Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 26th October.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week we gathered at the meeting place with the base of the persistent marine fog sitting at tree top height above us.  The light was so dim it was obvious the fog that morning was extra thick so we knew we would have to drive quite a way to have any hope of getting above it into the sunshine.  We set off, heading up and to the south along Bell Road, past First Lake and only came out into the sunshine at the Vancouver Island Hydro line.  Parking on the gas line we walked south and soon started to find the abundant mushrooms of so many different types that make 2013 a record year for those who go on fungus forays.  Lunch was close to Bloody Mountain viewpoint on the south side of Mt. Davies, the low sun warming our backs and the air so still and clear it was such a contrast to the gloomy world down below.

I took the photo as we headed back down to our vehicles to show just how thick the fog was even in the early afternoon.  In the distance to the north the fog reaches almost to the bottom of the bare grassy area on the upper slopes of Black Mountain, so roughly 1,600 ft (500m) above sea level.  This sea fog is still with us so I expect we will be climbing in search of the sun again this week.

JD.

  

As the hikers walk back towards the vehicles the top of Black Mountain is visible above the thick blanket of fog.  

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 19th October.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

This year has been the best year we have had for a long time for gathering edible mushrooms.  The weather conditions at the end of summer and into early fall must have been near perfect for the fungus species we love to collect as the abundance and size of specimens we are finding is exceptional.  Last week we drove down towards Shingle Beach, then turning off after the bridge over Stromberg Creek we headed uphill past the waterfalls and parked halfway up to Thompson Road. It was dull and foggy for most of the morning, but not long after settling down for lunch on a small bluff    with a view the clouds began to break up nicely.  In my photo this week some of the mushrooms collected along the way are being checked out in one of the mushroom books that are so useful when collecting the edible kinds.  

JD.

Hikers keen to check the mushroom book to get tips on identification and cooking options.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 12th October.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we had a cool cloudy day for the hike, again we had quite a few hikers that were interested in mushrooms, some wanting to pick more of their favourite edible ones, others just keen to learn more about them. We drove up to the Masyk Farm turnoff and parked, then carried on along the road checking in the woods for interesting fungi. We met up with a hunter who wanted to be sure that he and his friends knew where we would likely be going and clearly intended to hunt somewhere else — unusual in my experience, but much appreciated by us. We headed east into a logged off area that proved to be very windy, but I knew we would be out of the wind on the far side where we had lunch on the edge of some old growth forest.

My photo this week is of a mushroom we found that is related to some edible species that are called toothed fungi because they have very distinctive tiny teeth like projections on the underside of the cap. This one is called the Bleeding Tooth Fungus because of the drops of bright red liquid on the upperside of the cap when it's still young and otherwise vivid white. The one in my photo is older, and will eventually become black or grey or brown all over. It's not poisonous, it just tastes really bad I believe. Checkout the pictures on this site:—

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/plants/news-gruesome-bleeding-mushrooms

JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 5th October.
We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am

Last week the weather was not the best for hiking. However, a combination of strong wind and light rain showers did not deter everyone and we had an interesting time checking out the great numbers of different fungus species in the Bobs Lake area. I don't ever remember having seen so many large fresh specimens of the common edible Lactarious species, and the chanterelles seem larger than usual although not all that abundant.
My photo this week is of a fungus that is not an edible variety, and as I have not been able to get a name for it yet I would certainly not collect it. It looks somewhat similar to a poisonous kind and the only reason I post it this week is to show it's striking deep red colour.
We have not had any frost yet, even on the high ground probably, so there should still be lots of interesting mushrooms in the forest this weekend.
JD.

Next Hike

The next hike will be on Saturday, 28th September.

We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.

Last week we drove down the Pocahontas Bay road and then part way up the road that leads to the radio towers on Mt Pocahontas. The rains in late summer have given the mushroom hunters a lot more fungi than usual this year, and the hike route was chosen to put us in an area quite suitable for many of the edible varieties.  As soon as we started to walk we found an abundance of different species and quickly discovered some nice fresh chanterelles.  We made good time as there were not so many mushrooms as we gained altitude and soon reached the end of the logging road at Bladderwort Lake.  One of the Trekker's old hiking trails runs steeply up the slope on the east side of the lake to a viewpoint where we ate lunch in the warm sunshine.  Afterwards we pushed on beyond the end of the trail and soon reached the northern edge of the secluded Loon Lake.  This we usually approach from the south so it was interesting to see the lake from a completely new angle. 

JD. 

 A nice large specimen of the edible Golden Chanterelle, Cantharellus formosus, collected on the hike.