Colorado Rockies Archives - Spoon & Suitcase

For years I’ve dreamed of hunting for mushrooms. These almost illusive, sought-after fungi were surely only for the expert spotter – until today. I’m spending time with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew in their mountain home in Colorado. Hiking the quiet, unpopulated alpine trails is their passion as well as practicing the art of foraging.

Boletes, or more specifically, King Bolete, the mushrooms we were seeking, are also known as Cepes in France and Porcini in Italy. These are no ordinary mushrooms but a prized culinary delicacy. They grow at high elevations here in the Colorado Rockies and hide themselves in the forest, nestled under spruce trees

My European sister-in-law, Mirna, was the perfect teacher in showing me what to look for and how to tell the edibles from the poisonous. She learned the art from her father as a young girl, foraging the forests of Croatia. About 1/2 hour into our hike, Mirna spotted the first Bolete of the day. A smooth cinnamon-colored cap lay solo tucked next to a spruce log.
Mirna demonstrated how to dig deep around the wide stem, making sure to dislodge the entire mushroom. Soon after, our eyes trained, we were calling “Bolete!” to signal each other that another one of these randomly placed treasures was discovered.

My Belle Soeur (sister-in-law), Mirna and me.

Hiking down the mountain, our bag full of large, tasty mushrooms, I felt a surge of admiration for Mother Nature and thanked her repeatedly. This was the best day of my life!

If only one could tell true love from false love as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools
Katherine Mansfield

“I believe fairies live here.” I nodded in agreement with this comment made by a passing fellow hiker, smarting a huge grin. The beauty and tranquility of the Colorado mountains always manages to take my breath away and this day was no exception. A visit to my Colorado family, who are adventurous hikers, was not complete without experiencing their favorite alpine trails. We started at a turnout parking lot near Berthoud Pass and wound our way up to the glaciers, I, huffing and puffing, my lungs not used to the high altitude.

Inhaling the thick, aromatic pine-spiked air awakened my senses. Time stands still.
Each curve of the trail revealing Mother Nature’s allure. Only the sounds of a trickling stream and occasional chirp interrupt the silence

Fallen timber and dusty gray pinecones scatter the ground amidst tufts of lush summer grass and pockets of tall white daisies. A sapphire sky watches over it all.

Nearing the glacier, we make a turn and are greeted by a soft spoken and terraced, winding stream. My eyes had to refocus to drink in the clusters of vivid magenta wildflowers, Parry’s Primroses, hugging the water’s edge. Pristine and breath taking.

We were nearing the glacier’s icy edge and made one last push upwards. The views were our reward. How did we climb up so high in the sky?
This forest, that offers so much hope in all stages of life, leaves me speechless and seduces me into becoming one with nature. At this moment I recognize that I am not a separate entity but an integral part of this living, breathing planet. The fairies know a good thing when they see it.

“When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Ciao for now,

Mary

Colorado Rockies

Foraging for Mushrooms

Mountain Magic

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