Sierra Morel Mushroom Forays
This is a guided mushroom foray where you have time to ask questions and learn how to find "burn morel" mushrooms. We will take you to pre-scouted locations in US National Forests to look for morels, which sprout after forest fires in the Sierra mountains. These delicious fungi can be prolific, if conditions are right. We will also look for "Spring King" boletes (aka Porcini), if they are sprouting, usually 3 weeks after morels, if conditions are right.
Spring 2024 locations will be East of Sacramento on either Hwy 50 or Hwy 80 in the Sierra Foothills. Max Hunter will be scouting ahead, and Ken will email the exact locations a week before the foray.
JUST ADDED: Dates in June! Max is scouting, so these are tentative dates. If the morels stop coming, we'll issue refunds. Several folks have asked for June dates, so I think these will fill up quickly, if you change your mind or can't go for any reason, I always issues refunds or transfer to other dates, no problem!
Foray leaders: Max Hunter and Ken Buegeleisen
What you will learn:
- How to recognize the habitat for burn morels, and other fungi
- Indicator plants and other fungi that typically signal morels are nearby
- Identifying look-alike's that are NOT morels (Morchella species group).
- Cooking instructions (Don't eat raw morels!)
- Storage and dehydration tips
- Permits are not necessary as long as you're not selling your mushrooms
Details will be emailed to you the week before the foray. And you can email me questions any time: ken@walkinthewoods.co
We will be going to the National Forests east of Sacramento. Exact locations will be determined after scouting the prior weeks. So, an exact meet-up location will be sent by email the week before your foray. We meet at 10am, and will lead the group (in your own cars) to various locations in the National Forests. Bring a lunch for the trail if you wish. We usually head back to the cars around 1pm or so.
Be prepared for moderate hiking, weather changes, and possible rain. Boots and layered clothing is best. And bring a mushroom basket!
NOTE: We cannot guarantee you'll find edible mushrooms, but we give you all the information you need to find them. "Spring King" boletes emerge later in the season than morels, so the early forays in April/May may not find these (but we'll show you where to look). Edible Puffball mushrooms (Calvatia sculpta) and various cup fungi are also fairly common.
We also highly recommend downloading a GPS app on your phone like GAIA or AllTrails to track your location in the forest, so you don't get lost or turned around. Other useful apps like iNaturalist can help you identify mushrooms and plants you may find.