A hike in the woods....for mushrooms

My friend called me this morning and asked me to go mushrooming. We didn't get to go Friday. We also didn't get oyster mushrooms. It was cool but you could feel it getting warmer so I dressed with a warm jacket. Figured I could tie it around my waist when it got warm. I really needed it today cuz my allergies were bad and when my chest gets cold I get wheezy. At least this way I could hike.

 So we wandered past her barn, over the bridge over the creek and off to the woods. Its been pretty dry so there aren't many shroons out right now. Once it starts to rain, we will get more. Guess we missed the Oyster shroons but as we wandered we found some really big Lobster mushrooms.

 I recently read that its a mushroom that grows a red fungus on it which gives it , its color. They do hide under forest brush and stuff so you do have to look hard sometimes but once you do that, they are ez to spot. Bright orange! Kinda thick and lumpy looking, sometimes with furled edges. I bought one once at the Farmers Market here and wasn't too thrilled when I cooked it. It seemed tough. So I figure I will experiment with these.

We wandered thru looking for different kinds but didnt find any yet. And so once we thought we got whatever was around we headed back.   theres a dirt area and we often walk thru it looking for tracks. Shes teaching me how to know what animals are around out here. She hunts and fishes. The coyotes have been out so she brought her .22 with her today just in case. Also her dog goes with us for protection. He whines when any are near.

 And so she showed me the deer tracks, and then elk tracks. Told me how the elk tracks change depending on whether they are strolling or running. Saw some poop too and also come coyote poop. Told me what the cougars scat looks like too.

 And then I pointed a track out and said is this a bear? .........yup it was. I think she was surprised I figured that out. It wasn't a very clear track but .......Ive seen enough teddy bear paws to know the basic shape lol. And so apparently the bears went thru too cuz of the berries there in the woods.....and then we saw the scat.....full of berries. They are filling up for winter hibernation.    I told her I think I surprise my bf,,,,,,he doesn't know I love hiking, never saw me do it in Ca. But I did in NJ.

 

 And so once we got past that we were on the dirt road back to her house. We stopped at the bridge there that is over the creek. Lots of fat blackberries there so I picked more. Her dog saw us doing that and decided he would help. So he picked them and ate them lol.

 It was getting hot so once we got back to her house, I took off my boots and jacket and headed home. As you can see by the pic thats the mushroom haul this trip. That is my fist, which while I dont have big hands......its comparable to the size of these mushrooms. Im gonna do a bit more research on them but I think Ill dry these.  

      I washed and sliced them all. They filled up the dehydrator. I'm taking the trimmings and stuff I took off them to toss out in MY woods. I read that I could start some new ones maybe , if I do that. So maybe next yr. Ill have some of my own right here.   

 I cut one up to make Wild Mushroom and Chicken Alfredo for dinner that nite. The rest I sliced up to put in the dehydrator. This is whats left, in the jar after its been dried.