The Great Alaskan Morel Rush of '05

"A lot of walking today," she says.

"More than 10 hours," says Jose. "We walk three or four or five miles in."

"A lot of babies out there?" Rankin asks.

"Oh, yeah," says Jose. "Lot of grays, too," he adds, meaning gray morels, which can fetch a higher retail price.

Linda says she and Jose have been on the mushroom circuit since 1995; their youngest son picks with them now, too. They work 10 months a year, and have no home base. "We do all right," she says.

Southard weighs the last picker's haul, 114 pounds. Rankin hands him $570. Altogether, the Mexicans have brought in 508 pounds. They pile into the van, and then, apparently as an afterthought, Jose walks back and hands Southard a piece of yellow paper. It's a note from another buyer, stating that he'll give Jose a $1,500 bonus tomorrow if he'll sell to him.

"But this guy, another time, he said he give us $15 [a pound] and give us $7," Jose says.

Rankin and Southard agree: The guy can't be trusted. Jose mentions something about more pickers, relatives, flying into Fairbanks. Southard says he'll be happy to pick them up.

"You guys are doing a really good job," he says.

The red van takes off and a station wagon pulls in. It's after 9 p.m., and the driver says he's thinking about going out mushrooming.

"I got a bunch of kids here," he says, pointing at five boys who look to be between 7 and 12, eating corn chips and playing with the radio. "I was here in 1991. We laid them out on blue tarps and hauled them in."

Southard says there aren't that many right by the side of the road, and that it might be a little late to take the kids that far into the woods.

There are no limits on how many morels one can pick--and there are. Anticipating an avalanche of pickers and buyers this year, the state of Alaska and the Bureau of Land Management laid down some rules: Picking morels on public lands is allowed, up to 10 gallons per person per day for personal use. Permits are required for any overages, with a minimum permit of $50. Pickers are expected to abide by the honor system and pay more if they exceed their limit. A state of Alaska business license is required for anyone engaged in commercial activity, though different rules may apply to state park, tribal and native corporation land.