The weather this Sunday was as good as it was for yesterday's 'extra' walk - clear and even a bit on the cool side for starters. Our guide and walk leader, Steve Rock, gave us a workout to cover a lot of space and hit all the known 'good spots.' Though several of us fell behind a bit a few times, we were all delighted with Steve's choice of venue, which afforded us an opportunity to sample different environments with the promising possibilities for finding a variety of mushrooms, including a Tylopilus alboater, correctly identified by Steve - despite my second-guesses. I brought the specimen home, thereby depriving Steve and his guests from enjoying its nutty flavor, in order to do further research on this magnificent specimen. A mere taste of the flesh - which we could have performed on site - confirmed that this was no bitter tylopilus that might threaten someone's composure with stomach grumblings, etc. Mea culpa. So, if I find a Tylopilus alboater in the near future, I promise to save it for Steve. I should have realized that he knows far more than I about edible boletes! So far this year, this was the best walk yet!
Here is a list of the fungi recorded for this walk:

Gilled mushrooms with a central stem:
Amanita ceciliae; Amanita flavoconia; Amanita sp.; Amanita vaginata; Clitocybe gibba; Cortinarius corrugatus; Gymnopilus sapineus; Hygrocybe cantharellus; Hygrocybe coccinea; Lactarius hygrophoroides; Lactarius sp.; Mycena galericulata; Mycena sp.; Russula lutea; Russula spp.; Russula variata; Xeromphalina campanella
Gilled mushrooms with a lateral stem:
Crepidotus applanatus; Crepidotus crocophyllus; Pleurotus ostreatus (alien)
Chanterelles and Trumpets:
Cantharellus cinnabarinus; Craterellus fallax (teeny - let them grow!)
Corals and clubs:
Clavicorona pyxidata; Clavulinopsis fusiformis;
Boletes:
Boletus sensibilis; Tylopilus alboater
Polypores:
Fomes fomentarius; Ganoderma applanatum; Pycnoporus cinnabarinus; Trametes versicolor; Trichaptum biformis
Stereums and Crusts:
Stereum hirsutum; Stereum ostrea
Ascomycetes:
Camarops petersii; Daldinia concentrica; Leotia lubrica; Hypomyces hyalinus; Trichoglossum hirsutum; Xylaria polymorpha
Myxomycetes:
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa

Todd Osmundson wanted to join us, but was delayed unexpectedly due to the closing of parkwys to Sunday bicycle traffic. He arrived at the Pelton Pond parking lot about a half-hour late and decided to walk around the pond. He saw some of the same fungi we saw - with the addition of a lovely stink horn included in this gallery of images.

Dianna

Please click on each photo to view a larger version.