Mushroom Season Mushroom Season

This past weekend I went over to the East Side of the mountains with my parents to pick some Morels. It was, to say the least, a success.

Should keep the coffers filled for a bit.

My dad is something of a mushroom fiend. And while he gets excited about most edible mushrooms, morels hold a special place in his (and my) heart. And mind. He can get a little obsessive about it. He literally spent nights over the last few weeks awake—anxiously waiting to drive over and get picking.

How could you not spend your nights dreaming about this?

I think it is a psychology thing, kind of like gambling addictions. While it is always rewarding to find mushrooms, the specific kind of feeling you get when you spot morels is a little different— they’re harder to spot so when you do the mental payoff is greater. Plus they’re the tastiest of the mushrooms. (Except for, arguably, Matsutakes.)

Can you spot the morels in this photo? There are LOTS.

Unlike with gambling, this addiction involves lots of wonderful physical activity & outdoor time, is mostly free (if you don’t count the gas, the hotel expenses, the taking the ladies out to fancy dinner…), and has a very real reward. Tasty, tasty mushrooms.

Well, I should say that while my dad is always generally excited about mushroom picking in the spring & fall, it’s not usually quite this bad. The reason for this particular level of excitement this year is because last summer there was a big forest fire in Eastern Washington. Now, I know this may sound terrible—Forest fires are a very sad thing for the trees and woodland creatures, as well as people who lived in the area and were affected by it. I don’t want you to think that we don’t acknowledge that.

Fires are, however, a very good thing for the morels. Morels just looove the ash and open space that fires create. Which means lots, and lots, and lots of Morels to be had.

Ashy morels make for soot covered hands.

It’s worth mentioning that on the way back we stopped at a lower elevation levels and also very quickly gathered a basket full of King Boletus. Also a very tasty mushroom, but one that I neglected to take pictures of! Badly done, Stephanie, badly done.

Mmmm.