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of twine through both sides of the can and connect the string to
the bucket. The picker could then sling it over his or her
shoulder to make it easy to carry. We would sometimes try to
incorporate a belt loop into the can, so you could have both
hands free. This would backfire for the picker if he let the
bucket get so full and heavy that it started to pull his pants
down. It was hard work to pick these wonderful sweet-tart
tasting berries. You needed both hands to pick most effectively.
Picking requires coordination, balance, and dexterity. Your
hands get dyed purple, and your mouth does too if you eat too
many berries while picking.
My father-in-law, Elmer, was the king of the pickers and
the originator of the tradition. He was about 65 when I got
started in the ritual and is 95 years young today. Elmer was a
native of Roslyn, Washington, near CleElum and Ronald. His
dad worked in the coal mines. He had been picking these
bushes for many years. His father would set up a camp on top
of a bald mountain and leave him and his older sister up there
to pick for days at a time before coming back to take the
berries to sell in town. The going rate for mountain
huckleberries back then was about 8 to 15 dollars per pound.
His father had to pack water in for them, as there are no rivers