Forays

Forays are subject to change.  Be sure to read all the instructions if you intend to come!  Forays are for club members only.  If you're interested in joining our club, please contact us before the foray and bring $6.00 to the foray to cover your annual club membership costs.

Previous years' events can be viewed by clicking on the links to the left.  

Information on other events and Club Meetings can be found on the Events page.

Melodie Gates is leading a mushroom foraySaturday, November 12th. We will meet at 8:00 am at the Mud Bay Park and Ride, and we should be back in town by 3:00 pm.
You MUST contact Melodie Gates in advance to sign up for this foray.  See your club email for details (phone number and email).

Melodie Gates is leading a mushroom foray this coming Sunday, November 6th. We will meet at 8:00 am at the Mud Bay Park and Ride, and we should be back in town by 3:00 pm.
You MUST contact Melodie Gates in advance to sign up for this foray.  See your club email for details (phone number and email).

We will meet at the Mud Bay Park and Ride at 8:00am and carpool to the Westport area.

Foray Report: We met at 8:00am at the Mud Bay Park and Ride and carpooled to the Westport area.  The weather cooperated and was cool and partly cloudy, with sun breaks.  We finished for the day about 1:30 pm. Everyone found a number of mushrooms, some Boletes and

several other edibles.  There were 11 attendees.

Species Found:  Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric), Amanita vaginata (Sheathed Amanita), Boletus edulis (King Bolete), Boletus fibrillosus (Fibrous Bolete), Cantharellus cibarius (Yellow Chanterelle), Chroogomphus tomentosus (Woolly Pine Spike), Chroogomphus rutilus (Colorful Gomphidius), Clavaria purpurea (Purple Club Coral), Clitocybe dealbata (Sweat-producing Clitocybe), Coprinus comatus (Shaggy Mane), Craterellus tubaeformis (Winter Chanterelle), Gomphus floccosus (Woolly Chanterelle), Hydnum umbilicatum (Belly-Button Hedgehog), Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca (False Chanterelle), Laccaria amethysteo-occidentalis (Western Purple Laccaria), Laccaria laccata (Common Laccaria), Lactarius deliciosus (Delicious Milky Cap), Lactarius rufus (Red Milky Cap), Lycoperdon perlatum (Puffball), Ramaria acrisiccescens (Blah Coral), Russula brevipes (Short-stemmed Russula), Russula emetic (Emetic Russula), Russula rosacea (Rose-Red Russula), Russula xerampelina (Shrimp Russula), Sarcodon imbricatum (Scaly Hydnum), Suillus brevipes (Short-stemmed slippery Jack), Suillus luteus (Slippery Jack), Suillus tomentosus (Wooly-capped boletus), Tricholoma flavovirens (Man on horseback), Tricholoma pessundatum (Red-Brown Tricholoma), Tricholomopsis rutilans (Plums and Custard), Tricholoma zelleri (Zeller’s Tricholoma)

Quinault Lodge Annual Mushroom Festival.  Our club foray is timed to coincide with the Annual Mushroom Festival held at the Lake Quinault Lodge (across the lake from the Kamp) 15-16 October.  Members desiring to participate in lodge events must make arrangements at phone: 800-562-6672, by visiting the lodge on arrival or by paying a fee when attending festival events. Our club will have a booth at the festival so please contact Melodie Gates to sign up for a booth shift.

The foray check in is after 5pm Friday 14 Oct and check out is 12pm Sunday 16 Oct.   Members desiring to attend the foray should immediately mail check payment to Treasurer Melodie Gates, 1631 Lana Lane SW, Tumwater, WA  98512; 360-352-1851 or mearle5@comcast.net).  If the club does not have sufficient participation the foray might have to be cancelled- please do not delay in mailing payments.

The foray fee is $12 per adult (16 -60) per night, children (15 and younger) and seniors (60+) are $10 per night.  Members sleeping in their own RV but using foray site facilities (lodge, restrooms, showers, etc) pay fee $8 per night.  Guests or non-members may attend the foray by paying the base foray fee plus the annual membership cost ($10 per year for family or $6 per year for individuals or seniors).  Please send in your foray fee payment quickly.

• Kamp Kiwanis is located on the north shore of Lake Quinault in Grays Harbor County.  The Kamp is about 90 miles (2 hours) from Olympia – 60 miles west to Hoquiam then 30 miles north to Lake Quinault.  Detailed directions will be provided to members signing up to attend the foray.  Members driving to or near Lake Quinault during day or night hours are cautioned to be alert for deer, bear, and other wildlife crossing highways or side roads.  Members are also cautioned that the Washington State Police and police forces of small communities along the byways to the lodge can turn a restful weekend into an unpleasant experience for speeding or reckless drivers.  One member paid a $95 fine for going 35 mph in a 25mph zone in a small town near one of the club’s forays.
• Kamp has seven group cabins and a main lodge (see attachments).  Each group cabin has several bunk style wood platforms accommodating a sleeping bag and (recommended) air mattress.  With seven cabins the club will probably designate one female only, one male only, and one family only cabins.  This is normally sorted out at the lodge based upon needs expressed by attending members.  Undesignated cabins are open to all members/ages
• Members use Kamp kitchen facilities to prepare their meals and store perishables.  Members are asked to contribute to a foray pot luck supper scheduled at 6pm Saturday evening.
• Members are requested to help titivate the Kamp Sunday morning 18 Oct prior to departing.   Kiwanis rents the Kamp to our club at a discount rate because we don’t leave messes for the next group.  The cleanup is simple if everyone pitches in and helps clean the fireplace, sweep out lodge, restroom/shower area and cabins, clean kitchen area and wash dishes, wipe down tables, and empty trash containers in lodge and restrooms/showers.  Members are also requested to take all their belongings, specimens, and all unused food products when they check out of Kamp.  Kamp rules require us to remove all trash and recycled products from the facility at check-out.  If each member takes a little trash home it isn’t a big issue.
• Kamp multi-person female and male toilet/shower facility adjacent to the lodge.  Restroom/shower facilities are about 100 yds from the most distant sleeping cabin and about 50 yds from most other cabins.  The area near the lodge and restrooms is lighted at night but each member is encouraged to bring a personal flashlight.  There is also single person unisex restroom/shower in the main lodge.
• The main lodge can accommodate groups of 70 people.  The fully equipped kitchen, ample restaurant grade refrigerators/freezers, lodge size fireplace, large seating/eating areas and a front porch with lake view make group living a pleasant experience.  Numerous nature trails, state and county parks are near the lodge.  Canoe/kayak/small boats can be launched at the Kamp.  The lodge also has plenty of dishes and other table service.  Very friendly and quiet pets may attend the foray.
• Early risers departing the camp by 7am are practically guaranteed to see one or more black bears and a magnificent herd of Roosevelt elk near the ranger station 5 miles east of the Kamp along the North Shore Road.  

There is no phone at the lodge but a tower has been recently installed in Amanda Park providing good cell phone service.

Mushrooming Regulations.  Kamp Kiwanis is located in Olympic National Park (ONP) near the Olympic National Forest and several Native American Reservations.  When you are on the Olympic Peninsula you are either in the ONP, the ONF, a Native American Reservation or on private property.  Members are encouraged to have a map as mushrooming regulations vary by area.  A general purpose map is located on the Olympic National Park Viewer.  Members are also encouraged to inquire at local forest ranger stations for additional or local rules on collection of forest products.    A healthy and fun way to find out ONP information and park tips is to take the ranger-guided forest loop trail tour which runs hourly out of the Park Ranger Station adjacent to the Lake Quinault Lodge on the South Shore Road. Current mushroom regulations are as follows:

• ONP limits recreational mushrooming to one quart per person per day of all species combined.  Fines are at Ranger discretion but can start at $200 per assessed violation.  Each park has different rules so do research when visiting other national, state and county parks.
•  ONF limits recreational mushrooming to one gallon per person per day per specie. 
•  Native American Reservations on the Peninsula (Quinault, Hoh, et al) prohibit non-tribal mushrooming and fines violators up to $500 (don’t pick mushrooms on a Reservation!)
• Members are encouraged to obtain permission before collecting on private lands and to obey all posted rules.
• SSMC can not provide any protection or representation of its members for violating any regulations or trespasses.

 Don’t delay in sending your foray fee to Melody.  Hope to see all you mushroom lovers there!

Three days and two nights in Roslyn hunting morels.

Location and Foray Details

• 100 S 5th St, Roslyn, WA.  About 120 miles from Olympia WA.  Map and driving directions at http://www.mapquest.com/mq/1-X1R_pVpcDfv1k0ZAYmKj.   

• Two adjacent buildings, The Roslyn Inn and the Inn Between, have been rented for the foray.  The lodges together can accommodate 37 guests assuming all beds are used (many bedrooms have two or more double beds and club members must not “stake out” an entire bedroom for themselves when empty beds are still available in the room).  Members making reservations after the bed limit of 37 is reached will be advised to bring a bedroll to sleep in common areas.

• Check-in is after 12 noon Friday May 21 and check-out is by 12 noon Sunday May 23.

• Members are cautioned to be alert for other outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife crossing highways or forest roads.  Members are also cautioned that the Washington State Police and police forces of small communities along the byways to the Inn can turn a restful weekend into an unpleasant experience for speeding or reckless drivers.  One member paid a $95 fine for going 35 mph in the 25mph zone in Roslyn.

• Members use Inn kitchen facilities to prepare their meals and store perishables.  Plates and utensils are available at the Inn.

• Members are asked to contribute to a foray pot luck supper scheduled at 6pm Saturday evening (a Safeway is in Cle Elem 3 miles from the Inn).

Cost & Reservations

• Members: $15.00 per night, per person

• Non-Members: additional $6.00 per person for yearly membership

• For reservation information, please contact Club Treasurer Melodie Gates at a club meeting or
  • Phone 360-352-1851
  • Email  melodie52@comcast.net
  • Mail:  1631 Lana Ln SW, Tumwater WA 98512

Items to bring

• Bedding (bedroll or sheets and blankets).  Inn has beds with mattresses.

• Clothes and mushrooming equipment

Local Regulations

• No permit is required when collecting mushrooms for personal use within the Cle Elem and Wenatchee River Ranger Districts of the Wenatchee National Forest

• Collecting up to 3 gallons of any type mushrooms per person per day is permitted.  A permit must be obtained to collect over 3 gallons of mushrooms daily or to commercially collect mushrooms.
• Collecting matsutake mushrooms is not permitted at any time
• Detailed information is at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/passes/products/