Berry Picking

On Saturday (Aug. 30) I borrowed Nollie and went up near Snoqualmie Pass to go huckleberry picking and to start scouting snowboard lines for the upcoming season. It was pretty cold up there and we had on/off rain. The huckleberry bushes hold a lot of moisture so my hands got pretty wet and cold and Nollie managed to get pretty wet. We'd pick for a little while, head back to the truck to warm up, and drive to a new spot and start over. There are a few hunting seasons open right now (archery for elk & modern firearm for bear) so we were pretty decked out in blaze orange and Nollie got to wear a bear bell. I tried to fit her with a vest but it didn't last to long when she walked through the dense brush.

Last year I went to this spot for my first day of hunting ever. I was looking for grouse but all I saw was a black bear and a flock of ducks (widgeons, i think). I think the bears love this zone due to the abundance of food (berries). Anyway, we picked until we were cold/bored and headed home. Some of the berries were still rather small and super tart, so I think the picking will still be good for a few weeks as these berries ripen. This area gets awesome in the fall when the huckleberry bush leaves turn red. I'll probably go back next weekend to try and get some more. Hopefully it'll be warmer.

This was the highlight of my holiday weekend as yesterday I cleaned and today I worked. Lame.