My Fungi Journey

It's fall, the rain has come, and children of summer like myself are bracing ourselves for the long wait until happiness, sunshine, and life return. I've personally struggled finding enjoyment in the dark days and continuous rain, but then I stumbled upon a new hobby that extends the harvest season and inspires me to try new recipes based on what I find. It's also a great excuse to get outdoors and explore with a purpose.

How It Began

I stumbled upon mushrooming in 2021 along the Oregon Coast. We used to take 1 big, international trip each year, but with covid lockdowns and the general chaos of traveling during the pandemic we decided to spend our extended trip driving down the coast of Oregon and California. It was early-mid October so the weather had begun to give way to the clouds and rain this area is known for, but early enough to still get some decent weather and comfortable temperatures for camping.

It was an intentionally slow journey down the coast and we drove around 2-3 hours per day, and stayed 1-2 nights in each location. This gave us plenty of time to stop along the way, drink wine, and visit every single creamery and brewery in the area. We made a habit of stopping at the overlooks we passed and easy coastal trails. And almost every location we stopped there was a sea of mushrooms... huge, vibrant, mystical mushrooms🔮. I'd never seen anything like it, my limited experience with mushrooms are the ones you buy at the grocery store or the little brown mushrooms (LBM's) that you find in the grass and garden. Maybe it was living under pandemic house arrest for over a year, but it was such an exciting moment. It also gave me completely unrealistic expectations for how easy it is to find edible mushrooms - we'd literally open up the car door and there would be a patch of lobster mushrooms.

When Mushrooming Doesn't Go As Planned

After this first experience I couldn't wait to get back on the trails the following spring to forage for Morel mushrooms. I did some research and decided to check out some lumber trails down the road from us. The hike overall was nice, and I found myself wandering a little off trail through the grass to check out some mushrooms that had caught my eye. I took some pictures and made my way back to the trail and continued on my Morel journey that I was confident would result in me bringing home numerous fungi.

Then I felt a pinch on my stomach around my pants line, assumed maybe I'd found my way into a sticker bush or something. Decided to check just in case, and noticed a f***ing large black tick embedded in my stomach. After I got over the initial panic and gagging, I pulled the tick out with my hands (followed by more gagging) and shuddered. I then quickly continued down the path intent on getting home sooner rather than later. Then... another pinch at my ankle underneath my pants. I told myself there is no way that I had another tick when I've literally never had one in my life before. I then rolled my pant leg up and there it was, another tick with its head in my ankle. At this point, I've lost my shit and I'm busy pacing while I decide between burning myself alive or pulling out another tick with my hands - obviously going for the latter which was then followed by more gagging and panic. Spent the remainder of the hike at a jogging pace trying to get home as soon as possible so I could burn my clothing (I didn't really) and take a shower.

Fortunately, I can laugh (and often do) about this story now, but it was definitely a moment of trauma to remember. I share this story partially so you will get a laugh, if you know me well you can probably play this whole scenario out in your head and visualize me losing my shit, but also because it taught me a couple things:

1. There are going to be many times you come back completely disappointed

2. Shit happens, remain calm

3. Do your research on the environment the mushroom(s) you are foraging for thrive in and know what trees or signs to look for. I honestly just blindly assumed they'd be in the young, Douglas Fir forest nearby.

4. Be prepared... you are out in nature after all. While mushrooming this fall I was randomly stung by a hornet while walking down the trail

Having the right knowledge and resources will be key to ensuring your own mushrooming journey is safe and productive. In the next post I will share resources on how to get started and give you some pointers on where and how to find edible mushrooms.

Next Up: How to get started (and not poison yourself)