easternWA

After picking my first Matsi's, I camped in my camper-van, then drove home the next day. After being immersed in that smell for 24+ hours, I didn't have much of an appetite for it. The ones I've dehydrated are much more palatable when rehydrated. Two mushrooms I'd really like to find but never have are the cauliflower and the lobster.

How did it go? I went by there on Sunday (Apr. 28) and was thinking about stopping for a look. But when I was checking out the area, I noticed that most of the burn in the National Forest was too high for this early in the season and I was running out of time, so I didn't stop. After I came back, I looked at the maps again and I noticed that the North end of the burn has some valleys that are not so high if you come in from the Wenatchee side (more convenient for me anyway). You are definitely not too late but it may still be early to check around the Blewit Pass area. Blewit is good for morels even in non burn years.

If you don't already know this, the Russula genus is pretty easy to identify because the stalk will break clean like a piece of chalk if you snap it in half.

There was also a big fire out by Grand Coulee last year, but that's pretty dry desolate country around there. There may be pockets of forest worth checking or the bunchgrass steppe may surprise me.

Wow, that's early for Coer d'Alene.

I've found morels as early as April 2 in Eastern WA and we've had a very warm Spring so far, so it's possible.

I've been looking at maps of the big fires near Cle Ellum. It's too far away to go there unless there's a chance of finding anything and it's too early for that. But I can try to figure out how I'm going to try to get into the area.

Howdy.

Welcome sol37!

You gonna hit the Cle Elum area? I'm thinking it may be worth driving there from Spokane this year.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll be careful. It seems like I always find this one when I'm travelling, which is one reason I've never tried it. I found a couple really nice ones in Edmonds just a month ago but we were just about to hit the road, so I didn't keep them.

There are also a few things I have found in the past but have not eaten, for one reason or another. Things I know I can find and would consider trying are: Suillus cavipes (hollow-foot - local old-timers say they're good), Russula xerampelina (shrimp russula), Lactarius deliciosus, Chlorophyllum rachodes (shaggy parasol - formerly Lepiota rachodes) and some Agaricus species. I can reliably ID these. I am also mildly curious about detoxifying Amanita muscaria, as has been discussed here. They are such nice, big, beautiful mushrooms and are fairly common. I guess I need to convince myself that it's safe.

If you can make it up to N. Idaho for the Spokane Mushroom Club's fall foray, you'd probably find chanterelles, and I can always find a morel or two around May/June. Do you travel?

I'd like to find a lobster mushroom in good condition. I've found a soggy old specimen once but not one worth tasting. I'd love to find trumpets some day but I'm not sure if they're found around here or where to look.

I just happened to have a photo of some of the 1st year crop. Here it is:

Interesting. I'd swear that Zeller's Boletes give me a feeling of general well-being. Not a "high," just sort of a life-is-good feeling.

Thanks fungrrl! That was cool. Maybe since we're in the doldrums of winter, we should start a "post your mushroom photos" thread. I'm sure that most of us could dig up a few old pics that are worth sharing.

The compost-pile and logs I infected produced again this fall.

I'm not particularly fond of Matsis but I'd be happy to show anyone a spot or two I've found in N. Idaho, if you're in the area in the fall. They like white pine in N. Idaho.

Well I'll be darned, I didn't realize this site was still up and going! Seems to be thriving, even. Hi ladyfish and all you other good folks. It's been a while since I've wandered in.

I do like searching for naturals, since I normally combine a nice hike with some prospecting. That way, finding morels is a bonus rather than the only purpose. Last weekend, I checked out an area that's new to me but looked promising on google maps. We didn't find a thing but had an enjoyable walk. Went back to a known spot nearby and found 8. I do need a better inventory of locations that produce naturals. I was so sure an area I was checking last year would produce but all I found was 2. I still think I can find morels there but the area is infested with mosquitoes and hobo camps, so I'll probably turn my attention elsewhere.

I've heard of morels associating with Sycamores but don't have any personal experience. There aren't any free-range sycamores in Eastern WA, just a few in the city. I found some morels in the bark of a landscape bed under some sycamores once, but I'd call those landscape morels, which are a one-off phenomenon (they don't come back in the same location).

I've found a smattering of blacks the last couple weeks. It's time to get more serious over the next month. I didn't see much in the way of 2011 fires when I checked geomac, so I'll need to find controlled burns or freshly logged areas if I want to get good quantities. Otherwise, it's hunting for the elusive "natural," which sometimes seems to be a lot of work for small rewards. We'll also check a 2 year old burn where we had moderate success last year. I've had decent luck with 2 year old burns in the past and this one seemed like it should have been great.

I always go up to the Priest Lake area in the Fall but have never gone up for Spring mushrooms, since I usually do ok for morels closer to home. But Priest is so beautiful. I may go up there next weekend and stay in the cabin of one of my wife's friends. I have no idea where to look but maybe I'll check with the Forest Service and look for controlled burns or thinning operations.

Much of Spokane is still showing 700/840. There's a little bit of 980. It may yet be early but I still have to get out and look around some. I at least need to keep my eye out for landscape morels.