Blaine Basin: On Misery and Mycophilia

Blaine Basin trail is a beautiful, moderate 6.5 mile hike with 1,850’ elevation gain.  The trail starts out through dense forest alongside a musical brook, crosses Wilson Creek three times, and ends up in a gorgeous wildflower-filled basin beneath the face of Mt. Sneffels.  That’s about all I can tell you.

I wasn’t feeling it on this hike, and I am still not feeling it looking back.  But that is certainly no reflection on the hike itself.  It was beautiful, and of all the hikes we have done in Ouray, it had the least incline.   But I struggled all the way there.

We must navigate three stream crossings to get to Blaie Basin.

We must navigate three stream crossings to get to Blaine Basin.

I always thought "knocking knees" was a figure of speech until I followed Gayle across this "flexi-bridge."

I always thought “knocking knees” was a figure of speech until I followed Gayle across this “flexi-bridge.”

IMG_3342I blame part of it on just not being able to get back in the groove after two weeks away.  I think I summited Red Mountain on sheer adrenaline and joy alone, just happy to be back, and getting to do a hike I was so bummed to have missed.  So why was this one so hard?

Jim, Gayle, and Chris waiting for me to put the camera away and get on across the creek.

Jim, Gayle, and Chris waiting for me to put the camera away and get on across the creek.

Looking for hikers atop Mt. Sneffels, 14,157', marked by the snow "X."

Looking for hikers atop Mt. Sneffels, 14,157′, marked by the snow “X.”

Lower Blaine Basin -- if there is a more perfect lunch spot, I can't imagine it.

Lower Blaine Basin — if there is a more perfect lunch spot, I can’t imagine it.

I’d like to give one of those snooty answers like some of my beloved hiking companions, “I have been spoiled by the majestic vistas and views above tree line.   Forests bore me.”  But the fact is, I love a good forest hike.  The aromatic Christmas tree smell that emanates from the spruce and fir.  The birdsong lilting from the branches overhead.  The soft bed of fir needles lining the path, muffling the sound of my footfall while my own breath echoes against the massive giants that line my path.  I do my best thinking on a hike like this.

Leaving Lower Blain Basin, headed to Upper Blaine Basin.

Leaving Lower Blain Basin, headed to Upper Blaine Basin.

The thing I love about hiking with Jim, Gayle, and Chris is that there is no question whether we will keep climbing to Upper Basin.  We just go.  ;-)

The thing I love about hiking with Jim, Gayle, and Chris is that there is no question whether we will keep climbing to the Upper Basin. We just go. 😉

But not this day. First, it was humid.  My body handles heat a lot better than humidity.  I felt like I couldn’t drink enough lukewarm water for the input to be greater than the outflow of perspiration pouring from my head.  And since this hike was of modest incline, my hiking companions seemed eager to sprint up at a pace I have not seen since I first began hiking with them last summer.   My lungs and legs could not keep up with my desire, leaving me lacking stamina and lagging behind.

Once to Upper Basin, Chris brings out the "Summit Cookies!"

Once to Upper Basin, Chris brings out the “Summit Cookies!”

We see a faint trail to the saddle.  Is there time?  A clap of thunder across the valley says "No!"

We see a faint trail to the saddle. Is there time? A clap of thunder across the valley says “No!”

Still, the stream crossings were fun.   And being “up close and personal” to Mt. Sneffels, Ouray County’s fourteener, was awe inspiring.

But what will leave a lasting impression is, with Chris’ help, I tapped into my inner mycophile.  The San Juan National Forest is prolific with fungi and mushrooms, it would appear.  Some edible, and even quite delectable!  Funny how I never really noticed the vast variety, until Chris began to point them out.  Once we started looking, we saw many varieties all along the path; fungi, puff balls, hawk’s wings, and plenty of false boletes.

Jim leads the way through Lupine.

Jim leads the way through Lupine.

IMG_3369

I enjoyed learning how to recognize them, particularly the boletes, or porcinis, recognizable by their toasty browned top and pores underneath the cap rather than the usual gills.  But Chris cautions there are “false boletes,” which are not toxic, but have been known to be quite disagreeable to some, and shows me how to tell the difference.  Chris finds a couple of “keepers” on this hike.   I had no idea mushroom hunting was so popular, but we meet “Bud” on the trail, hiking with his canvas shopping bag.  It’s like an Easter egg hunt for grown-ups!

An entire bookstore window display dedicated to mycophilia.

An entire bookstore window display dedicated to mycophilia.

Unfortunately, this is the only photo I got, as I was too engrossed in "the hunt."  This is Coral Fungi

Unfortunately, this is the only photo I got, as I was too engrossed in “the hunt.” This is Coral Fungi

Further research reveals that Colorado has the second highest concentration of mushrooms in the USA, a close second to the Pacific Northwest, with over 2,000 varieties.  Of those, only 50 to 100 are edible.  So best do your hunting with a mycological enthusiast, otherwise you end up with a case of misery of a whole different sort.

“All mushrooms are edible, but some only once in a lifetime.”

9 thoughts on “Blaine Basin: On Misery and Mycophilia

  1. Not to “rain” on your hike, but I can safely say that I will never be a mycophile. I seldom eat mushrooms of any kind. It’s just me. I’m certainly aware of their popularity as a must have ingredient in haute cuisine and other recipes. All I can say is that my “high” will have to come from the sheer beauty of the hike and surroundings, sans mushroomyrooms. You lost me at “fungi”. 🙂

  2. The photos show a gorgeous Ouray hike, despite your not necessarily feeling it! I just love fungi in all its beautiful, fascinating forms, glad to see you discover it. Being a complete novice, I am afraid to pick any of them, you were fortunate to hike with someone knowledgeable!

  3. I used to hunt mushrooms a lot as a kid. I’m surprised I never poisoned myself! But I just don’t know enough about the varietals here in the U.S. Love wild mushrooms though!

    Nina

  4. I just read “H is for Hawk” by Helen Macdonald. I think you might like it. The outdoors can be an escape and a time for reflection.

  5. Sorry you were miserable on that hike. It was the easiest one for us in all the hiking we did around Ouray. Bet you would have felt like we did had you not had a 2 week hiatus at sea level.

  6. Suzanne, you have been through so much lately. You will have days where you just don’t feel your best even though you are surrounded by beauty. Thank you for sharing your heart with us. We are here to listen and allow you your moments:)

    I love mushrooms and would love to have someone take me mushroom hunting. Maybe when we meet finally we can go searching together:) That Coral Fungi is really cool!

  7. We love shrooms! Unfortunately the only ones which I trust are the little, sometimes big ones which usually grow in the middle of a bovine meadow muffin. Fried up with a nice steak and some fried potatoes, they can make life wonderful.
    Enjoyed your troublesome blog. Nice pictures.

  8. Wow, the coral fungi is cool looking. I had to google it to find out more. Around here in northwest Illinois, morel mushrooms are the popular ones to hunt in the spring. Some will not even share their “secret hunting grounds”.

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