Spaulding Outdoors By Jack Spaulding Spring is still trying to break free of winter’s grasp but the mushrooms are beginning to make themselves known. The warm wooded south facing hillsides are usually the first to produce and are good places to start looking. Don’t just limit yourself to likely places for morels as they can be anywhere. I have a good friend who picks a nice batch of morels each spring sprouting out of his stoned driveway. The mycelia, the organism mushrooms sprout or bloom from, predominately feeds on the decaying roots of dead trees. If you are hunting morels, ditch the plastic bread bag and get a tightly netted nylon bag to carry your mushrooms. The open pores of the bag will allow mushroom spores to fall to the ground as you walk; hopefully, seeding the area for future mushroom harvests. Should you be blessed with an overabundance, you can process and preserve your woodland fortune for future feasts. Clean any dirt from the mushrooms, slice them in half and soak them overnight in a saltwater solution in the refrigerator. This will flush out any bugs and critters and get rid of any remaining dirt. Rinse the mushroom pieces, pat dry with a paper towel and place them on a wax paper covered cookie tray and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, remove the mushroom pieces and layer them between wax paper in a large, covered container and put it in the freezer. I have kept mushrooms using this method for over 3 years with only a little difference in taste and texture between fresh picked and fresh frozen. Still delicious!
Two State Park Cities Named “Trail Towns” Versailles and Nashville were named Trail Towns by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) in its inaugural year bestowing the honor. The designation recognizes places which have made exceptional commitments to developing, stewarding, and celebrating trail systems strengthening community life. Versailles is home to Versailles State Park, which has more than 10 mountain biking trails covering 29 miles. Nashville is home to Brown County State Park, which has 17 mountain biking trails covering 42 miles. Both parks offer beginner, intermediate, and advance level trails which attract a wide range of bikers. The designation of two Trail Towns showcases Indiana as a premier destination for mountain biking.
Boating On Barbee, Tippecanoe Lakes, And Lake Wawasee Restricted The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has placed boating restrictions on watercraft on the Barbee and Tippecanoe Lakes Chain and Lake Wawasee. The emergency order restricts the operation of motorized watercraft on the Barbee Lakes Chain, which consists of Kuhn, Big Barbee, Little Barbee, Irish, Sechrist, Sawmill, and Banning Lakes in Kosciusko County due to high-water levels. The DNR also placed an idle speed restriction on motorized watercraft on Tippecanoe Lake Chain, which consists of Lake Tippecanoe, Oswego, and James Lakes and Lake Wawasee. A boating restriction is put into effect when surface water conditions are likely to enter dwelling structures as a result of a wake. For information on Indiana boating advisories, please visit on.IN.gov/boatadvisory.
‘till next time, Jack Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download. |
