Outdoors Notebook | Wet weather signals matsutake season

Autumn rainfall is a signal for mushroom foragers to head into the woods to find these tasty denizens.

One of the most sought-after mushrooms is the Japanese pine, better known as the matsutake.

On a recent shopping trip to the International District, one grocery store was asking $15 to $25 per pound. In Japan, the matsutake can fetch $75 per pound or more.

The matsutake has a pungent aroma unlike any other mushroom in the Pacific Northwest, and a sort of spicy, cinnamonlike smell. Many who eat them love to soak up the aroma in soup dishes, as well as sukiyaki or beef batayaki.

Matsutake grow under a limited kind of fir trees, such as the Douglas fir, and are usually hard to find, hidden under fallen leaves or dense moss.

The fir trees are usually mature ones, that are 20 to 60-plus years old, and the mushrooms tend never to grow in the same place twice.

There are some common guidelines when picking mushrooms, according to the Puget Sound Mycological Society:

• Pick only the two-thirds of the mushrooms you find. Do not collect mushrooms from previously harvested areas; leave the rest for seed (spores) and food for wildlife.

• Minimize the impact to the actual fungus by not disturbing the ground habitat. No rakes, dogs or pigs should be used to dig mushrooms. Use the pop and twist, pop or cut at or above ground level. Avoid collecting in campgrounds or along trails.

There are Washington state personal-use mushroom harvesting rules to abide by, and free permits may be required in a few areas. Go to www.psms.org/MushroomRules.pdf

The Society's annual Wild Mushroom Show is noon-7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 14 at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St. (Mary Gates Drive).

The exhibit is one of the largest and most complete in the United States, with more than 200 varieties of wild mushrooms on display.

The guest speaker is Taylor Lockwood, author of "Chasing the Rain: My Treasure Hunt for the World's Most Beautiful Mushrooms."

There will be a feel-and-smell display; mushroom identification; slide-show lectures; tasting of mushrooms and cooking demonstration by local chefs; photography displays; and items for sale including mushroom field guides, cookbooks and scientific materials.

The cost is $7; $5 for students and seniors; and children under age 12 are free. Details: www.psms.org.

Notes

• The monthly meeting of the Washington Fly Fishing Club is Oct. 16. Guest speaker is photographer and fly-fisherman Brian O'Keefe, who will discuss saltwater fly-fishing from Tofino to the Queen Charlottes and beyond. Attendees must register online to participate in the meetings at a downtown Seattle location. Details: www.wffc.com.

• The Puget Sound Anglers of Lake Washington meeting is 7 p.m. Thursday at the Mercer Island Fire Station, 3030 78th Ave. S.E. State Fish and Wildlife biologist Chad Jackson will discuss the Lake Washington fish population survey, and biologist Steve Foley will talk about fishing in Lake Washington. Details: 425-823-0704.

• The Northwest Fly Anglers are offering beginning fly-tying classes from 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays from Wednesday through Nov. 14 at the Bitter Lake Community Center in North Seattle. Cost is $35. Details: 206-684-7524.

• The Seattle Rifle and Pistol Association's hunter sight-in will be 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and Oct. 14 at 725 135th Ave. S.E. in Snohomish. Cost is $5 per person. Details: 360-659-9362.

• The Northwest Knife Collectors' Washington Knife Show is 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup. The event is held in conjunction with the Washington Arms Collectors Show. Cost is $7. Details: www.nwkc.org.

• Anglers are getting some extra days to cash in on the northern pikeminnow reward program in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Recent high-catch rates have prompted state Fish and Wildlife officials to extend the reward program — created to reduce the number of northern pikeminnow that prey on juvenile salmon — through Oct. 14.

Anglers can earn $4 to $8 per fish measuring 9 inches or more. Specially tagged fish are worth $500.

Anglers have caught more than 160,000 northern pikeminnow so far this year, earning nearly $1 million in rewards. Funding for the program is provided by the Bonneville Power Administration. Details: 800-858-9015 or www.pikeminnow.org.

• The BirdFest and Bluegrass festivals, hosted by the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, is Saturday and Oct. 14 in Ridgefield.

The event includes guided nature and bird-walk tours, raptor shows, sandhill crane tours, art displays, 8-mile kayak tours, food vendors, children's activities, bluegrass music and a birder's marketplace. Details: 360-887-9495 or www.ridgefieldfriends.org.

• The Mountain Loop Conservancy, a nonprofit organization working to preserve the quality of the Mountain Loop Highway area, hosts meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at the Alfy's Pizza in Granite Falls. Details: 360-691-3022.

• The Steelhead University clinic is 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 8 at Sportco in Fife. The seminar is open for anglers of all abilities. Speakers include Buzz Ramsey, Dave Vedder, Bill Herzog, Bruce Warren, Joel Shangle, Phil Stephens, Rob Endsley and Terry Wiest. Tackle representatives will be on hand to show products and answer questions. Cost is $88. Details: 206-387-9293 or www.steelheaduniversity.com.

• The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group is hosting a riparian planting party and BBQ 10 a.m. Oct. 27 at Sweetwater Creek in Belfair.

The group is removing invasive noxious knotweed which has overtaken the stream over the last several years. Native maples, spruce, fir and other native shrub species will replace the invasive plants. Details: 360-275-3575 to RSVP.

• Camp Long in West Seattle offers a toddler-parent nature walk titled Fall Colors 10 a.m. Oct. 9-16. Adults and children ages 2-3 are invited to come along with a naturalist to explore life in a pond, forest and field. Cost is $7 for an adult and child, and up to two children can be registered with one adult; $3.50 per additional person. Register by Oct. 6. Details: 206-684-7434Cor www.seattle.gov/parks/environment/camplong.htm.

• Washington Sea Grant and the Port of Seattle/Fishermen's Terminal are offering a U.S. Coast Guard approved First Aid sea course 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Nordby Building at Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle. Cost is $80, and pre-registration in required. Details: 206-543-1225.

• The East Lake Washington Audubon Society is offering a Birding the Hot Spots of King County field trip 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 22. Meet at the Newport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405 off Exit 9). Cost is $2. Details: 425-746-6351 or www.elwas.org.

• Discover U. is offering a fall colors and salmon spawning float trip on the Wenatchee River 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Oct. 13 in Leavenworth. Cost is $75. Details: 206-365-0400 or www.discoveru.net.

• A new hiking trail along the Iron Goat Trail is open and follows most of the abandoned Great Northern Railroad line west of Stevens Pass.

The upper and lower grades of the system are connected by a crossover trail between Windy Point and the Iron Goat Interpretive Site.

The Iron Goat Interpretive Site is adjacent to the Stevens Pass Greenway near Milepost 58.3 on U.S. 2, and includes a parking area with restrooms and interpretive exhibits.

The crossover switchback trail is less than a mile long and climbs a bit steeply over 600 feet to connect with the upper grade. After that, it is only a quarter-mile hike on the upper grade to the Windy Point Overlook, with views of the upper Tye River Basin.

The abandoned railway grade was built in the early 1890s, and the trail is along a portion that was abandoned in 1929 when the "new" Cascade Tunnel was open. Details: 360-677-2414 or www.irongoat.org.

• Maple Leaf Adventures is offering a fall wildlife cruise by the SV Maple Leaf tall ship Oct. 18-23 through the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Details: 888-599-5323 or www.MapleLeafAdventures.com.

• The Washington Trails Association Northwest Exposure Photo Contest is now underway through Oct. 5. Categories for the contest include winter, spring, summer and fall shots, plus People in the Wild, Offbeat Outdoors and the Youth Photographer category. For details and entry forms, call 206-625-1367 or see www.wta.org.

• The Snohomish County Public Works Department's Surface Water Management Division is looking for volunteer salmon spotters to monitor local rivers and streams for spawning salmon now through Dec. 31.

Volunteers are needed in the Stillaguamish and Snohomish river systems, and in Swamp, North and Little Bear creeks.

There will be a free open house to celebrate the return of pink salmon at Osprey City Park, First Street and High Avenue in Sultan, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 29. Details: 425-388-6476 or e-mail Suzi Wong Swint at s.swint@co.snohomish.wa.us.

• Those planning on visiting the Klickitat Wildlife Area should be aware of three road closures from Nov. 1-April 14 to protect roadbeds and to avoid disturbing wintering deer and elk.

The closures are in the Soda Springs Unit, including Anderson Road, 1.3 miles south of the intersection with Soda Springs Road; Old Headquarters Road, 1 mile south of the intersection with Soda Springs Road; and South Breaks Road, 0.1 miles west of the intersection with Soda Springs Road.

The 12 miles of unpaved roads were badly damaged by vehicle traffic last fall and spring.

The roads will be open during the early deer-hunting season in October, and will reopen in time for the spring turkey season. The roads will remain open to pedestrian access.

• Those seeking out a whitewater rafting adventure should take advantage of the increased water flows on the Tieton River starting this and next month.

Water is currently being released from a full water-filled Rimrock Lake into the river to allow farmers to water their crops in the Yakima Valley, which creates a Class III whitewater river rafting adventure.

The experienced Osprey Rafting Company offers late summer 12-mile rafting trips on the Tieton River. A half-day excursion in the morning or afternoon costs $74.07, and includes a BBQ lunch. Overnight lodgings packages are also available. Details: 888-548-6850 or www.ospreyrafting.com.

• Alki Kayak Tours is hosting a variety of trips and events from the Seacrest Boathouse at Alki Crab and Fish, 1660 Harbor Ave. S.W. in West Seattle.

The group offers weekday and weekend paddle tours. There are midweek overnight stays now through September on Blake Island. Cost is $199 and includes all kayak gear, tents, dinner and breakfast. Also try out the Eddyline Kayaks and talk with the staff to find a kayak fit for you. Details: 206-935-0237 or www.kayakalki.com.

• The Inn at Suncadia in Roslyn offers guided half-day guided hikes, and three-hour guided mountain bike rides and fly-fishing trips to the Cle Elum and Yakima rivers. Cost is $50.

The hikes and bike rides are led by Central Washington University's Outdoor Pursuits Team, and packages include gear and lunch. The fly fishing package includes instruction, equipment and fishing license and lunch. Rooms are available for those who want to stay overnight. Details: 800-667-1828 or www.suncadia.com.

• The Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall holds numerous outdoors events, including a monthly "Tracking Club," that meets in Sultan on the third Saturday of each month now through May (but not December) from 9 a.m. to noon.

The program is open to naturalists, hunters and people curious about learning to identify, follow and understand stories written in tracks left by animals on the Skykomish River shoreline. Details: 425-788-1301 or www.wildernessawareness.org.

• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.

• The Northwest Fly Anglers offers various public classes through the year. The public also is invited to club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Haller Lake Community Center, 12579 Densmore Ave N., in North Seattle. Details: 206-684-7524.

• The Emerald Sea Dive Club offers year-round activities including the big buddy program and weekly and monthly dives. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Alfy's Pizza, 4820 196th S.W. in Lynnwood. Details: 425-775-2410 or www.emeraldseadiveclub.org.

• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.

• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com