8:30am – noon ish

Winnakee Nature Preserve, Hyde Park, NY
4204 Albany Post Rd (Rte 9)
Hyde Park, NY

Sorry for the location change. This spot is just up the road a bit. With all the rain we've had and more coming, we should have a really nice walk!

It's on the North side of Rte 9. There is plenty of parking BEHIND the restaurant.

There are Deer Ticks in this area… It is recommended to wear light colored clothing to help detect them, and to spray yourself with some repellent. Aside from tick spray, don't forget water, a basket for supplies and mushrooms, a knife, your mushroom book, a friend or two…

http://web.me.com/mushroominc/Annual_Mushroom_Conference_at_Breitenbush_Hot_Springs_Website/Welcome.html

This is from their website!

Please join us for a walk (rain or shine):

Saturday, September 18 · 8:30am – 12:00pm

Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, NY

This walk is an MHMA favorite often times with beautiful tasty mushrooms, and sometimes if conditions are right in large quantities. The Morse Estate, where the walk is held, is a nature preserve. Our annual walk is the ONLY time at which anyone is permitted to pick mushrooms there. Please do not abuse our relationship with the generous administrators of the estate by picking mushrooms any other day of the year.

We will meet outside of the visitor’s center.

Directions To Morse Estate, Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, NY:
 

–From The Thruway: Take Exit 18 off the Thruway (New Paltz). Turn right after toll plaza onto Route 299 East. Go 5 miles.  Turn right at the end of Route 299 onto Route 9W South. Go 2.5 miles. Turn right onto the ramp for the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Turn right immediately after the bridge onto Route 9 South. Go 2 miles. Turn right at second traffic light (Locust Grove parking lot).
 

– From Interstate 84 – Take Exit 13 (Route 9 – Poughkeepsie). Take Route 9 North. Go 11 miles. Turn left at Beechwood Ave. traffic light (Locust Grove parking lot).
 

–From the Taconic State Parkway southbound – Take the exit for Route 44 (Poughkeepsie). Turn right onto Route 44 West. Go 8.5 miles. Bear right onto Routes 44/55 West. Go 2.5 miles. Turn right just before the Mid-Hudson Bridge onto Route 9 South (Wappingers Falls). On the exit ramp, bear left to go south on Route 9. Go 2 miles. Turn right at second traffic light (Locust Grove parking lot).

Helpful things to bring/remember: water, snacks, good shoes or boots for tramping around in the woods, a small knife and basket for carrying mushrooms, camera, mushroom field id guide and notebook. Ticks have been prolific this year so tuck pants in socks, spray if you want.

Check out the club’s facebook page: HERE
 

Photo from July 9

We also experimented with the straw and basket method. First, we chopped up 3 baskets of straw into 1-3 inch pieces using a garbage pail and a weed whacker. The straw was then soaked for 2 hours in 2 coolers in140 degree water and anti-bacterial soap to sterilize it. We strained as much water as possible, added some lime to start the decomposition process, added more hot water (140-160 degrees) and let soak a little longer. At this point we strained the straw and let it cool a bit. Each basket was layered with straw and mushroom spawn inoculated rye berries (oyster mushrooms). There's going to be a lot of mushrooms for the November meal!

Right now chanterelles are just starting to fruit. Last year, our first foraging for mushrooms, we found them in Hyde Park. Not a lot, just a small patch, enough for a cheese and chanterelle omelette; that location hasn't shown any activity yet though, and we haven't hit that mother lode spot that many veterans have. So, off to explore new spots.

Tuesday we ventured to Wilcox Park in Milan, Dutchess County. It's a county park that offers swimming, ball fields, camping and a number of hiking trails. Any day that we actually find something good in the mushroom family we consider a good day. Sometimes you find what you're looking for; sometimes you find something new and unusual. Being that I haven't hiked at Wilcox Park in at least five years, and didn't have mushrooms on my mind back then, I had no idea what we would find.

We took to the trail off the parking lot and got pooped really quick going up and down some fairly steep hills. Eventually we found the hiking trail I had traveled once before. Unlike last year at this time, the ground was exceedingly dry. We quickly realized that if we were to find anything today we would need to stick to creek beds and wet spots. Though, I say wet spots loosely. The ground was so dry many of the wet spots were pretty much dried with the plants starting to brown out. We knew we were getting to better spots when the mosquitos forced us to get out the pest sprays.

It's rather fun meandering through dry or semi-dry creek beds. You get to see the lay of the land from a different perspective. And it's easier to see under the plant growth along the edge of the bed. Coming around a bend we finally found what we were looking for: chanterelles! Just getting started, there were a few taking shape with a few dozen little orange spots scattered throughout the leaves where others would be popping up any time soon.

For us, it's officially chanterelle season now. We can just hope for a little more rain…

MHMA member Connie Rovingo is a jewelry maker and she will help us in the design process trophy toppers for our three trophies… She does such fine work and may actually specially design one or more of the trophies for us..…. (Morel, Chanterelle, and Hen of the Woods (Maitake))

OFFICIAL RULES:

I). Contestant Must Be An MHMA Member In Good Standing.

II). Must take and submit 3 photos of mushroom still standing…

1). zoom-in shot of mushroom to confirm species & show it has not been cut
2). zoom-out to show mushroom and time & date on cell phone
3). zoom out to show mushroom and "wild" area around mushroom Must be a raw photo not edited, "touched-up", or cropped in any way…

III). Must be a non-cultivated mushroom, growing in the wild found in Ulster, Dutchess, Greene, Columbia, or Orange Counties.

IV). "Verbal (or Digital) Entry" must be submitted to club president within 24 hours… Pictures must be submitted to club president within 48 hours…

V). Trophy Prize will be awarded as soon as it is ready or as soon as possible following the Official Declaration Of Winning by the Club's Standing President.

VI). The trophy shall be kept in the possession of the current champion but shall remain the property of MHMA. Each year, the previous year's winner or designee shall present the trophy to the new winner.

VII). 3 Trophies To Be Awarded For “First Found” are:
1). Morel – (Black Morel – Morchella elata or Yellow Morel – Morchella esculenta)
2). Yellow or Golden Chanterelle – Cantharellus cibarius
3). Hen Of The Woods – Grifola frondosa

VIII). As The Judge, The MHMA President is Not Eligible To Win Any Of These Trophies!

The official dedication and naming for each of the trophies shall be determined at the Winter Meal 2010.

Submit any suggestions to Elmer…

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Find Out More About Connie And Cavallo At: 

Facebook or Online.