SIMA Morel Hunt

From Sue.....my tale from the morel hunt on Sunday

After Genny canceled the planned hunt due to weather, I planned to meet her at the shop to see what we could find anyway! I was watering the greenhouse when I heard a car door slam, then another and another! There were over a dozen hunters who gathered to see what we could find here in the upper country.

Bill Betts had scouted the day before, and found 2-3 gallons near Cabin Creek. Bryan wanted to try the other fork, not knowing whether or not we would find them. So we took a right at the fork, and four cars followed us into unknown territory. (I would of took the sure thing at Cabin Creek, but I wasn't driving!) Some of us stopped and looked in one spot...nothing. Genny and another group proceeded up the road to check another site. Bryan said he would stay between the two groups, looking for the elusive black morels.

Not long after my group decided to move on, Genny and crew came barreling down the road. Nothing! Not much of anything growing. So my crew and Genny's crew head down the road to Cabin Creek. Despite offers of rides, I decide to wait for Bryan. I have my dog Sarah with me, covered with mud. After all, he was between Genny and me, so he had to see everyone was leaving. So I sent everyone off to hopefully more successful hunting in Cabin Creek.

A snow squall moves in, so I holed up in a pocket under some hawthornes and pine trees to stay dry. Surely he would be coming down the road within the next few minutes. The sun comes out, so I take a snooze, confident Sarah would let me know when the car was approaching. I listened to grouse with their LEK calls, hawks screaming overhead, and the creek roaring below. All in all, not a bad place to spend a Sunday afternoon with my dog. Another BIG snow squall comes in. Now the adventure is wearing thin....I am cold and wet. It has been over an hour - closer to two. I think.....he had better be in mushrooms or else! But why didn't he see everyone leave?

Finally here he comes, without his shirt on under his coat. In our house that is a good sign....he had to give up his shirt as a mushroom holder. Sure enough, he had to give up two shirts to get the morels up the steep hill. He had found several gallons, a couple of hundred yards BEYOND where Genny had stopped...not in between the groups like we had planned! So I guess it was worth the wait..everyone who wanted morels got some to enjoy.



PS..the day before, we got into some big Blondes under cottonwoods. When I add to the post tomorrow with pictures, check out the big guy. He is taller than my waterbottle!