Passage I

The Hunt for Morel Mushrooms

[1]

When I close my eyes I see them. They pop up through dead leaves, emerge from under fallen logs, and sprout next to tree stumps. Even indoors, I think I spot them out of the corner of my eye. Basically, I spend every free moment in search of them.

[2]

I'm not talking about imaginary creatures but about deliciously real morel mushrooms—funny—looking, textured, edible fungi that appear in springtime. These homely ground dwellers inspire their fans to search the woods for hours, intent on finding enough to fry up for dinner. Would it be easier to buy mushrooms at the store? Absolutely. But it wouldn't be as much fun. Once you find your first morel, maybe by a dead elm or in an old apple orchard, a person will be even more determined to find the next one. And the next. And so on.

[3]

Like many morel hunters, I learned from an expert. She invited me along to see firsthand how it's done. I learned even more by reading reputable, detailed field guides about wild mushrooms. That's a crucial part of the preparation to get ready for morel hunting, because often the same woods that yield morels produce poisonous mushrooms, too.

[4]

(7) Every spring, there's a contest where I live in northern Minnesota to see who can find the most morels, this year, I'm going to enter. Last year, one participant found over 3,000 morels becoming my hero. And he's willing to talk with me about this hobby we are both passionate about. Luckily, I know what question not to ask. You never ask morel hunters where they made their biggest find. Keeping silent about your favorite spots, is part of the mystique of this glorious pastime.

[5]

Mostly, finding morels requires two things in particular. Smaller and paler then the average pinecone, a morel blends perfectly into its natural surroundings. However, you can look right at one and not see it. Morels fool everyone, even the experts, that's probably why the saying goes that the best place to look for morels is directly behind you.