a winter trek in the woods {shrooms}

napa valley is most well known for its vineyards, wine and countless phenomenal eateries.  what may not be such common knowledge, is that napa valley is also a mecca for mushrooms! i have the absolute and undeniable pleasure of living in one of napa valley's most amazing areas, howell mountain, more specifically, my backyard is las posadas state forest. las posadas is well loved and enthusiastically frequented by hikers, mountain bikers and nature lovers of all kinds...especially mushroom hunters.  i don't know the slightest thing about mushrooms, other than what i like to cook with and eat, so i am clueless as to how to identify them in the wild and wouldn't even begin to attempt to identify what i see on my daily walks.  i do, however, have several friends and acquaintances who are experienced and avid mushroom hunters, and i've been told that this year has been a particularly amazing one for mushrooms in our area.  yesterday i headed out to shoot the vineyards then took myself for a walk in the woods, and subsequently found myself unbelievably captivated by the unimaginable varieties of mushrooms popping up from the earth.  as is typical of me, i am now obsessed with learning everything i can about these mushrooms and cannot wait to have a more discerning eye.  i'm so looking forward to having an expert shroom hunter out to the ranch to show me the ropes.

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