Events Recap

The Annual MMS Morel Hunt and Get Together
Elba, Minnesota, May 14th and 15th 2005

Several members arrived early for the foray and had breakfast together at the ever popular and traditional MMS meeting place when in the tiny village of Elba, the fine eating and drinking establishment, Elba Inn. The Annual MMS Morel Hunt and Overnight attracted a large contingent this year. About 35 enthusiastic morel hunters met up at 11:00 am in the church parking lot just off Main Street in Elba. The day was regrettably overcast and cool for the middle of May. Lee Moellerman led the caravan of 20 cars from the church to the foray areas he had selected earlier. After arriving at the first site and before we officially began the foray Lee led the group to an old elm tree that he knew from examining the tree earlier contained a good many morels around it and asked that only the beginners search the area so that they could avoid the usual feeding frenzy and thus guaranteeing each of them a morel find. Lee is the forever generous and considerate guide and mentor to mushroom novices. Before we got started it was decided to break into two groups with Lee taking one segment and me the other. We took a circular route; Lee led his flock west and I led the other east and after an hour and a half of searching through the woods we all met at the apex of the circle. Although the area contained an abundance of dead elms, the unseasonably cool weather had unfortunately inhibited the growth of the morels resulting in their limited numbers as well as stunted sizes and making them particularly difficult to find. In spite of these adverse conditions most of the searchers amazingly found several morels each even though the fruiting bodies were in their early stage of development and dark grey in color thus camouflaging themselves perfectly amongst the usual obstacles to finding morels - last season’s rotting leaves, small leafy plants, vines with thorns, and miscellaneous forest debris.

Hmm, Steve Netzman, with mushrooms in a sack, cast as an itinerant wayfarer

We then visited the second nearby foray area where conditions were much the same as the first with similar results. Towards the end of the foray Lee decided to take a short-cut to the parking area through what proved to be steep and difficult terrain. This short-cut was later jokingly referred to as the “Death March”. Lee’s reward for selecting this route was a lot of good natured ribbing. Upon the completion of this foray at about 4:30 pm most of our members chose to return to home, but a smaller group of about 15 decided to stay over in the Elba area and continue the search for morels on Sunday morning. The majority who stayed over had dinner at the Elba Inn and the rest had a barbeque at the White Water State Park where they were camping overnight. At the Inn that evening we enjoyed once again fine meals and interesting conversations, mostly concerning travels to unusual and exotic locales and of course mushrooms and mushroomers we have known. I was told that those who opted for dinner at the camp had a superb meal of pork chops, morels, leeks and other fine delicacies.

Sometimes the morels (left) are odd-shaped and can fool you. Cup-fungi (right) are present about the same time as morels.

Sunday morning after an extended breakfast at the Elba Inn we left to continue our search for morels. The weather was again overcast and cool with a few light sprinkles. The foray site selected was located near the watch tower high on a hill over looking the forest and the village. Here there were even more dead elms, but the adverse conditions that limited the number and size of morels found the day before continued to restrict our finds. On the positive note, Leon Horien and Patty Bellino provided everyone within earshot a few light moments with their amusing chatter back and fourth over their walkie-talkies. Leon would ask Patty where she was when she was hidden by the trees in the forest and then give her directions to where he was waiting. This two-way communication worked well as Patty managed to keep up with everyone even though no one knew exactly where she was a good part of the time. By one o’clock it was the group’s consensus to give up the search and head home, but with the hope that as a result of our recent heavy rains and predicted warm weather this season’s elusive morels will yet make their appearance.

Bob Fulgency

A well deserved respite for mushroomers at the famous Elba Inn

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Events Recap

The Annual MMS Morel Hunt and Get Together Elba, Minnesota, May 14th and 15th 2005

The Annual MMS Morel Hunt and Get Together
Elba, Minnesota, May 14th and 15th 2005