Free: Finding Fungi, Jan 23rd

ALERT – OUR FUNGI HIKE LOCATION
and TIME HAS CHANGED

This is a FUNGI hike specifically
for our members

Due to our large group (20 of us – including SBRF, my other MeetUp group – signed up for the Fungi hike) we will meet/hike at a new location and new time. The new location has a wider trail which will accommodate our large group to gather 'round our docent and view our forest floor.

Details for our hike are below, but first, here is information for actions to take….

Action for those of you who have signed up:
• Those of you who have signed up and still want to go on this hike will do nothing, no action is needed.
• Did you sign up for a lunch? Those of you who still want to go on this hike and have signed up for lunch- please confirm with me directly that you still want a raw $10 lunch. See lunch info, below.
• Not interested? Those of you who have signed up and are no longer interested will need to change your RSVP to ‘NO.' Please do this sooner than later. This will open up a space for those who are on the wait list.

Action for those of you who are now interested and who have not signed up yet:
• If you are now interested in going then please RSVP and your name will be put on the wait list. Please only do this if you are serious about going.

Action for those of you who are interested in a hike like this but cannot go on this date:
• Please contact me to let me know of your interest in a fungi hike, please include dates that work for you.

HERE IS THE NEW HIKE INFO

Old Page Mill Trail, Skyline Ridge Preserve

When: Sunday, January 23, 2011
Start time: 10:30am
End time: 3pm-ish

Location: Old Page Mill Trail, Skyline Ridge Preserve
Where to Meet: Russian Ridge Preserve, main parking lot
(at Page Mill Road, Skyline Blvd. and Alpine Road)
http://www.openspace….

Hike Distance: 3 – 4 miles
Hike Duration: 4+ hours

Here is a description of our hike with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District docent, Steve Warner:

Mushroom walk at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve to observe the mycorrhizal and saprophytic relationships of fungi.

Moderately easy out-and-back along the Old Page Mill Trail (total 3+ miles). We will discover and gather together to discuss what we find in the winter forest (total time 4+ hours).

Fungi are mysterious organisms as they are greatly affected by weather patterns and are very unpredictable as to exactly when or where they will come up. We do know that there is a distinct relationship between certain trees and certain mycelium so knowing the particular habitat will help know what types of fungi could be present.

Throughout the rainy season and after the first 2” of fall rains comes a flush of gold bountiful to all.

Again …. our hike will be on the Old Page Mill Trail in the Skyline Ridge Preserve, adjacent to Russian Ridge Preserve.
http://www.openspace….

Note: the Midpen Open Space hikes are educational and are not meant for foraging.

CARPOOL/CARAVAN:
I will leave my home at 9:15 am, have one other person riding with me, with 3 seats open, let me know if you want to ride along…. and/or if you want to caravan up there.

LUNCH:
Being this 4-hour hike is right at noontime I encourage you to bring food and drink. We'll pause at 12:30 or so for a bit to fortify ourselves.

$10 raw-shroom lunch:
I'll make easy-to-eat shroomy foods (see below), and we'll do the exchange at the beginning of the hike (the bag of goodies and the payment, please bring exact currency, $10, check or cash) so it'd be best for us to arrive a bit early. Contact me directly if you want a raw lunch and please include any foods that you are avoiding. Bring your own drink.

– Mushroom and onion flat bread mini sandwiches with almond cream cheese filling, dried black olives, chopped fennel and coriander.
– Sun-dried tomato flax crackers with tamari soaked mushroom topenade.
– Citrus and nut salad with Black Truffle Oil in a lettuce wrap.

BTW – This event is still planned by the Midpen Open Space Dist:

Finding Fungi
01/23/2011
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Purisima Creek Redwoods
Lunch Strenuous Hike
Bring Lunch*

http://www.openspace….

Search the forest floor and surrounding environs with docents Chris MacIntosh, Paul Billig and Lynn Jackson to learn to notice new things as you hike in winter: the wonderful world of fungi. You may find many, or none at all… every year, every month is different. This non-technical, 7-mile walk through different habitats gives you a chance to find a wide variety – fungi come in all sizes, shapes, and colors and often pass unnoticed and unappreciated.

Where to meet:
Meet at the main preserve parking lot (Whittemore Gulch entrance) located on Skyline Boulevard next to the now closed Kings Mountain Country Store. The parking lot is 4.5 miles south of Highway 92, or 8.1 miles north of Highway 84.