Car Life
Finding Red Huckleberries
I came for the view and ended up with a cup of huckleberries
I took the same path, down the same road, and through the same forests and trees.
Yet I found something that I haven’t seen before.
Something red. Tiny. Delicate. It caught my eye.
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes. — Marcel Proust
Usually, I like to take my Honda Civic on mountain roads.
Even if the unpaved roads were unsuitable for my sedan, I would still drive on these gnarly paths.
Why you may ask?
Well, it’s because my Civic is going through an identity crisis. Sometimes, she likes to be a rugged, adventure vehicle, even if it means driving through the waves on the forest path — she’ll still do it. And at other times, it’s because I’m seeking a fun drive, all within my comfortability.
So when I heard about this epic viewpoint up in the mountains, I knew I wanted to see it for myself.
And so I did. Up and up, I drove through the potholes and onto the big waves that formed on the ground up.
I gripped the steering wheel — excited and nervous, I kept driving away into the neck of the woods. Not knowing what I would find at the top, I continued onwards because that’s what you do in pursuit of something magical.
When I finally reached the top, there was one portable toilet house and a sign that read, “Black bears seen in this area.” I debated whether I would stay the night here or go back down and find another spot.
It was a tricky question. Doing this lifestyle requires you to have a few backup choices in case your first choice of camp is taken.
Although, the drive was rough on my Civic, the view was worth it in the end.
It was magical beyond time and space. Clouds swayed through the thickness of the forests, blanketing the rolling mountains. You could see the river flowing in the valley below, surrounded by all the lush greenery that mother nature offered.
I was smitten — all my worries melted away into the crisp air.
There was nothing to worry about — alone on this mountain with the view looking back at me.
As much as I wanted to sleep here, I opted to go back down the mountain and find someplace else. That’s when I found something new.
It was red huckleberries.
It was also known as Vaccinium parvifolium. And the Chinook natives called them Shat-ulali.
Red huckleberry brightens coastal forests with its pretty, pink-tinged flowers and brilliant red berries. The berries are tart and delicious when eaten fresh and may also be dried. — Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
The Natives used huckleberries for a variety of things. Such as eating them, using it as fish bait, drying them into cakes for the winter, and stewing dried berries into sauces.
Sometimes, the huckleberries was also mixed with salmon roe and oil.
The first time I found about these berries was in Oregon. I was only two months into my car lifestyle, and the moment I stepped into the fauna and flora of the pacific northwest, I felt at home. It was there that I discovered my love for the native plants. Especially huckleberries as they were everywhere along the unpaved forest roads I often took.
After picking a cup of huckleberries, I was ready to find camp for the night. Unknowingly, I dropped my freshly picked berries into the crevice in my car. Of course this would happen to me.
A few minutes later, my car perfumed of sweet berries. I knew black bears also enjoyed eating them. I looked around nervously through the thick of the forests to see if there was a bear lurking around.
No bears. I’m all clear.
All in all, I guess I made the right choice to go down this mountain after all.
Even though I lost all my huckleberries to the floor of my car, I gained a new level of appreciation for the Natives that roamed these lands and picked the berries by hand.
Because picking huckleberries by hand is not an easy task.
Congratulations to JoAnn Ryan for creating a beautiful photo publication.
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As with everything,
Never stop loving yourself. Stay beautiful, wild, and free.