CLATSOP, Ore. — The best adventures are the ones that invite you down the trail with the promise of a reward! Not just the memories of the trip, but sometimes culinary surprises, too!
When fall rainstorms break, the day gives way to the reasons we live here. And this time of year, there’s nothing better than a stroll in the woods, where sun and shadow dance through towering Douglas firs and a gleam of gold peaks underfoot.
The fall season’s chanterelle mushrooms are popping up!
Good buddies Steve Fick and Mike Mennell agreed that the Clatsop State Forest — just off Highway 26 — offers plenty of elbow room and it is prime habitat for golden chanterelles.
“I call it Easter egg hunting for adults,” said Mennell with a laugh. "You pick one, you get excited, and you know where there’s one there’s usually more to be found. A golden chanterelle: look for those veins under the cap to come all the way down to the stem... they don’t stop but go all the way down.”
Since 1999, the gorgeous fungi have been Oregon’s official state mushroom.
Fick added that chanterelles are not the only mushrooms in the forest. In fact, there are dozens of other mushrooms that grow here, but “most are none too friendly to people and many are downright dangerous.”
“When you’re doing it without knowledge, there’s no reason to take any chances,” said Fick. “I learned an old saying long ago: There are old mycologists and there are bold mycologists, but there are no old, bold mycologists.”
And they’re easy to harvest: Mike’s knife cuts the chanterelle free from the ground — he trims the stem and brushes off the debris.
“Oh, yeah, found a monster!" he crowed. "There’s a meal right there, and they’re such pretty mushrooms, too.”
Mike adds if you want to harvest wild mushrooms, learn their habitat: "We’re in a mixed forest right here — not too far from the summit — Doug fir, hemlock, cedar, salal, sword fern and Oregon grape. The chanterelles seem to like that.”
Each picker is allowed one gallon of chanterelles — plenty for a feast.
“I think it’s a great thing for kids,” said Mennell. "Get the kids away from their TVs, their tablets, their phones — they get enough of that.”
The mushroom hunters soon become chefs as Steve cleaned approximately one pound of chanterelles — he never washes them in water but prefers to clean them off with a soft rag or brush — and then it was time to head indoors to my kitchen.
He added, the chanterelles go with absolutely everything: “They’re a richer taste than the button type mushrooms you buy in the grocery, and they really compliment meat. Today, we’ve got crab, salmon and venison. We’re going to have a mix of different flavors with the sauteed chanterelle mushrooms.”
“This is one of the best places on Earth to live and chanterelle season is one of the reasons," he continued. "It’s fun to learn how to do something like this and then provide some of your own food. A great family opportunity and there are mushrooms throughout all of the state.”
Chanterelle harvest continues through November or the first heavy freeze.
The Oregon Department of Forestry allows you to harvest up to one gallon of wild mushrooms on state forestlands, but any more than that, you are considered a commercial picker and must buy the $100 permit at any state forestry office.
Steve stressed critical safety points if you choose to head into the forest at this time of year: First, pick only mushrooms that you know are safe. If you don’t know, go with someone who is experienced and does know or take a mushroom ID class. (He suggested the Cascade Mycological Society.)
He also suggested that mushroom hunters who are in unfamiliar territory to stay close to the road and never out of earshot of the road traffic.
Be sure to watch the weekly half hour program of Grant’s Getaways. The show airs each Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. on KGW.
You can also learn more about many of my favorite Oregon travels and adventures in the Grant’s Getaways book series, including:
- "Grants Getaways I," Photography by Steve Terrill
- "Grant's Getaways II," Photography by Steve Terrill
- “Grant’s Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
- “Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids,” Photography by Jeff Kastner
The book collection offers hundreds of outdoor activities across Oregon and promises to engage a kid of any age.
You can reach me: Gmcomie@kgw.com