Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 31 2-way radio. Within a couple minutes he confirmed that the Forest Service was not quite ready for mush- room season yet, and we parted ways after he had issued me a stern warning to go and get a permit at my first opportunity. He said they would be ready Monday. I walked back up the hill and urged my comrades to keep picking, at least until Monday. Nobody really knows when the morels will show, but a lot of people spend their early spring days scout- ing burn sites and testing snow-choked roads to get there first. Everybody asks me when the morels will be up. en they ask me where to go picking. en they question the honesty of my response! I tell ya... Since the turn of the century, Forest Service report- ing of fires has advanced from those few terse lines of alphanumerics to multi-colored area maps of fire zones and roads that are somewhat more descriptive. Until last year, the inciweb.gov website offered more or less easy access to location information. Various online sites, posts, and chats catalog morel pickers' unceasing efforts to locate the bounty of the burn. If you plan to go picking, permits are required whether you opt for a no-cost personal use permit or a $20 commercial permit that is your get-out-of-jail free card for those times when you have a couple hundred pounds and need to speak with a LEO who is parked blocking the road. BURN ECOLOGY Fire is a natural part of the western landscape, and humans have exaggerated the role of fires, especially catastrophic wildfire, by burning gigantic piles of slash from logging operations to prevent the accumulation of fuels. "Fuels" means wood, and in its natural state about 20% of the carbon goes up in smoke; the other 80% is broken down by microorganisms like fungi and is the primary source of moisture during the dry season. By re- moving this material, either by hauling it off on logging THE WESTERN MONTANA MYCOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION The Western Montana Myco- logical Association is currently involved in mushroom cultiva- tion projects as well as hosting workshops and mushroom hunts in Western Montana. The Western Montana Mycological Association Spring Morel Foray is on Memorial Day weekend. Larry says, "This is our 28th such gathering, and we have never been skunked yet! Members and guests gather at a location that is only revealed days ahead of the event, in order not to tip off potential mushroom rustlers. We usually camp out, and go on three hunts during the weekend, with a legendary mushroom potluck for Saturday dinner. For details see organization's Facebook page or contact www.fungaljungal. org to sign up for the free email newsletter. For good info on ethical hunting, mushroom movies, how to grow your own, and so much more see the blog on the Web site WWW. MONTANAMUSHROOMS.COM, managed by Dean Robbins, or check out the Facebook page. Morcella frustrata, true morels Party time in Morel land Cleaned morels Larry records the song, "Can Ya Eat It?" www.distinctlymontana.com/mushroom192 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL The "clearcut and burn" mentality of 20th century logging has not changed to reflect our diminished soil carbon, and so our forests get drier and the soils more bare. Morchella frustrata snyderi in cedar

• Cover