On the weekend of August 13-14, it will be time once again for our Society's main annual foray. As usual, we will be based in Springerville, for easy access to all the high country in the White Mountains between Pinetop and Hannagan Meadow. There are many hotels and campgrounds in the area; see details below.
This year, we will be honored to host David Rust, the President of the North American Mycological Association, and his wife Debbie Viess, a well-known expert in the genus Amanita. They have graciously agreed to serve as foray mycologists. With their help, we are offering mini-forays that will be geared specifically to mushrooming novices on Saturday, and to advanced mycology and detailed identification on Sunday, in addition to the general forays for mushroom hunters of all skill levels.
There will also be a special event on the Saturday night of the foray. We'll be visiting the Sunrise Resort at the foot of the ski area, where Chef Nephi Craig is gaining nationwide renown for culinary inventiveness that combines training in classical European cooking techniques with the foraged and hunted ingredients used by his Apache and Navajo ancestors. When registration opens on August 4, please sign up and pre-pay for this dinner on the special event registration form:
FORAY DATE: August 12 through August 14, 2016
FORAY DESTINATION: Springerville, AZ (White Mountains)
MEETING PLACE: The general forays will meet at the Safeway parking lot in Springerville. The novice and advanced forays will meet at the dining room of the Rode Inn in Springerville. Dinner on Saturday will be at the Sunrise Resort near the ski area.
MEETING TIME: There may be an informal Happy Hour at the Rode Inn in Springerville on Friday evening, Aug. 12. If you would like to help organize this, you should join our Venue and Hospitality Committee and inform the Society President.
The Saturday forays will begin at 9:00 AM to allow enough time for same-day drivers to arrive from the Valley. The dinner Saturday night will be at 7:00 PM, although some members may meet there for drinks earlier. The Sunday forays will begin at 8:00 AM.
Note that the Saturday forays, Sunday forays, and Saturday night dinner are all separate events in our database, each of which requires a separate individual registration.
FORAY CAPTAIN: Christopher May, 480-326-6863, ccmaymd@gmail.com
LOCAL SCOUT/CO-CAPTAIN: Kevin Widner, foray@arizonamushroomsociety.org,602-791-3458
FORAY MYCOLOGISTS/GUEST SPEAKERS:
David Rust, NAMA
Debbie Viess, BAMS
MYCOLOGY SKILL LEVEL: All
THEMES: Mushroom ID, collection of edibles, photography.
PHYSICAL FITNESS LEVEL: Low; you should be able to walk a mile on flat ground or slight slopes.
VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: Any vehicle.
MEETUP FORUM:
EXPECTED WEATHER:
LODGING: Motel/Hotel accommodations are available at the Rode Inn (877-220-6553, 928-333-4365), Reed’s Lodge, Best Western (800-359-2522, 928-333-2540) and a number of other lodgings in the Springerville-Eagar-Greer area. Rooms are also available in Alpine at Escudilla Mountain Cabins, 928-339-4285.
If you stay at the Rode Inn and you are with the Arizona Mushroom Club tell them you want the special rate. Have them confirm this; otherwise you are free to call a different motel if you wish.
For those people camping out, be sure to reserve a camping space at Rainbow, Grayling, or Cutthroat campsites via computer at “recreation.gov”. Cutthroat camp has several “Full Hook Up” sites and Rainbow and Cutthroat have restrooms and showers available. You can reserve by phone by calling 888-448-1474 and give the name of the campground at Big Lake AZ and the campsite number from the site map. A user fee per night per family is charged and holders of a Golden Age Passport receive a 50% discount.