22 FLOURISH • SPRING 2014
His unofficial assistant for the day, Jim Olsen, arrives with
a basket of warm homemade cinnamon rolls which disappear
instantly. Olsen is a West Marin resident, winemaker, and for-
age enthusiast with seven years experience under his belt. Both
men know the trails and woodlands of this
area like the back of their hand.
We huddle together as Hamilton begins
our forage class with some entertaining "fun
facts" about mushrooms. We learn that rain-
fall is the fundamental ingredient required
to coax the fruiting of dormant fungi spores.
Normally, the wet winter months are prime
season for wild mushrooms, and our coastal
woodlands are a perennial favorite hunting
ground for these precious culinary treats. But
this year's notable lack of precipitation pres-
ents a challenge.
According to the National Parks Service,
Point Reyes usually logs its heaviest rains be-
tween December and March each year, with
an average thirty-six inches of annual rainfall
reported at the nearby Bear Valley Visitor's
Center headquarters. To date, the current tally has been a
meager four inches--and it shows. The hills and valleys of this
region--usually bathed in verdant green grass--still wear the dry
mantle of late summer.
Despite these less-than-ideal conditions for mushrooms, our
small group remains hopeful as we finish class and head out on
a four-hour forage trek. Hamilton regales us with tales of epic
past hunts as we begin. Perhaps the fickle mushroom Gods will
see fit to smile on today's quest as well. At the
very least, we'll enjoy hiking in West Marin's
beautiful woodlands while learning about
safe foraging techniques.
We meander slowly up the valley trail,
scouring the undergrowth for signs of fungi,
as chirping frogs serenade us from an adja-
cent creek. It is quickly apparent that forag-
ing requires expertise--namely a trained eye,
a keen sense of smell, and a trusted pocket
field guide to identify specimens (preferably
David Arora's All That the Rain Promises
and More which has long been the refer-
ence bible for foraging enthusiasts). We spot
a white, knoblike Artist's Conk clinging to
a decaying stump, and several fan-shaped
Turkey Tails which anchor on fallen trees
like multicolored barnacles. There is also a
smattering of various LBMs (short for "little
brown mushrooms")--which are both prolific and virtually non-
distinguishable. None of the species we see is toxic, but none
are sought-after edibles either.
Mycochef, Patrick Hamilton (left), leads the class and identifies a mushroom while students log the experience on social media.
Our coastal
woodlands
are a perennial
favorite
hunting
ground for
these precious
culinary treats.
