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shroomydan
exshroomerite


Registered: 07/04/04
Posts: 4,126
Loc: In the woods
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One hell of a hike.
#6365339 - 12/13/06 09:33 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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I had one hell of a hike yesterday!
It was a warm day for December in Ohio, so my friend Liz and decided to go for a hike. Liz said she was up for an adventure, so instead of hiking the eight mile loop around nearby Dow Lake, we decided to head north toward Burr Oak State Park. We had both seen signs for Burr Oak, but neither of us had been there, so we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. The park was deserted when we arrived at boat dock # 2. We found two signs that said "Back Pack Trail" marking trail heads on either side of the parking lot. The trail seemed to be hugging the lake shore, and it looked like only about a quarter mile to the other side of the lake. We had the whole afternoon in front of us, so we started down the trail hoping it would loop us around the lake and eventually back to the shroomymobile. I was a little concerned that the customary length of the trail was not listed on the sign, but we had all day, and it couldn't be That long. 
This is me and Liz at a neat rock formation about an hour into the hike.

I really was not expecting to find any mushrooms, but as I was placing my tripod for the above photo, I nearly bumped into this slightly dried but tasty looking clump of oysters. I like the winter oysters because they are always free of fungus gnat larva. In the summer I don't even bother with them because they are always full of maggots.

Three hours into the hike we had still not come to the end of the lake, and it looked like we were not going to anytime soon. Every time it seemed we were getting close we would round a corner only to find the lake had branched off in an unexpected direction. (Note to self: In the future get a map before attempting to hike around an unfamiliar lake).
We had probably hiked about seven or eight miles when we found these beautiful little Brick cap hypholomas. 

Hypholoma sublateritium is common in the late fall, but finding them in mid December was a pleasant surprise.
When we found the Brick Tops it was almost Four O' Clock and the sun was getting low in the sky. We had two options: Turn back the way we came (that always sucks), or press on hoping we had made it better than half way. Liz seemed to think we were better than half way around the lake, but I was beginning to think that this was a really fuckin big lake, and there was no way in hell we would be able to complete the hike. But...we had food, water, rain gear, a flash lite that never needs batteries, and a lighter for starting a fire. I had been in survival situations before, and Liz is Hot ; spending the night in the woods with her seemed like it might be fun, so we decided to press on.
To be continued...
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Corporal Kielbasa

Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 17,235
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: shroomydan]
#6365373 - 12/13/06 09:41 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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It always amazes me to find mushrooms growing this time of year. I always get a little depressed when my eyes don't find anything after endless roadside searching while driving.
Thanksgiving is my last Oyster hunt for the most part.
I wonder what species really enjoy fruiting this time of year......
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure


Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 11 months, 21 days
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Nice pictures. Looks like a pretty area. I'll be getting the snowshoes out in the next few days and heading up to the mountains. Amazingly enough, the hericium around here in the PNW fruits right into January. I've picked 5 pound specimens when there was three feet of snow on the ground. We've had several snows this winter so far, but the spent oyster blocks I threw into the wood pile all summer keep right on fruiting. Those brick caps are beautiful! RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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thetonebone72
Hunter -Gatherer


Registered: 03/11/06
Posts: 1,125
Loc: Oregon
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: RogerRabbit]
#6365809 - 12/13/06 11:50 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Hot indeed!! She looks like a keeper...
nice pics shroomydan
-------------------- Hunt On, Good Fellow
 
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VampireSlayer
killing ghosts,zombies andvampires forlife


Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 2,529
Last seen: 16 years, 4 months
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*sniff* I miss good old Ohio! seeing your posts, dan, brings joy to me! I lived there for 18 years out of my 19 years of earthly life. It's a beautiful state!
-------------------- I Don't come to fight flesh and blood but spiritual wickedness in high and low places
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eris
underground


Registered: 11/17/98
Posts: 48,024
Loc: North East, USA
Last seen: 5 months, 5 days
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: shroomydan]
#6367902 - 12/13/06 08:55 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Great photos and story. Looking forward to hearing the rest. 
Sounds like good times.
-------------------- Immortal / Temporarily Retired The OG Thread Killer My mushroom hunting gallery
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snoot
look alive ∞



Registered: 01/30/05
Posts: 9,641
Loc: 45º parallel
Last seen: 1 day, 12 hours
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: eris]
#6368074 - 12/13/06 09:32 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Wait you can eat brickcaps?
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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snoot
look alive ∞



Registered: 01/30/05
Posts: 9,641
Loc: 45º parallel
Last seen: 1 day, 12 hours
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: snoot]
#6368082 - 12/13/06 09:34 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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--------------------
∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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eris
underground


Registered: 11/17/98
Posts: 48,024
Loc: North East, USA
Last seen: 5 months, 5 days
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: snoot]
#6368460 - 12/13/06 11:11 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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I believe so, yes... but there are other red Hypholoma species out there I think. I'm not sure of the edibility of those other ones. I'd be careful to make sure that you really have the exact species somehow.
This is a pretty interesting resource http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/mushroom_blog/?p=27
-------------------- Immortal / Temporarily Retired The OG Thread Killer My mushroom hunting gallery
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Mead

Registered: 07/26/02
Posts: 2,519
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Re: One hell of a hike. [Re: shroomydan]
#6369572 - 12/14/06 08:53 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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nice hunt
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