Echinodontium ballouii

[Guest Vlad]

You could look for Chaga this winter or you could look for something completely useless instead. Bill W. Neill found a mushroom in 2005 that was thought to be extinct, because no one else found it in 96 years. There are only 3 people who ever found this mushroom and those are the original person to find this mushroom and have it named after him, Bill Ballou, and the team of Bill W. Neill and Larry Millman. You can see a picture of this mushroom and Bill Neill on this page

http://www.mushroomhunter.net/ballouii.htm

If you have a White Cedar swamp near, you might want to see if you could become the 4th person to ever find this mushroom. It is called Echinodontium ballouii and in my opinion, one ugly mushroom. See a picture on the above link. But I think it would be cool to see a mushroom which only 3 other people found. I now live near a White Cedar swamp. If we have warm weather one of these days, I might just try my luck.

[Luigi Daniele]

You could look for Chaga this winter or you could look for something completely useless instead. Bill W. Neill found a mushroom in 2005 that was thought to be extinct, because no one else found it in 96 years. There are only 3 people who ever found this mushroom and those are the original person to find this mushroom and have it named after him, Bill Ballou, and the team of Bill W. Neill and Larry Millman. You can see a picture of this mushroom and Bill Neill on this page

http://www.mushroomhunter.net/ballouii.htm

If you have a White Cedar swamp near, you might want to see if you could become the 4th person to ever find this mushroom. It is called Echinodontium ballouii and in my opinion, one ugly mushroom. See a picture on the above link. But I think it would be cool to see a mushroom which only 3 other people found. I now live near a White Cedar swamp. If we have warm weather one of these days, I might just try my luck.

Looks like the tree version of a Hedgehog

[DufferinShroomer]

The mushroom isn't extinct. What is extinct is people willing to trudge through cedar swamps in the dead of winter and climb 20 feet up trees looking for a bit of fungus that no one has seen in 96 years.

[Dave W]

Actually, dead of winter is probably the best time to forage in a cedar swamp. One can carefully ski or snowshoe across the frozen terrain. We don't have a lot of cedar around here. I've skied through some snowed over swampy areas that I would never attempt to enter under any other conditions.

I'm concerned about taking the digital camera out with me while skiing. Do very cold temps damage a camera?

[Feral Boy]

Actually, dead of winter is probably the best time to forage in a cedar swamp. One can carefully ski or snowshoe across the frozen terrain. We don't have a lot of cedar around here. I've skied through some snowed over swampy areas that I would never attempt to enter under any other conditions.

I'm concerned about taking the digital camera out with me while skiing. Do very cold temps damage a camera?

It shouldn't be a problem if you let it acclimatize gradually. In the summer, I sometimes have the problem of a foggy lens for

awhile. My bag is well-insulated and I have to remember to take it out so it can come up to temperature.

[Guest Vlad]

Dave, I read that very cold temperatures can damage the electronic components. Each camera is designed to operate in a certain temperature range. That range is usually stated in the specs. I do not go out in winter unless it is a bright sunny day. If the temperature is above freezing I use the camera without a problem. If the temperature is below freezing and I have an irresistible urge to go into the woods and take my camera I carry it in a zipped up camera bag into which I put a couple of those chemical packets of hand warmers. They are good for about 6 hours. That keeps the camera nice and warm. When I see something I want to photograph I make a quick draw and take a picture then pop the camera back into the heated bag.

[Mushroom Jack]

Dave, Have the same problems with my cameras. My video camera won't work if it's too cold or hot. Too humid or not humid enough. Etc. I think I found the solution though. Pentax Optio W90 Camera. I plan on trying this one after Christmas. Hopefully it will go down in price then. Here's a link to it.

http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=E2PKOPTW90GN

[Dave W]

Thanks for the replies.

Jack, I'm a bit concerned about the stated specs on that camera... "coldproof to sub-freezing temperatures." Does that mean the minimum acceptable temp is just under 32F? Sometimes I'm out on my skis when the temps are in the single digits F.

Vlad, I like that hand-warmer idea. But I'm a bit reluctant to take any chances with our good SONY camera. Maybe I'll pick up a $50 model specifically for winter use (and maybe a few other relatively risky places) and incorporate the hand warmers.

[Guest Vlad]

Dave,

The thing is that a new digital for about $50 will not have macro and I find that very useful. Do you know Darvin DeShazer? He is big in Mushroom Observer. He used a compact digital that he bought used and gets fantastic pictures. I forgot what model he uses. I think he paid under $100. Consider buying a used camera that has macro and optical zoom of about 12X. That way no mushroom can hide from you!

Another idea is talk Santa into getting you a better camera, for tomorrow, than you have, that way you wont mind taking the Sony out in the cold.

[Feral Boy]

Dave,

The thing is that a new digital for about $50 will not have macro and I find that very useful. Do you know Darvin DeShazer? He is big in Mushroom Observer. He used a compact digital that he bought used and gets fantastic pictures. I forgot what model he uses. I think he paid under $100. Consider buying a used camera that has macro and optical zoom of about 12X. That way no mushroom can hide from you!

Another idea is talk Santa into getting you a better camera, for tomorrow, than you have, that way you wont mind taking the Sony out in the cold.

I got a Sony DSC-H3 after I saw a friend get REAL close to a luna moth for a picture.

Macro lets you get as close as 3/4" (!!!) without any special lens. It's a few years

old, 8Mp, and I got it for about $150 used.

[Mushroom Jack]

Dave, Here's a better link that may answer more conserns that you have. I'm getting this camera sometimes here soon . I do a ton of fishing in the summer and winter, and I think this would really add to my videos. Mainly because it is good to a depth of 20 feet. Should make for some pretty good underwater shots of a hooked fish. I also like the fact that it will focus as close as 1 cm. That's pretty darn close !!

Pentax Optio W90

http://www.pentaximaging.com/digital-camera/?utm_source=adcenter&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=pentax%20optio%20w90&utm_campaign=bing&matchtype=e&query=pentax%20optio%20w90