Today, after four days of constant hard rain, the sun came out in all its glory. It seemed a good opportunity to look for Lobster or Chanterelle Mushrooms and so I dug out my trusty walking stick and headed up the mountain.
A short ten minute walk from Twin Eagles Bluff and you find yourself deep in the coastal rain forest. The trails here are not well maintained and they tend to branch several times as they cross the forest floor, so it wouldn’t be that difficult to get lost if you backtracked down the wrong trails. In the forest, the light is diffused and sounds are deadened under the canopy, so there are few clues to guide you back in the right direction. As far as I can tell, I only took one wrong turn and managed to realize it before I became completely lost. It probably didn’t help that I got a phone call from a friend while I was back-tracking and that distracted me for several minutes while we chatted. I might have to start leaving bread crumbs the next time I go hiking. Or, at least, be more mindful and present.
Unfortunately, I didn’t see any mushrooms. I’m not sure if it’s too early or too late, but last year they seemed to be everywhere, so I haven’t given up hope. The Lobster Mushrooms, especially, are a bright orange colour that is not difficult to see in the shaded forest. If they were out there, I must have been looking in the wrong places or maybe I’m just a clueless forager. It’s going to take a lot more experience and training if I want to get up to the level of foraging that seems to be common along this coast.