Bigfoot's Friend

It’s usually about this time of year that the morel nostalgia starts to kick in for me.

I miss the fresh spring air, and wandering through the damp forests and river bottoms on the hunt.

The excitement that goes unmatched when my eye catches a morel mushroom peeking out from the grass or when my husband calls out that he’s found some.

Genuinely, it’s one of my favorite hobbies.

So, in loving memory of Morel Season 2024, here are some of my favorite photographs and finds from this last springs adventures.

We had most of our luck this year down in the river bottoms in moist areas with lots of shade from a variety of cottonwood, Douglas-fur, and willow trees.

Finding almost exclusively blond morels this year, (a few grays here and there) we harvested more than 100 mushrooms and left hundreds more!

In some areas where we hunted, we found these blond morels that were nearly glowing orange in color! The bright color in contrast of the soggy spring ground definitely made for some easy picking.

Morel mushrooms are so good at blending in with their surroundings. This one barely caught the corner of my eye as I was hiking past. After observing my surroundings, this guy seemed to be growing all alone.

My husband found this beautiful cluster growing near a downed tree, which led us to a small opening that was absolutely flush with morels! Definitely one of the best spots we found this year.

Approximately 6 months until the morels are popping up in my area again… I can’t wait.

Thanks for reading and checking out my photos. If you’re missing morel season as well, I hope this helped to keep you excited for next years hunting season!

In the meantime, here are some other great posts on morel mushrooms and mushroom foraging!

Botanical Detective: Morel Mushroom (Morchella) Identification

Mushrooms: Best Tips And Methods For Foraging

Morel Mushrooms – Can You Find Them Growing Under ROCKS?

As always, happy foraging.

-Jessica C.