On the Mushroom Trail

We were off on another treasure hunt yesterday. This time, however, we were looking for mushrooms. The Wood River Land Trust hosted a Mushroom Walk at the river preserve where mushroom expert Kathy Richmond explained how to identify edible and non-edible mushrooms. Morel hunting is a hot topic around here this time of year and we wanted to learn some tips from those-in-the-know! The woods near the river are damp with recent rain and the leaf-covered floor is thick and spongy. Just the right environment for young mushrooms.

After Kathy's talk, we headed down the trail...



But, we knew we had to forge our way into "the jungle" if we really wanted to find anything. Boy, it wasn't easy! Fallen trees and tangles of branches, but we persevered ;)





Of course, I got a little side-tracked with all the loveliness...







Ah hah! There's one! No name for this one. I found several mushrooms, not any morels however. I think this area is pretty picked over, we were told to come back in about two weeks for a whole new crop.



Cassi saw this one growing on a fallen log. We found out later it's an Oyster mushroom. She also found the only morel out of all of us.



I love this photo of my husband and a few of the kids ahead on the trail.



Little Brother forging ahead on his own. His competence in the woods has really improved since last year. (I think he does amazingly well for the limited vision he has.)



We all had so much fun and can't wait to do it again. We were told that the next year after a fire is typically an abundant year for mushrooms, so we're looking forward to driving a little north and trying again in the burn area.

Comments

[emily]

Great photos! We love to mushroom hunt, but only know enough to harvest chanterelles, lobsters and matsutaki. Learning morels is certainly next on my list. I've done a little research already (like the hollow core, etc). This looked like such a great day.

[Tracey@Paper Dolls for Boys]

Your photos are so full of delight and wonder.

Happy shrooming!

[Denise]

So beautiful! We just got back from a walk in the woods - so dense and green this time of year.

[Alexis]

Beautiful pictures!

I just found you site through the Crafty Crow and I'm really enjoying it. Thanks!