Fungi foraging with Gordon: A quick trip to Northern California

I had a great opportunity during the final weeks of 2022 to explore Napa with popular mushroom enthusiast Gordon Walker. Our team had reached out to him to inquire about his interest in trying our tinctures, and in response, he invited me out for a foraging trip! Gordon and I led a private foray together in Colorado back in the summer of 2021.

Gordon Walker is a PhD Biochemist that runs impactful social media accounts by the handle @fascinatedbyfungi on popular platforms like IG, FB, YT, + TT.  Surprised by the invite, the team + I discussed the opportunity and decided  to jump  on it..

I departed for Napa, California on December 16th. 

Michael holds a freshly foraged Hericium erinacium aka Lion’s Mane mushroom. MLF cloned it and is developing it for commercial production.

DAY ONE— December 16th – Sonoma 

Commuting to Napa, California last  December went smoothly, with a noon arrival to Gordon’s home. He  was kind enough to press me some fresh coffee before we promptly hit the road to Glen Ellen in Sonoma! 

Gordon has friends with 700 acres of private, forested residential land which offered us an opportunity to forage for Lions Mane (Hericium erinaceus), Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus) - the official mushroom of California and largest chanterelle species, and Candy Caps (Lactarius rubidus). Of course, though, we found many others! 

10 ticks + a sunset later, we called it a day of exploring the marshy forests and headed to  a local brewery. Conversations of mycology and genetics, namely Cordyceps, took centerpiece to the occasion. There is so much to learn!

Once back to Gordon’s abode, there was, of course, a onesie Hanukkah party to attend. Donning  a cat onesie for the evening, we enjoyed dreidel and latkes until rest beckoned. I had so much fun but was excited for bed and for Saturday’s foray with the Sonoma County Mycology Association (SOMA).

DAY TWO – December 17th — Salt Point State Park 

Starting our day off right, we nourished ourselves with  porcini + lions’ mane + avocado + cheese + egg on a toasted English muffin. Road-bound early, we made our way into Salt Point State Park. This is 1 of 3 public land options to legally forage in California . We  began our hike and education.   It’s hard to overstate how invaluable a group foray with a variety of enthusiasts can impact your mycological education. This is how I got hooked after moving to Colorado. I joined the Colorado Mycological Society in 2010. Gordon’s command of the subject and his ability to communicate his understanding of these complex organisms to a diverse group of humans is a gift. SOMA is lucky to have him!  

Mushrooms are found nearly worldwide, with some species being “native” to multiple regions. Colorado has many species of fungi but California has Candy Caps, our novel find for  the weekend.  Everyone  in the group was quite excited to get a taste of them! These little guys are mild when fresh, but don’t let that fool you. When dried, the intense maple syrup, sugary flavor will make most people drool! 

The slow-paced foray in the park brought together a handful of foraging groups in the main parking lot. Here we planted ourselves at the tables for identification and a potluck feast. A  lavishing feast, SOMA served  bean and wild mushroom soup + shrimp cotija tostadas while members of the outing sorted through contributions on tables. The group foray  was inspiring to say the least! It is an  activity that I hope CMSweb.org will integrate into future group forays. In other words, more potlucks!

Conversation brewed between Gordon and another comrade Harte, with the groups, working through the findings on the picnic tables. Discussions filled the parking lot while Gordon, Harte, and I went back into the woods. We spent another hour foraging for Candy Caps, while keeping  an open eye for other interesting mushrooms and plants. We spotted many varieties and numbers of Ramaria, Boletes, Milky Caps, Hedgehog, Yellow Foot Chanterelles— the list goes on. 

The prime find from this outing, Candy Caps, is a new favorite of mine. I’ve never foraged for them. Their intense aroma when dried, is nearly identical to maple syrup. The three of us discussed various ways to apply the gourmet edible to dishes. Infusing whiskey was definitely my favorite idea!

DAY THREE — December 18th — The Final Foray

Sunday started strong with a delicious but overpriced breakfast from a local restaurant near Gordon’s place. We journeyed to another area nearby that he has vetted over the years.  We were excited to find a beautiful solo white chanterelle and a huge cluster of oyster mushrooms. The beautiful hike delivered fascinating conversations with Gordon, as expected by his handle @fascinatedbyfungi.

The night wrapped up with a meal that more than certainly made up for the unnecessary expense of our AM dining. Homemade pizza! Hedgehog + Yellow Foot Chanterelle with green olives, mascarpone, mozzarella, herbs, avocado, + arugula on fresh doe and  finished with fresh lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil. A fantastic way to finish off the trip, leaving the taste of inspiration in my mouth.

HOME 

Arriving home, I knew what I needed to do. The epicurean home cook in me  beckoned. Inspired by Gordon’s pantry and countertops I purchased tropical fruits, avocados, and other fresh ingredients to satiate my desire for nourishing, scratch meals. Most of my edible creations were mushroom inspired by the abundance of chanterelles I found throughout the weekend. In fact, there are still some dried Candy Caps in my pantry— lending the space a beautiful aroma! 

Not only did I eat freshly foraged chanterelles for the entire following week, I also collected some specimens for our mushroom genetics library. Thanks to Joshua, our production tech, for successfully cloning turkey tail, oyster, lion’s mane, and chanterelle. We are cleaning the cultures as we speak and are very excited to grow these out (not chanterelle) and study potencies.  A key to MyCOLove’s mission is to seek potent fungal medicines from our continent. 

My Napa trip in December was great. This was my first winter foray in the cool, wet forests of northern California, and it could not have been a better experience. Gordon’s hospitality was only rivaled by the scenery and excellent times in the woods. It was a pleasure to build onto this new myco-relationship with such an important figure in the community. 

I can already see the impact the experience has had on our insight over here at MycoLove Farm. Stay up to date with what we’re getting into, our products, and valuable information about these powerful fungi by subscribing to our newsletters here. 

With MyCOLove, Michael

Our haul! Gordon lovingly doting on the pile.