The Hunt Continues

A truffle tip lead me south of Olympia, where I encountered a few inches of snow at an elevation of 400 feet—and no suitable truffle habitat. Perhaps a decoy to throw me off the scent? These trufflers are a shady lot, I had to remind myself. Chicanery notwithstanding, it made for a fine eight-mile hike. Exploring new country is half the fun of foraging. Like anyone else, I'd prefer to come home with a full crokersack, but one can't complain about a day spent in the woods rather than behind a desk. Besides, I did make some notations on my map: The chanterelle mushroom habitat looked excellent, with thick mats of salal and ferns beneath second-growth fir. I'll be back on my mountain bike in the fall.