Hugh Erle Smith
Photographer
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Favorite Forays

Bert’s Birthday (Bertday), April 16, 2005

We went up to Tahoe National Forest at 7:30 this morning to check on the experimental burns that took place up there.
I figured it had been long enough and the Morels should be there!

The ground is plenty damp and everything appears to be in order.

But no! No Morels. A few cups, and some of those tiny orange carpeting cups, which, from my experience are precursors to the Morchella, but not a sign of anything.

So we drove up 49 to Bassets and there was too much snow at 6000 feet.

As we drove down that closed road above 6000 feet a potato chip bag went off in our van with a POP!, so we had chips.

We then drove up 89 to Quincy, checking a few places along the way, and tried going in the back way to Bucks Lake.

Seventeen miles and the road was not plowed past the summit (5500 feet)!

So on our way back down to Quincy we drove a dirt road toward Silver Lake, which is also closed about 2 miles in. We checked several spots on this road and at 4050 feet, we did very well on Pig's Ears (Discina perlata) and Gyromitra gigas. Many Gyromitras were of a very good size, but there are many more that are just beginning to come up.

Looks like we are a little early for the Early Morels, although we did bring home enough for a happy ending for a long day.