2014 Ruckersville, VA Morels

Greetings everybody, we are back from hibernation. Well, this should early season for Morels, although Mayapples have not even started in Texas. The ground is saturated from one snow coat to another, the past few days of rain is only helping...last year it was April 10 after sever rains, almost flash flood by our creek.

 

It is like clock work ... They should start this weekend. Good hunting

 

Nice three mile hike this afternoon, nothing yet around the dead American Elm tree.. tulip poplar tree leaves not even peaking out yet...tomorrow we will head towards the mountains...

 

So far none found on the few spots I'm aware of. Too dry and hot during the day. Tonight thunder shower should be the kicker ...

 

Today, the conditions were excellent by the creek after yesterdays rain fall. This is last year’s blonde morels were found around a old Tulip Poplar tree. So far not one black morel was sighted. However, there were quite few of Tricholoma terreumne found, and an image will be uploaded for positive identification.

 

Today is a day for a single 10" Oyster mushroom ...so while hunting for your Morels, keep your eyes opened for white spots on the side of dead oak..

 

05/03/2014 75 Blonde Morels with small number of Semilibera.
What a day....do you remember when you take your first day summer swim in the ocean and horse around hard till the sun come down...you go home, shower and crash..then you are kept up by feeling the ride of the waves. Well that was this first morels foray all about, with waves replaced by the green lush under the trees of mature Mayapple plant with its single flower wide open like a light house along with a carpet of Morchella esculenta as long as 10" and quite few of small Morchella Semilibra (the half-free cap). Getting the nose into the filled basket, the waving fragrance of the huge specimens found will keep your mind from shutting down and happily awaken.

Special thanks to John and Jay where you feel having experienced "MORELS" by Michael Kuo from cover to cover in 12 hrs of fast forward foraging day. Now I can say, I'm at peace.

Picture to follow once I figure out to get to photobucket again.

Jack: wish we can be prompted to select to take an image or select from the existing iPhone lib.

 

With the heat in the high 80's, leaves crackling with every step, your would elect to stay home watching an episode of Games of thrones, or a replay of the 2014 Olympics finals. But do believe me, it was another foray from the heavens. Not just for Morels, but for one of the prettiest and great specimen of Chaga, so fresh and pristine dark black scabs, you feel you need surgeon with an operating table and all the nurses in the world to extract and remove every bit of it. As far as the Morels find, they were large and small. The large were all blond "Marchella Esculenta" of 7-10" long and 2-3" on the max diameter. The smaller specimens were Gray and Blond around 4-6" long and we stopped the count on that. Again, many thanks to our Friend John for great hunt and a day full of scenery with Black, copperhead and huge common garter snakes. Only the copperhead snake would abandon its warm rock seat and slip in the creek when sees your shadow across three yard terrain.

 

Morel are still up at all elevations now..the rain helped a lot. One blonde yesterday and 10 on Saterday was found. The very first May harvest of Chicken of the Wood is also here..more rain needed the coming few days.

 

Solo is no fun, where are you Virginia? Oyster Mushrooms cycle is here...lots new spots are being discovered. Morel is still here too. I'm getting a group together in the Ruckersville/Charlottesville area for a walk, if interested?