick, how plentiful the crop is, and size of berries. Watch
You now have this huck- leberry ‘pro’s hard-earned bag of tricks. The rest is up to you. May you find your own ‘holy grail’ and come home with purple hands and happy hearts.
Photo by Joanie Christian
Photo by Linda Lantzy
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