Salt Point, November 2009

Went up to Salt Point with Arch and Collin last weekend, and camped there for the first time. It kind of takes a long time to get up there, and day trips have always seemed like a bit much. I think camping is definitely the way to go.

I got up there Saturday afternoon, and was immediately greeted by a horde of foragers participating in a SOMA foray. Doh. Luckily they were finishing up, meaning even if I wasn't going to find any edibles, at least I'd have some solitude. Since I knew my friends weren't going to join me until the evening, I decided to do some bushwhacking and investigate some of the areas I usually check later in the season. I eventually found myself in the middle of a seemingly inescapable huckleberry patch, crawling around on my hands and knees hoping to find some kind of clearing. In the process, though, I found one porcini and one Leccinum manzanitae, a new bolete for me! I totally thought it was another porcini that was just kind of "dirty," but in fact the dull red cap and dark ridges on the stem mean Leccinum. Now I know. Also tons and tons of Amanita, Gomphus floccosus, and plenty of things I couldn't recognize.

Camping at Gerstle Cove was quite nice. I'd say the campground was 1/3 full, so no problem with crowding. It was fairly cold, but a warm fire and a decent sleeping bag took care of that. The next day I set off with Arch and Collin up the North Trail, where we had decent success with edibles, despite meeting some tight-lipped Russians with buckets full of mushrooms who told us all the mushrooms were gone and that we shouldn't bother (we met some friendlier Russians later who showed us their baskets). We also found all manner of interesting non-edibles, many that I hadn't seen before!

All in all, it was a beautiful afternoon to spend strolling around the woods. We stopped by the Sizzling Tandoor in Jenner on the way back, because Arch thought the name was hilarious. Their fare's most salient characteristic was its warmth. It also has a spectacular view of the Russian River.

Posted on 25 November, 2009 07:40 by kueda