April 30th ~ Howard Prairie Lake, Oregon
Marina at Howard Prairie Lake
I grew up hunting Morel Mushrooms in Southern Oregon. It was the equivalent of an Easter Egg hunt for adults. Morel Mushrooms are unique in appearance, and next to impossible to get them mixed up with a toxic type. They look more like a sea sponge and nothing like a toad stool.
Even the boats on shore looked lonely
It was of course great fun for me to meet up with my sister and brother-in-law to have a couple of days together in the mountains, reliving some of our childhood memories.
Tim and my sister, Jan
The lake and campground were almost deserted. Still very early in the season, the weather was quite cold with a smattering of snow to be found.
Our campsite
Our day started with hike on a well-marked trail along side the lake. Canada Geese were in abundance down by the water’s edge. Two bald eagles circled and soared high above us.
Not a bad setting for a cabin
Canada Geese
Several mushrooms were spotted, but not the varieties we knew, so we left them untouched where they were.
No – not this kind
Nope – wrong again
Finally Mark spotted two small, fresh morels, so we knew that they were just starting to come up.
Ding, ding, ding – THIS is what a morel mushroom looks like.
Our day turned out to be more about hiking, spending time together, getting fresh air and a bit of exercise. We found very few mushrooms, but seeing the beautiful scenery and sharing it with special people more than made up for it.
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that we had packed a variety of clothes so that we could dress in layers, and that we managed to stay warm and dry in spite of the weather.
A Note From Abroad 
So excited to share in your excitement hunting those mystical mushrooms!
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And you bravely ate some this morning 😁
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So glad you are back and on another adventure! Enjoying your posts about this trip with your friends!
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It feels great being back on the road!
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Ah, you’ve brought back many great Howard Prairie memories for me Joanne. Thanks. If one grew up in Medford, as we both did, there were an amazing number of lakes an hour or less away — Howard Prairie, Lake of the Woods, Willow Lake, Fish Lake, Emigrant Lake, and more. And of course Diamond Lake and Crater Lake were nearby too. I didn’t know these gifts of nature weren’t near everyone’s towns. We were blessed.
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Mike, we were blessed indeed to have such incredible natural beauty to be found practically in our own backyard. So glad this post could spark happy memories for you dear friend.
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Are you still here? We’d love to see both you and Janet, and maybe get Coral and Chuck and other cousins together too.
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Ginny, we are currently overnighting in Jedidiah Smith for one night. Will be close to your yurt next two nights. Are you in the area?
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Did you know, we live in Medford now? We moved here in August. We will be at Gold Beach next week, but you will likely be away. So sorry we missed you. We’d love another chance when you are back in June. It would be great if you would like to stay with us!
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I did not know you moved to Medford. Yes, it sounds like we will be missing you. We are in Gold Beach until Monday morning. Back to So. Oregon in mid August. I’ll contact you before then with specifics to see if we can get together. ❤
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We are glad you are enjoying your return to Southern Oregon! We sure enjoy living in Ashland. All the best for your surprise adventure!
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I always dreamed that I would eventually retire in Ashland. Perhaps that may still be in my future one of these days. One of my all time favorite cities on this planet.
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I would love it if you moved to Ashland! We are in Medford now.
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You are back in my territory, Joanne! The morel pickers and buyers are out in force in our area near Applegate Lake… about the same elevation and distance from the California border on the opposite side of I-5. –Curt
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Curt, thanks for that tip. My sister headed out your way today but decided it was easier to hunt down wine tasting places than morels – handy reference map was provided 😇
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There may be more wineries in the Applegate Valley than morels! 🙂
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All that fresh air and nature. Beats being in a stuffy office! When we lived in Canada for awhile, we loved going to the lakes and had several memorable adventures. Great to have so many choices!
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Southern Oregon is a dream destination for anyone who loves nature and being outdoors.
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This post earned a Bean Pat as blog pick of the day. Check it out at: http://patbean.wordpress.com
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Thank you for the Bean Pat nod. Much appreciated ❤️
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Mushrooms or not, it looks like a wonderful time. I’ve gone mushroom hunting with my s-i-l in the French forests. Haven’t found any morels, but lots of other and fortunately, she knows which are which. You can also take them to any pharmacy and find out whether they’re good to eat or not.
janet
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Janet, I had no idea that you could take mushrooms to a pharmacy for identification and a safety evaluation. Great to know!
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You can’t in France. I don’t know that you can anywhere else though.
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You can in France
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Brainnnnnz! 😀
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Looks like your adventure is off to a great start! By the way, are you towing a Subaru Crosstrek behind your RV?
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Yes, great little tow vehicle.
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I too grew up hunting Morels.. They are one of Oregon’s many natural delicacies for those with patience and a good eye.. Great stuff.
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The good eye and patience are essential. But the payoff when successful is mighty good.
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