Past Pull Date, Darn It!

Day 15: I've just come home from a five-mile, 1000' elevation gain mushroom hunt without a single bite for dinner. It's too early for Chanterelles yet, although yesterday when I first spotted this Shaggymane (Coprinus comatus), it seemed like a patrol of my favorite Chanterelle spots was worth a try.

Oh, this fellow was already too far gone for picking, but the change in 24 hours was quite dramatic. A member of the Inky Cap family, once Shaggymanes begin to deteriorate, their flesh turns bitter. Yesterday, the 4" cap of this specimen revealed only an inch and a half of stem below its base. Today, the cap measures only a little over an inch and a half, two-thirds of its depth gone to inky slush. Even the second little button at the base was beginning to turn.

Despite my venture having been fruitless as far as my occupation as hunter-gatherer is concerned, it was a lovely day for a hike up to Kirkland Pass and Hugo Peak. I do not regret the expenditure of energy in the least, despite the fact that calories burned were not matched by calories collected.