Ultralight mushroom hunting? attempt 1 this weekend :)

[Ghost]

I am trying something new this weekend. I like to combine other other hobbies with mushroom hunting, be it fly fishing or backpacking. This weekend I am doing a little loop in the Desolation Wilderness with an ultralight setup (loop area attached), there are several forested areas and meadows along the route. This trip my express goal will be to find and document as many mushrooms off-trail as possible while loosely following the loop in the image with a two day time limit and 25ish miles to cover. My thoughts are that since this area had such a massive amount of snowfall that is just now finishing melting off through the passes and in the lower elevation forested areas there may be mushrooms just starting to emerge. I would be searching at between 7200-7800 feet as I think these meadows and forested areas would be most promising in this area. Not expecting anything on the passes and exposed granite fields. I am really not sure what effect deep and late lingering snowfall would have on mushroom populations. Maybe some morel mycelium has been waiting for me up there in a snow coma to make a late fruiting this season! Any thoughts on my uneducated guesses? I'm thinking I will probably miss more than i will find, but cover more ground and possibly find some good patches I can document that may be worth returning to and looking around more thoroughly.

I will report back after the weekend with photos of good finds and attempted IDs! (Hopefully!)

[Dave W]

At really high elevation --above 8000' asl-- it may still be too early for morels! Any recent fires up in them thar hills? If you encounter a burn site, check it out. I think this early you will want south-aspect.

The Rockies feature a nice palette of spring snowbank mushrooms.

[Ghost]

Hey Dave- not any recent fires in this specific area I am aware of, but I will keep an eye out for burn sites through the route up there and on the way back! We'll see if anything turns up along the PCT!