NANFA Mailing List Archive: NANFA-L-- Mushrooms & Snorkeling August 5-7

hey fishheads...
the ashville mushroom club is again hosting a camping foray in the smokey
mountains national park in the cataloochee valley, ne corner. ive attended
several times and it is a lot of fun and provides access for some neat snorkeling
too.
here is their invite...
followed by an abbreviated account from 2 years ago to give you a sample.
last year ranger bob and i attended and again got in some excellent snorkeling
in the little pigeon river. ( will send a few pics if interested )
the 2 of us plan on attending again this year. great fun. the cost will be
between 10 and 35 bucks depending on if they have a speaker or not. one year we
set up a generator and had a slide show w/ moths dancing in front of the
screen. out in the sticks for sure.
if you would like to attend contact me for updated details...

Invite:
Cataloochee Camping Foray Aug. 5-7. Quoting Doyle Horne: "I was
not able to get our usual campsite in Cataloochee this year. Instead
reserved group site #1 which is immediately to the right on entering
the group site area. Remember tents only. Portable toilets. Last year
there was a spring house for water. I assume it is still there but the
reservation center write-up said we could get water down the road-in-
the RV campground. [Note: There will be a fee for using the campground
and honorarium for a mycologist. This amount is not yet determined.
Check with Doyle.]

Plan on a pot luck on Saturday evening - Including assorted freshly
gathered mushrooms. .
Forays on Sat morning and afternoon. Impromptu forays on Friday
afternoon and Sunday morning.

Directions:
Exit I-40-in-exit 20, twenty five miles West (North) of Asheville, NC
(87 miles East of Knoxville, TN).

Turn right onto Cove Creek Road 0.1 miles from I-40. Follow Cove Creek
Rd to Park boundary. Road goes from pavement to gravel to pavement.
Upon reaching pavement, the second time, turn left. Go 2.5 miles and
turn right onto dirt road immediately after crossing bridge. Go 1.0
mile to group camp gate.

casper's abbrieviated 04 account:
Day 4

...i loaded up in the early morning and began working my way to, up and
over the mountain into the beautiful Cataloochee Valley and the group
campground below. I arrived just as they were gathering for their first morning
foray. Ken jumped in my van and we followed the small caravan through the valley
to a hike along a stream. The ground was covered in all manner of mushrooms. By
the camp's end we had collected approximately 150 species. The group had
been working with the Smoky Mountain authorities on a survey of all known fungi
species. The park has been documenting all known species of plant, animal and
slime life. Salamanders, creepy crawlers, birds, turtles and snakes. Any and
everything living. Bushes and trees, grubs and worms. The mushroom club
membership had participated and assembled several very nice photo logbooks
documenting the found diversity of fungi including several new species.

After returning from a second afternoon foray we were hot, chiggered,
stinky stinging nettled, and thoughly sweated. Four of us decided to jump in the
creek for a bath and i grabbed my mask. The Cataloochee drains and flows
from a large unpopulated and mostly unroaded valley. I was eager to see what
resided in this stream. The water was high and moving rapidly from the recent
rains but welcomingly clear. Everything was downhill in this valley and only
the smallest of deep flowing pools were available for immersing my whole body
in. I got into the creek bareskin and grabbed my breath but reasonable held my
warmth as i peered into the shallow flows. The other fellas arrived and
whooped and hollered as they tried to acclimate to the cold water. Staggering,
sputtering and wailing as they lost their footing on the slippery rocks and fell
into the cold flowing water. I had fun watching them trying to catch their
breath as i floated fully immersed catching the largest crawfish i have ever
seen and theatening to drop them down the back of their shorts. No fish tho a
few Longnose Dace, the males large and leathery. Where the heck are all the
fish on this trip? Im getting skunked in what i figure to be excellent water.
I didnt even see any Rainbows here but plenty of fly fisherman had been seen
on our forays. I am confused.

The trio of shivering redskinned fungus men got out and headed back to
camp as i float crawled downstream in hopes of seeing something else. Plenty of
crawfish and some of the very large ones. Handsomely marked in tones of
buff, tan and brown and a reddish elastic joint below each pincher. I am suprised
to see such large crawdads in such a small cold mountain stream.

I headed back to camp as the mushrooms were being trimmed and cleaned and
the cooking gear began to clink and clank. Coleman stoves were fired up and
sauteed onions and melted butter began to fill the air. A barefooted rocky
mountain fella and his pretty sweetheart boiled up a big pot of fresh homegrown
corn on the cob. Special dishes of pasta, salads and breads were pulled from
coolers and back seats and laid on the wooden picnic tables. Three big ice
chests offered locally brewed Ashville beer and little plastic bottles of
fruit juices. Wine and jars of gourmet fixins set on the table alongside crackers
and cheese. Into sizzling pans were dropped Black Trumpets, Tawny Milkcaps
and their close cousin Lacterius Corrugus. Yellow and orange Chantrells.
Bright red Lobster mushrooms were chopped up and piled high. Fresh snowy white
Oysters which had been precariously plucked by Ken from a log that stretched
across the stream. Hedgehogs... a uncommon capped, spiny pored mushroom were
diced and chopped. With all of us in a hurry, the not quite well gleened
Chantrells offered a bit of gritty crunch to each fork full. Figs were tossed into
the next batch of the fruity Chantrells and the tiny fig seeds detracted from
the sandy grit... whoa boy! Deceptive play-in-work! I'm a bit more picky when
cleaning mushrooms but were they good and we were all hungry! Green
Russulas, a new one for me provided a new specie of edibility along with the ellusive
Hedgehogs. What a time we had and everyone was satisfied. Only crumbs, empty
plates and bottles and a half eaten fruity bund cake were left.

We rested up and enjoyed a lecture in the fading evening light by Andy, a
fungi professor from Indiana who specailizes in Lacterius mushrooms. What a
day... the best of both worlds for me. A warm coaled fire kept the stories
going to midnight and a mason jar of moonshine filled with plums was passed
around. Fun stories, adventures and dreams filled the air and stars were crisp
in the clear sky above. I laid in the tent that night with the door to the
cool, cooing mountain stream only a few steps from my ears and dreams of
Tangerines and bright red Lobsters.

Day 5
.....I was road burning now and speed passed over a bridge which said Little
Pigeon. I have heard of it and thought i might not get back this way soon so
did another uee and run up the day use only roadway. Lots of folks were
swimming, walking and playing alongside so i grabbed a graveled parking spot and
raced down for a quick look. WOWEE! Here was what i had been after these last
5 days. Crystal clear, fish everywhere, beautiful underwater architecture. I
had not worn my wetsuit prefering the quick jump in lookabouts which helps
keep my van seats dry. Though the water was cold i stuck with it and watched in
glory of great distances the shimmering clouds of WarPaints and staggered
Trout. Massive HogSuckers, big pink hornyheaded River Chubbs. New Darters.
Again one of those stunning Greensides. Black headed Fantails. Big, healthy
Greenfins or Bluebreasts i was not sure which. A new darter... the Swannoona...
distinctly marked and easily remembered. I was cold but stayed in floating up
and downstream with the eddies. I explored and marveled-in-the rich life and
beauty of the clear water and the midwater hoovering fish stagger ranked with
their snouts pointed forward into the flow. What a site. Why have i not heard
of it? Certainly it merits as an all day location to explore. A big cluster
of Goggle Redeyed Rock Bass watched me from a deep boulder. So many fish. Red
Horse suckers, Stone Rollers, Tennessee Shiners. Maybe some Saffrons.
Everywhere were fish, and probably some new fish to me if i had more time to see. I
have got to make a trek back to this location and in full gear so i can
spend a full day immersed. The time was late and i still had-in-least 3 more
hours of driving to get home and in bed for a early 6am monday morning rise. Not
enough time and the cold was setting deep into my body well below the fat and
skin. I have been like that before and if i dont get warmed up quickly it
can take several hours of uncontrolled shivering to get my temp back proper. I
dried off, changed into my clothes and fired up the heater though it is a
humid overcast summer 90's outside. Rain and storms were still in the sky and
more miles lay ahead...

casper

-------------------------------1121291467
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

...i loaded up in the early morning and began working my w= ay=20 to, up and over the mountain into the beautiful Cataloochee Valley and the g= roup=20 campground below. I arrived just as they were gathering for their first morn= ing=20 foray. Ken jumped in my van and we followed the small caravan through the va= lley=20 to a hike along a stream. The ground was covered in all manner of mushrooms.= By=20 the camp's end we had collected approximately 150 species. The group had bee= n=20 working with the Smoky Mountain authorities on a survey of all known fungi=20 species. The park has been documenting all known species of plant, animal an= d=20 slime life. Salamanders, creepy crawlers, birds, turtles and snakes. Any and= =20 everything living. Bushes and trees, grubs and worms. The mushroom club=20 membership had participated and assembled several very nice photo logbooks=20 documenting the found diversity of fungi including several new species.

After returning from a second afternoon foray we were hot,= =20 chiggered, stinky stinging nettled, and thoughly sweated. Four of us decided= to=20 jump in the creek for a bath and i grabbed my mask. The Cataloochee drains a= nd=20 flows from a large unpopulated and mostly unroaded valley. I was eager to se= e=20 what resided in this stream. The water was high and moving rapidly from the=20 recent rains but welcomingly clear. Everything was downhill in this valley a= nd=20 only the smallest of deep flowing pools were available for immersing my whol= e=20 body in. I got into the creek bareskin and grabbed my breath but reasonable=20= held=20 my warmth as i peered into the shallow flows. The other fellas arrived and=20 whooped and hollered as they tried to acclimate to the cold water. Staggerin= g,=20 sputtering and wailing as they lost their footing on the slippery rocks and=20= fell=20 into the cold flowing water. I had fun watching them trying to catch their=20 breath as i floated fully immersed catching the largest crawfish i have ever= =20 seen and theatening to drop them down the back of their shorts. No fish tho=20= a=20 few Longnose Dace, the males large and leathery. Where the heck are all the=20= fish=20 on this trip? Im getting skunked in what i figure to be excellent water. I d= idnt=20 even see any Rainbows here but plenty of fly fisherman had been seen on our=20 forays. I am confused.

The trio of shivering redskinned fungus men got out and he= aded=20 back to camp as i float crawled downstream in hopes of seeing something else= .=20 Plenty of crawfish and some of the very large ones. Handsomely marked in ton= es=20 of buff, tan and brown and a reddish elastic joint below each pincher. I am=20 suprised to see such large crawdads in such a small cold mountain stream.

I headed back to camp as the mushrooms were being trimmed=20= and=20 cleaned and the cooking gear began to clink and clank. Coleman stoves were f= ired=20 up and sauteed onions and melted butter began to fill the air. A barefooted=20 rocky mountain fella and his pretty sweetheart boiled up a big pot of fresh=20 homegrown corn on the cob. Special dishes of pasta, salads and breads were=20 pulled from coolers and back seats and laid on the wooden picnic tables. Thr= ee=20 big ice chests offered locally brewed Ashville beer and little plastic bottl= es=20 of fruit juices. Wine and jars of gourmet fixins set on the table alongside=20 crackers and cheese. Into sizzling pans were dropped Black Trumpets, Tawny=20 Milkcaps and their close cousin Lacterius Corrugus. Yellow and orange=20 Chantrells. Bright red Lobster mushrooms were chopped up and piled high. Fre= sh=20 snowy white Oysters which had been precariously plucked by Ken from a log th= at=20 stretched across the stream. Hedgehogs... a uncommon capped, spiny pored=20 mushroom were diced and chopped. With all of us in a hurry, the not quite we= ll=20 gleened Chantrells offered a bit of gritty crunch to each fork full. Figs we= re=20 tossed into the next batch of the fruity Chantrells and the tiny fig seeds=20 detracted from the sandy grit... whoa boy! Deceptive play-in-work! I'm a bit= =20 more picky when cleaning mushrooms but were they good and we were all hungry= !=20 Green Russulas, a new one for me provided a new specie of edibility along wi= th=20 the ellusive Hedgehogs. What a time we had and everyone was satisfied. Only=20 crumbs, empty plates and bottles and a half eaten fruity bund cake were=20 left.

We rested up and enjoyed a lecture in the fading evening l= ight=20 by Andy, a fungi professor from Indiana who specailizes in Lacterius mushroo= ms.=20 What a day... the best of both worlds for me. A warm coaled fire kept the=20 stories going to midnight and a mason jar of moonshine filled with plu= ms=20 was passed around. Fun stories, adventures and dreams filled the air and sta= rs=20 were crisp in the clear sky above. I laid in the tent that night with the do= or=20 to the cool, cooing mountain stream only a few steps from my ears and dreams= of=20 Tangerines and bright red Lobsters.

Day 5
.....I was road burning now and speed passed over a bridge whi= ch=20 said Little Pigeon. I have heard of it and thought i might not get back this= way=20 soon so did another uee and run up the day use only roadway. Lots of folks w= ere=20 swimming, walking and playing alongside so i grabbed a graveled parking spot= and=20 raced down for a quick look. WOWEE! Here was what i had been after these las= t 5=20 days. Crystal clear, fish everywhere, beautiful underwater architecture. I h= ad=20 not worn my wetsuit prefering the quick jump in lookabouts which helps keep=20= my=20 van seats dry. Though the water was cold i stuck with it and watched in glor= y of=20 great distances the shimmering clouds of WarPaints and staggered Trout. Mass= ive=20 HogSuckers, big pink hornyheaded River Chubbs. New Darters. Again one of tho= se=20 stunning Greensides. Black headed Fantails. Big, healthy Greenfins or=20 Bluebreasts i was not sure which. A new darter... the Swannoona... distinctl= y=20 marked and easily remembered. I was cold but stayed in floating up and=20 downstream with the eddies. I explored and marveled-in-the rich life and bea= uty=20 of the clear water and the midwater hoovering fish stagger ranked with their= =20 snouts pointed forward into the flow. What a site. Why have i not heard of i= t?=20 Certainly it merits as an all day location to explore. A big cluster of Gogg= le=20 Redeyed Rock Bass watched me from a deep boulder. So many fish. Red Horse=20 suckers, Stone Rollers, Tennessee Shiners. Maybe some Saffrons. Everywhere w= ere=20 fish, and probably some new fish to me if i had more time to see. I have got= to=20 make a trek back to this location and in full gear so i can spend a full day= =20 immersed. The time was late and i still had-in-least 3 more hours of driving= to=20 get home and in bed for a early 6am monday morning rise. Not enough time and= the=20 cold was setting deep into my body well below the fat and skin. I have been=20= like=20 that before and if i dont get warmed up quickly it can take several hours of= =20 uncontrolled shivering to get my temp back proper. I dried off, changed into= my=20 clothes and fired up the heater though it is a humid overcast summer 90's=20 outside. Rain and storms were still in the sky and more miles lay ahead...

casper

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