Can you relate to memories of walking through Staircase's emerald green forests, with massive trees towering overhead? Trees covered in moss and lichens...trees that have held generations of stories and treasured moments. Or perhaps you fondly can recall the never-ending climb to Wagonwheel Lake or Cub Peak? There are countless other areas included in the 20,232 acres that burned in the 2025 Bear Gulch III fire. This area was a special place to many of us in the South Sound, and I am no exception. I am the SSMC newsletter editor and a lover of hiking, climbing, backpacking, and mushroaming. With the Olympics so close by, I often found myself there on the weekends, whether it was under the shining summer sun or in the moody, misty winter rain. The thought that a devastating fire could change our beloved playground never even entered my mind. Until it happened. Reeling from the shock and sadness, I decided to channel some of those sorrowful emotions into creating a video. What you see below is a reflection and tribute to everything we love about the Olympics: the enchanted forests and bubbling rivers, jagged peaks, alpine lakes, abundant wildlife, and the delightful array of fungi that fascinate us and bring us together. The area has burned before and came back. It will come back again. 

Huge thanks to the individuals who contributed stories and photos to this collection! It would not have been possible without you.

The mushroom world has been introduced to a new mushroom species name with some roots in the PNW and with a SSMC sequencing contribution. With a yell of excitement, Sadie Hickey from SSMC found this mushroom while attending the Key Council meeting near Mt Adams in 2019. The new name has just now been formally introduced, a name also with PNW connections. The mushroom was named in honor of Lorelei Norvell an extremely well respected mycologist working much of her career in the PNW. Lorelei Norvell was especially interested in Phaeocollybia and is author of Phaeocollybia of the Pacific Northwest North America. Lorelei interest was very broad though and included work with Scott Redhead and Joe Ammirati on the Chromosera genus. 

Lorelei and Sadie were both attending the Key Council when Sadie made the collection and how appropriate that this absolutely gorgeous mushroom will now forever honor Loreleis' name. Unfortunately Lorelei died in 2023 between the time Sadie collected the mushroom and before it gained species status. There was an obvious excitement as we took turns getting a picture of the mushroom. The picture here is of Lauren taking her turn as you can see the determination and dedication to get a quality picture. Lauren Ré and Sadie and an old carpenter on Little Skookum all members of SSMC are listed as authors on the just released species paper. Congratulations are in order to Sadie for being one top notch collector.