Good Afternoon

The Adventurer, Vernon Wade

Vernon was born in the Pacific Northwest and still lives in the shadow of Mt. Hood, near the small town where he grew up. Vernon has spent decades wandering the hills, hunting mushrooms, camping and riding motorcycles into the remotest nooks and crannies to be found in the region.

11/9/25 Clear, sunny, and warm.

We decided to forage for cranberries and mushrooms instead of doing yard work, so Amy, Walter, and I piled into the car and headed north.

We picked up Mike on the way and by noon, we were on the road to Trout Lake.

Disappearing Lake had filled with recent rains. It’s been too warm to give credence to the ice plug theory. I think it is more like a drain partially clogged with muck. When water comes in faster than it goes out, it fills. When the water comes in slower or stops, it drains.

The bog was also full and Mike hadn’t brought rubber boots, so he and Walter looked for mushrooms while Amy and I collected berries.

After forty minutes on our hands and knees we had about a half gallon between us, enough for Thanksgiving. We cached our berries in the car and joined Walter and Mike in the pursuit of fungi.

Gomphus and Russula were abundant, most of which were so waterlogged and decayed as to be almost unrecognizable. We decided to try our luck at lower elevations.

On our way down the hill, I spotted a flash of color at the base of a snag, out in the lava bed.

“Stop the car,” I cried.

Peering through the roadside brush, I still couldn’t determine what it was, but it looked worth investigation.

I scrambled through the brush and down the bank. A deep, rocky chasm blocked my path. Taking a circuitous route, I found myself behind the snag separated from my goal by a deep crack in the ground. I had to continue past, following the crack until I came to a crossing and could double back to the dead tree I had been stalking.

My perseverance was rewarded by a beautiful, fresh Sparrasis about the size of a small cabbage. The hike back to the car was uneventful and we continued down the road.

When we reached less rocky terraine we stopped to do some more foraging. We found a few sodden lobster mushrooms and a handful of nice chanterelles before setting up the chairs, starting a fire and sitting down for some snacks.

It was dark when we headed home, tired but happy after a pleasant day in the woods.