Resources and Reflections

Mmmmmm………..Matsutake!!!!
Tricholoma Matsutake or Japanese Pine Mushroom	California "Matsutake"; Tricholoma magnivelare ...or not?
The picture at left shows a typical sample of the “true ” Tricholoma Matsutake as distinct from our local pacific northwest variety, referred to below as Tricholoma magnivelare even though the western “Matsutake” have been shown through genetic studies to be a distinct population and so are misnamed as either Matsutake or Magnivelare. Visually, as opposed to the “true” strain native to Asia, North Africa, Europe and northeastern North America, the pacific northwest variety (shown at right) is initially quite pale versus the brown of the Asian variety. But, academic debates aside, when it comes to mushroom hunting, its all about field identification, and odor is one of the strongest indicators, specifically a strong, distinctive spicy funk, like Ethiopian food and dirty laundry, its been said. Despite the off-putting description, this is one of the most highly prized mushrooms in Japan and elsewhere, with a culinary stature approaching that of the more familiar European truffle tuber melanosporum, and for much the same reason as musk is the base note of many fine perfumes, the strong distinctive scent, and in this case, flavor blend almost magically with the sharper notes of ginger, onion and miso traditionally used in Japanese preparations, and I can highly recommended it as a superior compliment to wild game.
The American Matsutake: Tricholoma magnivelare by Michael Kuo The American matsutake grows primarily under conifers in northern and montane North America. When young it is white, but it soon begins to develop brownish discolorations. It features a prominent partial veil which covers the young gills and later forms a sheathlike covering on the lower stem, with the upper edge flaring outward to form a ring. The gills are crowded and attached to the stem, sometimes by a notch, but do not run down it. The spore print is white. The odor of the matsutake is its most distinctive–and hard to characterize–feature. “Spicy but a little bit foul” is what comes to my mind, though I like “a provocative compromise between ‘red hots’ and dirty socks” (Arora, 1986, p. 191). The matsutake taste is as distinctive as the odor: “an incredible and complex flavor you won’t ever forget–even though you won’t be able to adequately describe it to anyone” (Volk, 2000). Description: Ecology: Mycorrhizal, primarily with conifers (jack pine in northeastern North America; lodgepole pine in the Rocky Mountains; Pinus teocote and other pines in Mexico’s high-elevation pine-oak forests; and pines and other conifers Pacific Northwest and California) but also found in tanoak and madrone forests on the West Coast; growing scattered or gregariously; northern and montane North America; summer, fall, and (in warmer climates) winter. Cap: 5-20 cm; convex becoming broadly convex or nearly flat; dry or a little sticky; white at first; soon with brownish discolorations and pressed-down fibers; the margin rolled under when young. Gills: Attached to the stem, sometimes by means of a notch; crowded; white, developing brown or reddish brown stains and spots with age. Stem: 4-15 cm long; up to 5 cm thick; more or less equal, or with a slightly tapered base (but not with a long, rooting base); white above the ring, colored like the cap below; partial veil white and thick, collapsing to form a sheath around the lower stem and a prominent flaring ring at the top edge of the sheath. Flesh: White; firm; not changing on exposure. Odor and Taste: Taste spicy; odor fragrant and distinctive (see comments above). Spore Print: White. I’ve collected these in northwest Oregon and the literature indicates the only important difference between here in northwest California and there is in terms of habitat with tanoak and madrone in addition to the conifer zones it is found in further north. We have reliable reports of abundant Matsutake in our mapped sites up at Leonard Lake Reserve, where time will tell the truth of this spot’s reputation as a plentiful producer. And, technicalities aside Matsutake is considered ” edible and choice”, music to a mushroom hunters ears. While there are several species that closely resemble it ,specifically” Tricholoma caligatum (with a browner cap, hardwood habitat, and mild or mealy odor), Catathelasma imperiale (with gills that run down the stem, a double ring, and a tapering stem that roots deeply in the soil), and  Russula brevipes (too many differences to list) “none are toxic, and the identifying characteristics are sufficiently unambiguous that a careful picker, with an experienced guide for quality assurance there is virtually no danger of poisoning. Allergic reactions are a different matter, and in some people are made worse by drinking alcohol and eating new species of wild mushrooms. Anyone with food sensitivities needs to be their own best friend when it comes to sampling, or not sampling new foods. Book your own California wild mushroom foray

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Popularity: 100% [?]

So, Thursday the 8th of October I dragged out an old tire to replace the second one I’d ridden through on the rear wheel, I patched the tube for the fourth time, packed a full overnight load into my Arkel panniers (the BEST panniers ever) and took a long 48 mile ride through the slightly chilly breezes and blustery sunshine on one of the last dry days of fall. First a few errands 10 miles south in Ukiah, to recover my  Camelback from where I’d left it on my last trip there, picked up a new tube and a patch kit, since the goathead thorns had taken a toll on my glue supply in the last couple weeks, and then put my teeth into the wind and rode west up the long low climb of Masonite Road.

This is a private road owned by the Mendocino Redwood Logging Company but its easily accessible by bicycle via one of the three open gates in the cyclone fence along the south side of Orr Springs Road just west of Hwy. 101. Masonite Road originates at the old Masonite mill site, the development of which is the focus of much current sturm und drang currently roiling local politics and the upcoming ballot measure “A”, meant to circumvent local planning authority and create a zoning change there, written by the developer, is being hotly debated in bars, on the air and on street corners all around Mendocino County. The road itself however, is wide, mostly smooth asphalt, and virtually un-trafficked. It climbs, much less steeply than but basically parallel to the first sharp ascent of Orr Springs Road, winding for six or seven miles at the base of the Mann Ranch property just to the north of the road, 1800 steeply rolling oak forested acres that is more fully described in the post linked to here. More »

Popularity: 42% [?]

The information herein has been gleaned from a number of sources around the Net with links provided at the end f the article. The author is NOT a physician and is not attempting to prescribe or recommend medical treatment, but merely to inform fellow endurance athletes of a significant risk to their health resulting from the otherwise beneficial consequences of regular vigorous physical activity, and to summarize the literature on treatment and prevention.

DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis, also referred to as “Economy class syndrome” results from the pooling and coagulation (thrombosis) of blood in the deep veins of the calf, thigh and occasionally the abdomen due to lack of motion and/or constriction of the blood flow to these areas. The immediate symptoms include some or all of the following; pain, swelling, discoloration of the painful area and, when in the leg, distended veins in the foot or leg. The longer term pathologies include possible permanent damage to the smaller veins from lack of circulation resulting in phlebitis and/or cellulitis. Worst of all is the possibility that the thrombosis or clot can become mobile and lodge in the lungs causing pulmonary embolism (PE), chest pain, coughing up blood and potentially, death. If a clot gets lodged in the brain, this can cause stroke or cerebral embolism and a clot in the heart can cause heart failure.

Various studies show that endurance athletes, with their low resting heart rates, large leg muscles and tenancy to dehydration are especially vulnerable to DVT, up to 85% more likely to suffer DVT than non-athletes under certain circumstances. Since endurance athletes tend to become dehydrated more often and more severely than the sedentary population, and dehydration causes the blood to thicken and coagulate more readily, attention to hydration is even more important than just for the obvious and better known reasons of managing electrolyte imbalance and exhaustion. More »

Popularity: 73% [?]

Emerald Empire Adventures is excited to announce the
1st annual Mushrooms and Mountain Bikes Adventures

at Leonard Lake Reserve for the fall season of 2009, a Winter Weekend Special Adventure

$165/person, all inclusive; food, lodging, guides and transportation from Redwood Valley included.

Saturday and Sunday throughout the season (October -??? depending on the rains)

Mushroom Pickers are TOUGH; we hunt with just a knife and a paintbrush!

The creek crossing very rarely rains out and becomes impassible so, as every mushroom picker knows, the forest can be wet and the trails muddy, be prepared!Email treasures@emeraldempireadventures.com, comment below or call us at 707-367-3299 or book on-line to reserve your spot now. We can accommodate groups of from five to forty and there’s a ten percent discount for groups of ten or more. Check us out on the web at http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/

We depart Base Camp at 9001 C North State Street in Redwood Valery and after a 1o mile climb up to Leaonard Lake (for those who wish), we’ll take an hour to settle you into your guest house, whichever of the five classic craftsman style, fully equipped units best fits the group. We’ll have a light lunch and dinner will be started after we go out on our first picking expedition into the old growth redwood on pastures of plenty (Mushroom Gods willing), where no one has picked in man a year, if ever.After a long afternoon tramping the hills and picking, we will return to the lake houses with your bounty where our chef will incorporate it into dinner and pair it all with some carefully chosen local vintages for your dining pleasure. It will all be ready after you’ve changed out of those soggy togs, and we can swap stories around the fire after the meal, till the sandman calls you away.You’ll wake up Sunday morning to the smell of coffee and a hearty country style breakfast to warm you up for the Leonard Lake mountain bike loop, 3.5 miles of up and down (see map and profile below), ’round the lake through more untouched picking grounds than you can shake a mushroom brush at. There will be a vehicle for those who’d rather not ride, those 3 and half miles could easily take 6 hours to pick through and the truck makes it easy to pick for your freezer of dehydrator and not have to lug the whole booty bag back to the cabin! A picnic lunch will be served along the way and warming beverages will be provided.At the end of the day, we’ll load up you and your gear in our bus and bring you back to you car, booty and all. The true hard-core cyclists can ride back down that 10 mile hill they climbed on Saturday, and accommodations will be made for those who don’t want to ride at all.

Email treasures@emeraldempireadventures.com, comment below or call us at 707-367-3299 or book on-line to reserve your spot now. We can accommodate groups of from five to forty and there’s a ten percent discount for groups of ten or more. More »

Popularity: 76% [?]

The route shown below was built in Google Earth for navigation purposes and is the first of two possible routes from the high point on Reeves Canyon Road at the Upper Ranch through the back country and in through the back side of Montgomery Woods State Park to Orr Springs Road about five miles downhill from Orr Hot Springs. Most of the route can be traced visually from the satellite photos, with the exception of the section designated by the group of map pins. At that location, the visible traces of the road are completely obscured by vegetation, and that’s where things can get dicey.
I’m posting this well in advance of riding it and will be posting notice on the Yahoo Mendo Community BB group to solicit any advice or warnings and hopefully avoid disturbing any activity out there. My purpose is solely to pass through, and absolutely NOT to find anything that others don’t want found. I’ll be carrying a penny-whistle and using it frequently to notify any folks who might be out there gardening that I’m coming through. In addition, just like hiking in Alaska, I’ll be giving frequent shout-outs to the forest so as not to surprise any aggressive wildlife. More »

Popularity: 42% [?]

(July 28, ‘09) This weekend, I’ll be riding and documenting the route posted in the map below. This is preparatory to defining our exclusive Lake County Bike and Wine Tours in co-operation with Blue Lake Lodge. The route “as ridden” will be posted on Monday, with the geo-tagged photos and full description.  I’ll be spending the night at either Clear Lake State Park or (depending on gates and permission) preferably at the top of Mt. Konocti (Kuh-nok-tie). That would be the high point in the elevation chart below.

In the meantime, its 5:40 PM and I’m hitting the road in five minutes.

Planned Route

Clearlake Loop Navigation Route
Well, I spent 3 days riding the route and two weeks editing, geo-tagging and uploading the images, due to technical issues ranging from a nominal 42 Kbss dialup line which usually runs at about 10 Kbps to a balky computer which goes to a black screen about 10 times a day., to a messed up GPS file that I still have not fixed. More »

Popularity: 24% [?]

Since it would seem that any route north out Redwood Valley, other than Tomki Rd.,  is currently unavailable behind locked gates, upon the advice of locals, I’ve mapped the route below. Starting at Hoppers Corner in Potter Valley, I’ll be heading due north to the Eel River and the road of the same name that leads through some very interesting looking country and eventually to Hearst-Willits Road and, perhaps some refreshment at Shanachie. The return to Redwood Valley via 101 should clock in at nearly 50 miles. I’m out the door by 4, camera in hand and the route uploaded to the GPS. Temp is about 85 and sunny with a stiff breeze from the west; perfect. The hammock, night clothes and sleeping bag are loaded and I may just camp out up on the high point, who knows?

Route as Planned

Potter Valley to Willits back country cruising
I’ll post the route below as ridden. Here’s hoping for no locked gates.

July 24, ,09; Back to Redwood Valley, and more or less recovered. Total distance 59 mi., total ascent 7000′, ride time about 7 hrs. And one hulluva ride too I might add. 2 miles from the start point at Hopper’s Corners,there’s a nice warmup climb coming north out of Potter Valley, gaining 800′ in two miles. The road surface is quite good, with clean, if narrow shoulders, until you cross the Russian River. Taking a left on Eel River Road, the pavement narrows and surface conditions fade to quilted asphalt as you head north by northeast along the east bank of the main fork of the Eel River. 12 miles from the start point you cross the Eel at an elevation of 1400′ and then commence a three mile climb up loose dusty gravel to the summit at an elevation of 2850′. there are two stretches with slopes exceeding 40%. There are also a number of gates between the bridge and the eventual outlet at Hearst-Willits Rd. After talking at length with the folks at Hopper’s Corners in Potter Valley, as well as with all the people I met along the way, the consensus was to leave the gate the way you found it, pass through without leaving the road, and announce your presence as you move. So I did. More »

Popularity: 27% [?]

Sherwood Road is a county road, but for most of its length you would never know it. The track shown on the map below begins at Columbi Market in Ft. Bragg and ends at Hwy 101 in Willits and the geo-tagged photos give a pretty fair idea of the conditions along the way; Pudding Creek “peanut butter” clays, named so both for their color and consistency when wet, which is a very good reason to ride this in the dry (May-October) season. The road runs more of less paralell to the Skunk Train route but offset a few miles to the north and several hundred feet in altitude.

Columbi Deli and Grocery, Ft. Bragg

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An excellent stop for carbs before tackling the long climb, this market seems unchanged since the 50's and is an institution in the neighborhood.

Popularity: 19% [?]

This is a 35 mile loop with two significant climbs. The GPX file mapped below was hand made in Google Earth and will be uploaded to the Garmin for navigation purposes,

Cave Creek to Potter Valley
July 09; Planning on riding the route this afternoon, wondering about conditions at Cave Creek Rd.; did I get the route right, are there locked gates (the satellite photos were dicey at the crest)? SHould be an interesting ride. The camera and GPS are charged and ready to go, and the navigation route (shown above) is loaded and ready to go. Sunscreen, water and carbs and I should be out the door by 1:30.
Ok, finally out the door at 4:30.

Popularity: 24% [?]

This was my first attempt to create a KML path in Google Earth, use TCXConverter to transform the KML to GPX, upload the GPX to the GPS and ride the route. Oy! with the acronyms.
The USGS topo calls this Main Ranch Road, paralleling Eldridge Creek to the back side of Greenfield Ranch and thence to Orr Springs Road, right up at the top by Mann Ranch. With the permission of someone along the course of the road, I hope to ride all the way through from Redwood Valley and make a really nice 30 mile loop down Orr Springs, down to North State Street and back through Calpella to Redwood Valley. Not to mention this being the most direct route to the hot springs, less than 15 miles and very little traffic, saweeeeet! The road surface looks very dusty from the satellite photos, but fairly well traveled, with perhaps a dozen or so homesteads along the way by the looks of it.
On further research, I’m told by the Mendocino County Surveyor’s office that Main Ranch Road is a privately owned road with multiple owners.

Main Ranch Road
Hoping to ride this today, more news tomorrow.

Les indigienes

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An old farm at the crossroads

Popularity: 58% [?]