On Saturday, June 16th, CMS members Bernie Seward and Bill Windsor organized and ran a foray designed to teach members how to identify Black Morel habitat and determine Black Morel fruiting timing by observing botanic indicators. Approximately 50 CMS members, including 6 new members, participated in the foray.

The foray site was at the Chicago Creek campsite near Mt. Evans. Bernie Seward ran the logistics of the foray including identifying a suitable location to handle the volume of people and vehicles, providing maps to the site and handling, new memberships, renewals and the foray sign-in/waiver sheet. Bill Windsor was foray leader and provided 'mentoring' on how to identify potentially productive morel grounds and how to use other plants, trees and flowers to identify the if the timing of a given area is correct for morel fruiting.

The foray began with a short lecture about identifying the general characteristics of where Black Morels are likely to fruit. As members started searching the foray site, Bill provided specific examples of superior and inferior environmental characteristics using examples in the area's mix of terrain and trees. Bill also identified several plant and flowers in the area and demonstrated which should be in bloom or not at the same time that morels are likely to fruit. Based on the plant indicators, it was determined that the foray site was just a little bit too high in elevation (9,400 ft.) to be prime, however, there were sufficient plant indicators to support finding some morels in the area. An hour and a half foray into the site turned up 9 fresh Black morels (Morchella augusticeps). In addition to the morels, other species found on the foray included Caloscypha fulgens, Flammulina velutipes, Ganoderma applanatum, Gyromitra esculenta, Lycoperdon pyriforme, and Polyporus badius.

During lunch there were additional discussions on habitat on plant indicators and a “show and tell” and identification of other mushrooms found by CMS member Rob Hallock. Following lunch the group separated with some members continuing to search the foray site and some members seeking a slightly lower elevation. Bill Windsor led a small group over Squaw Pass and demonstrated a “guerilla” morel hunting technique of checking multiple sites to zero-in on the correct elevation to hunt. At the lower elevation of 9,000 ft. 4 morels that were a bit older were located after a quick search of a small hunting zone.

Based on this foray, the current “prime” searching zone for Black Morels in the Evergreen/Mt. Evans area is between 9,000 ft. and 9, 400 ft. This will climb in elevation by about 500 ft each week if weather remains consistent. A warming trend could accelerate this.