Going through the day's findings at Ranchero Mark West. Photo © Darvin DeShazer.
On December 17, about 20 SOMA members had the opportunity to foray on 120 acres of managed forest in the Mayacamas Range. Once a Christmas Tree farm, it is known as Ranchero Mark West and is owned by Jim and Betty Doerksen. Our hosts joined us on the hike to better learn about mushrooms and keep us from getting too far off course.
Rain had been in the forecast a couple days earlier, but clear skies the night before brought freezing temperatures in the mid-20s. Heavy frost was still all over the vegetation when we started out at 10:15. We followed Mark West Creek downstream and the first fungi we encountered were frozen solid....like a rock. After about a ½ mile, we crossed over the creek and started uphill through bay and redwoods. The temperature lost its bite as we climbed higher along the steep dirt road. At the ridge, the forest became more mixed with Doug fir, madrone, and tan and live oak.
You could overhear optimistic foragers saying that the habitat looked good for queen boletes and matsutakis. But Lactarius, Russula, Suillus and Mycena species were the most common along with the ever present Amanita. There were also some good mushrooms bagged for the dye pot. Betty and Jim said that yellow chanterelles are sometimes abundant, but so far this year none had been seen.
The whole loop was just over a mile and a half and gained about 500 feet vertically. In usual SOMA style, we covered an available picnic table with our bounty while photos were taken and questions answered. Lunches were brought out and the huckleberry buckle was not to be missed.
Species List
by Darvin DeShazer
Mushrooms in the creek zone were frozen solid and the ones on top of the hill in full sun were melted goo. Edibles were found, but nothing in large quantities, except Lactarius rubrilacteus. Dye mushrooms were the score of the day and they were saved for SOMA Camp.
- Agaricus subrutilescens
- Alboleptonia sericella
- Amanita franchetii
- Amanita lanei
- Amanita vaginata
- Armillaria sinapina
- Chalciporus piperatus
- Clavaria vermicularis
- Entoloma sp.
- Entoloma ferruginans
- Fomitopsis cajanderi
- Fomitopsis pinicola
- Galerina sp.
- Gomphidius oregonensis
- Helvella lacunosa
- Hygrocybe conica
- Hygrophorus agathosmus
- Hygrophorus eburneus
- Hypholoma fasciculare
- Hypomyces cervinigenus
- Inocybe lilacina
- Inocybe sororia
- Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis
- Lactarius alnicola
- Lactarius rubrilacteus
- Lactarius xanthogalactus
- Lenzites betulina
- Lepiota spheniscispora
- Leucopaxillus gentianeus
- Marasmius plicatulus
- Mycena sp.
- Mycena pura
- Myxomphalia maura
- Nolanea sp.
- Omphalotus olivascens
- Pluteus cervinus
- Polyporus hirtus
- Psathyrella sp.
- Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
- Russula azurea
- Russula brevipes
- Stereum hirsutum
- Suillus caerulescens
- Trametes versicolor
- Xerocomus chrysenteron
- Xerocomus subtomentosus
- Xeromphalina cauticinalis