Morels

Roper

Roper

Idiot Savant, still
Forum Supporter
I’ve never found one, probably because I never looked. But getting into cooking lately has me thinking outside the box. So I’ve done a little online research and have a very rough idea about hunting for some. The Boldt Creek fire around Skykomish will probably be where I’ll start. I may even discover some grouse drumming. I’ve no clue where to start on the East side around the ranch (Oroville). Now I’m not looking for honey holes but general areas on the East side are welcome along with general knowledge of what kinds of areas to look for. Most online info simply says Okanogan-Wenatchee forest. It also says ground temps should be 50-60 degrees.

No feedback is too trivial…

if anyone wants to meet up and teach this old dog new tricks, I’d welcome that too.
 
When growing up in NE Oregon, collecting morels was as common as hunting and fishing. We had an adage about wild mushrooms:

Morels are where you find them.

At one time, my wife and I would drive all the way back to La Grande to look in the Blue Mountains for morels but on a whim, decided to start looking much closer in the Oregon cascades. Low and behold, we found them at an old forest fire burn.

Timing, of course, is everything. And location. Burns in pine forests are prime for years after the fire. Also, anything that disturbs the soil, like logging, can create good places to look. We usually picked the edges of conifer forests that are close to meadows. Basically, you need to find somewhere that the ground can be moist but also gets hit by the sun during parts of the day so the soil warms up ... as the online info mentions.

I've always found them in pine or fir forests but I do know some folks find them around cottonwood trees ... go figure. Regardless, we've done the best searching in conifer forests if a forest fire has taken place within a year or two or three.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly what terrain and elevation to look in ... growing up looking for them gave me a sense of what looks like moral country and what doesn't.... it's hard to explain.

Afterall, the truth remains, Morel Mushrooms are where you find them.
 
The cascades hold a bounty of chanterelles and boletes (porcini) in the fall when it starts getting wet but hasn’t had a freeze. Look down when hiking into your favorite steelhead runs on the S rivers and you’ll be amazed what you will find.

The OP is legendary for it mushrooms. Around the Sold Duc hot springs is a well know area to hunt.

Morels on the west side of the cascades remain elusive for me. The Bolt creek fire will definitely increase the odds of success exponentially over the next several years.
 
Worth the effort, Roper. For me, morels - rinsed, floured, then sauteed in butter - are right up there with lobster. Really, really worth the effort. (y)(y) EDIT- FWIW, I've always looked for old orchards; when found, I've always found morels under old, knarled apple trees.
 
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East side of the Cascade crest is your best bet as opposed to the west side. Burns can be very productive but not always. There are a lot of factors that go into it including but not limited to moisture level, intensity of the burn, overall habitat (trees, ground cover, terrain etc.) Hot tip- willow is your friend. That being said burn morels can range in quality quite a bit and it’s really important to keep them cold and dry after picking which can be problematic in warm weather conditions. Generally burns only produce a good amount the first year following a fire. You can still find them in following years but not nearly as plentiful. Burns are easy targets, especially if connecting to any accessible road system so you will probably have company.

Natural morels, or morels that grow without the aid of disturbance like a fire or clear cut/thinning operation are my favorite to hunt for as they are generally way better table fare IMO. Start looking in cottonwood areas as soon as the tree start coming alive in the spring. These are much more difficult to find and will be few and far between. Edges of trees along the river bank can be productive.

As things warm up ( mid May - mid June) look in mixed fir/ pine. South facing slopes will fruit earliest. Any mushroom activity is a good sign. Pockets of grassy areas (as the grass is just starting to emerge) can be money. Roadsides too.

Also learn your Verpa and False Morels before heading out or carry a small field guide. All That the Rain Promises and More is a great starter book and entertaining as well.

Have fun and feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. I’d be happy to help if I can.
Dave807795F9-2583-4F75-B30A-1EACBD66DE61.jpeg
 
The morel is my white whale of the mushroom world in the Pacific NW. I have yet to find any with regularly besides some random cat track disturbed ground morels in Westside clear-cuts. I still would like to go on a dedicated hunt for them on the east side of the state but that hasn't worked out yet, I'm hoping this is the year.
From the information I have gleaned. It's elevation dependent. Burns are always the go to but..... I read about people that 'road hunt' for them. Slowly cruise the gravel roads and look for dead or beatle killed trees, stop and go hunt the bases of those trees.
 
The Wenatchee River. On the far bank. In the canyon. Park on Highway 2. Look across the road and the river. Just figure out how to get over there.
 
Gene:

I spent time north of Enterprise one summer. (Doing a follow up to the last DDT spray in the US. Mid 70's) The place we were staying had a bunch or morels and I could pick a couple of lbs. in a half hour. I was picking shrooms for quite a while.

That is pretty country up there. The Seven Devils in Idaho, Joseph, Imnaha, etc.
 
SteelHeadDave said:
East side of the Cascade crest is your best bet as opposed to the west side. Burns can be very productive but not always. There are a lot of factors that go into it including but not limited to moisture level, intensity of the burn, overall habitat (trees, ground cover, terrain etc.) Hot tip- willow is your friend. That being said burn morels can range in quality quite a bit and it’s really important to keep them cold and dry after picking which can be problematic in warm weather conditions. Generally burns only produce a good amount the first year following a fire. You can still find them in following years but not nearly as plentiful. Burns are easy targets, especially if connecting to any accessible road system so you will probably have company.

Natural morels, or morels that grow without the aid of disturbance like a fire or clear cut/thinning operation are my favorite to hunt for as they are generally way better table fare IMO. Start looking in cottonwood areas as soon as the tree start coming alive in the spring. These are much more difficult to find and will be few and far between. Edges of trees along the river bank can be productive.

As things warm up ( mid May - mid June) look in mixed fir/ pine. South facing slopes will fruit earliest. Any mushroom activity is a good sign. Pockets of grassy areas (as the grass is just starting to emerge) can be money. Roadsides too.

Also learn your Verpa and False Morels before heading out or carry a small field guide. All That the Rain Promises and More is a great starter book and entertaining as well.

Have fun and feel free to PM me if you have specific questions. I’d be happy to help if I can.
DaveView attachment 47569
Click to expand...
Explain “false” morels to me. I think that’s what I picked under a cottonwood canopy along Nason Creek
 
Buzzy said:
Explain “false” morels to me. I think that’s what I picked under a cottonwood canopy along Nason Creek
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Gyromitra esculanta (commonly known as false morel)
en.m.wikipedia.org

Gyromitra esculenta - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Verpa bohemica (edible for some people but require thorough cooking and caution) a lot of so called west side morels that people find are actually Verpa.
en.m.wikipedia.org

Verpa bohemica - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Verpa associate with cottonwood trees as do morels. Verpa tend to show up a few weeks earlier than morels though.
 
SteelHeadDave said:
Gyromitra esculanta (commonly known as false morel)
en.m.wikipedia.org

Gyromitra esculenta - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Verpa bohemica (edible for some people but require thorough cooking and caution) a lot of so called west side morels that people find are actually Verpa.
en.m.wikipedia.org

Verpa bohemica - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

Verpa associate with cottonwood trees as do morels. Verpa tend to show up a few weeks earlier than morels though.
Click to expand...
It’s been six or seven years now but I think the “bohemica” may be what I harvested and cooked. My wife had a less than pleasant reaction whereas I enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing
 
Scott Salzer said:
Gene:

I spent time north of Enterprise one summer. (Doing a follow up to the last DDT spray in the US. Mid 70's) The place we were staying had a bunch or morels and I could pick a couple of lbs. in a half hour. I was picking shrooms for quite a while.

That is pretty country up there. The Seven Devils in Idaho, Joseph, Imnaha, etc.
Click to expand...
Shhhhhushhh.... that's a secret spot ;)

(Once I find what I think is consistent as to where you find Morels .... like elevation ... then I run into someone who successfully finds them at much, much lower elevation .... they are where you find them. )
 
There is a lot of territory north of Enterprise. Did you ever go to Canter's Inn - a mom and pop eats place? It was on the edge of the canyon above Joseph Creek.
 
For west side morels check river bottoms with sandy soil and cottonwood.

Be aware that there are also look alike around. Most notably the Verpa Bohemica. It is edible but ONLY the cap, no stem and not with alcohol. If you find verpas give it a week or two and the same area will have true morels. Clearcuts also can produce on the west side.

However I do much better on the east side of the mountains, I had one excellent day at the east end of Rimrock lake in mixed conifers . I've also done exceptionally well on the north and east sides of Mt Hood
And in the Blues near Ukiah Oregon.

Ancient logging tracks can be good, also check campgrounds and don't be afraid to road hunt.

I don't like spending lots of time in one area. Drive around get out and look often. Assume you'll see them if they are there. Once you find a few you'll develop an eye for them and the places they grow and it becomes easier.
You absolutely do NOT need a burned area.
 
Scott Salzer said:
There is a lot of territory north of Enterprise. Did you ever go to Canter's Inn - a mom and pop eats place? It was on the edge of the canyon above Joseph Creek.
Click to expand...
I was kidding. And yes, there is a lot of area. My Dad was raised in a log cabin type scenario north of Wallowa in an area called Promise.

I believe we did stop at the Inn during a hunting trip.
 
Steelhead Dave provided lots of great info that aligned with my experiences in this direction. East side should be much easier, but still hard. Need to put in your time and learn a few areas. I find most of my good ones early to late May, both in old cottonwood and mixed conifer forests. It varies year to year a lot, and you need to walk alot. I only found one good burn once with lots of morels (which was awesome), most have not had them, so numerous conditions need to align.

One note of caution about "apple orchard morels" if these come from old commercial orchards: I have persistently heard stories of poisoning or even a death from morels harvested in old orchards where lead-arsenic pesticides were used. I haven't looked to see how real the issue is, but something to think about if you decide to look for morels in old orchards.
 
There is a symbiotic relationship between morels and Ponderosa pines so your Okanogan place is in the zone. Post wild fire zones are good as are places with recent logging operations. I don't know if it is the fire action specifically but places where the ground has been turned up have been reported to have some morel growth. That said, I sacrificed plenty of good fishing time last May looking for these elusive jems. I did not find any but loved every minute spent in the mountains in a Ponderosa forest. It's kinda like fishing - I love the places where fish live and I love the places that morels suposedly live! They sell for 50 bucks a pound in my So Sound area but found them for 20 a pound last spring in Winthrop. At 20 bucks a pound, worth every penny!
 
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