White Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius)

Today I walked for an hour in the place I found the Clavariadelphus truncatus (Flat-Topped Coral Mushrooms) last year without seeing anything except a gazillion Strobilurus trullisatus (Douglas Fir ConeMushrooms).

It was raining steadily and I was just about to head home, feeling very dejected, when I tried one more stand on the other side of the road.

There it was, gleaming in the growing dusk. The rain was coming down so hard I didn't take any more pictures -- till I got home.

White Chanterelles Washed and Wonderful

So yeah, while it meant walking back to the car in the dark, It turned out to be a great patch.

Interestingly it seemed to be the only area that had them and other mushroom pickers had been there earlier (saw several places where severed stipe ends were showing), probably this week, and most of the Chanterelles were just emerging, so lots of fir needles coating them. A handful were firm and on the dry side, and I think they had been out longer, but all the others were new and tender.

So I would say that the season if finally underway! Yahoo!

I tried brushing the needles off with my mushroom brush, but gave up on that and washed them. The smell of the mushrooms after being enlivened by the water -- well -- sweet and Chanterelley. 

First Chanterelle and Califlower in Nanaimo Area

Last weekend I walked in local parks and saw only one mushroom, a Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus) which was in a public area, so I did not pick it.

My finds today were a Cauliflower and a few small Chenterelles.

Here is the Cauliflower:

 Note the blue mold on it. I saw mold on several Chanterelles too, which leads me to think they came out earlier in the fall, and have been sitting here for quite a while.

Here is a Chanterelle completely covered in the blueish mold:

I walked for several hours and checked out a few spots that I know have had Chanterelles two years in a row.  Finally on a low spot where a creeks flows in the winter, in near some exposed bank, I found a few fresh ones, peaking out:

They were really small and I didn't pick them. A little further down the gully I found some more and took a picture with my headlight to show the size:

Then, finally I found a few worth picking:

No Slippery Jacks or Gomphidius or any of the common non-edibles. Did see a few Fir Cone Cap and some LBMs.

Some folks are saying we may not get the regular flush this year, and maybe not with the long Indian summer and no rain. Still, with all of November before us, I'm staying optomistic.