High Sierra Topix

Most of you have provided me with some great information on our upcoming Sierra trip. One question I haven't asked is, "have any of you foraged for wild mushrooms in the High Sierra during early July?". You've got a few good ones that may be available, including King Bolete and the Giant Lentinus. Oyster mushrooms are spring species that may be found lower down. Sierra puffballs are possibly another, and known to be quite common in the Sierra Nevada. Puffballs are not great table fare, but Arora thinks this one is probably the best of the puffballs when found immature.

Vince, I ended up moving this to the backpacking forum...

I've hunted for mushrooms here in winter, but never seriously in the Sierra. On occasion I have spotted a mushroom worth eating (I can think of two times off the top of my head when I saw some Boletes - both after a good deal of rain had fallen in the previous week). Based on this experience I know that they are out there. As always with shrooms, I think you need to catch them at the right time (ie after a good amount of rain) and be in the right place - and given the terrain and weather of the sierra, that right time window may be extremely narrow. Maybe other's have had luckier experiences...

trailblazer wrote:Vince, I ended up moving this to the backpacking forum...

I've hunted for mushrooms here in winter, but never seriously in the Sierra. On occasion I have spotted a mushroom worth eating (I can think of two times off the top of my head when I saw some Boletes - both after a good deal of rain had fallen in the previous week). Based on this experience I know that they are out there. As always with shrooms, I think you need to catch them at the right time (ie after a good amount of rain) and be in the right place - and given the terrain and weather of the sierra, that right time window may be extremely narrow. Maybe other's have had luckier experiences...

good idea, lets see if the backpackers have their eyes open. There's just a possibility that at tree-line in the High Sierra's there may be more gold than just in trout.....season is everything

trailblazer wrote:I can think of two times off the top of my head when I saw some Boletes - both after a good deal of rain had fallen in the previous week.

Boletes in the Sierra, eh? Hmmm... next time I'm out there I'll have to keep my eyes open. I've found literally pounds of them in the Snowy Range outside of Laramie, WY, but never run into any in the Sierra. Thanks for the tip!

BSquared wrote:

trailblazer wrote:I can think of two times off the top of my head when I saw some Boletes - both after a good deal of rain had fallen in the previous week.

Boletes in the Sierra, eh? Hmmm... next time I'm out there I'll have to keep my eyes open. I've found literally pounds of them in the Snowy Range outside of Laramie, WY, but never run into any in the Sierra. Thanks for the tip!

eer the "heads-up", no one yet seems to have seen anything, but we will be looking come early July. You never know, wet seepages and late season snow melt may be enough to put something up. If no mushrooms, we'll settle for the wild onions, but both would be the ticket, especially the King Bolete, a treasure when found. Actually, nearly all boletes and leccinums make the best addition to a wilderness meal, but I don't see them listed for the High Sierra.

I've never been into mushrooms much but I remember a fungus that grows on downed trees and stumps in the elevation of red fir forest that is bright orange and yellow that was reported to be pretty tasty.

Mike

Not Sierras, but some good pictures of boletes and chanterelles.

http://maryland.sierraclub.org/hc/pictu ... JugBay.asp

Personally, I don't trust multinucleate organisms.

Strider wrote:Personally, I don't trust multinucleate organisms.

Oh, come on, they're only BInucleate, and only the fruiting bodies! (Of course, those are the parts one eats...)

oldranger wrote:I've never been into mushrooms much but I remember a fungus that grows on downed trees and stumps in the elevation of red fir forest that is bright orange and yellow that was reported to be pretty tasty.

Mike

Mike - that one is called "Chicken of the Woods". It's a shelflike fungi that's pretty noticable by its color. It is edible and good provided its young and thoroughly cooked. I've pickled it and its very nice. However, it is a fall species.

BSquared wrote:

Strider wrote:Personally, I don't trust multinucleate organisms.

Oh, come on, they're only BInucleate, and only the fruiting bodies! (Of course, those are the parts one eats...)

Agreed, there are lots of wild edible mushrooms out there, but the list of those that are really worthwhile is not that long. Even knowing just a few makes can make any trip afield much more enjoyable. All it takes is a little olive oil, some butter, salt, pepper, maybe a spice or two, and someone showing you the few that are completely safe. It's not any harder than identifying red pine.