| Author |
Topic |
 Fungi Filmin', Wine Drinkin', 'Shroom Eatin', Early Risin', Deer Whisperin', Curry Cookin', Macro Maniac
Chilliwack + Osoyoos
3618 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 3:00 PM
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Wildman Wally, Karl and I went looking for Pine Mushrooms on the weekend...
Long story short is that this story has a happy ending...  
It's gonna take some time to write, 'cos there are millions of pics, and all 3 of us have lots to say... So bare with us... and me being on dial-up too... ;o(
This is the Punch line...
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It started on a dull, almost rainy Saturday when Wally suddenly said "Well, let's check out the Nahatlatch"... "Cool", says us... "where the F... is the Nahatlatch???"...
"I'll show you"...
Then on the way home from that part of this epic tale, Wally says "Well, let's do da Skagit on Sunday, then"... "Cool" says us...
So started our double header, our Pine Mushroom success story...
Are you sitting comfortably???... then I'll begin...
This is where the Nahatlatch is (sounds like "Hat-latch")...
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Hang a left at Boston Bar... and head up the West side of the Canyon, then dive up the Valley to the left... Awesome country...
There are 3 lakes in the 'hatlatch valley, the last one (the most northerly) being the 'Hatlatch Lake...
First Stop was at the old Ranger Station...
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The view down the Lake was splediferous...
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And as we climbed the ridge alongside, we got the full view of the Autumn colours at the North end of the Lake...
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So we forged on... Wally said we needed to get to the other side of the river, and maybe the gate at the bridge was closed... we got there and it was OPEN !!! Yippee!!!... So we crossed and within 5 mins, reached our parking spot... right next to this awesome waterfall...
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Can you see the Wildman waving at us??? ... and trying not to slide off the rock??? Wait a minute, Wally... I zooms in... What’s that by your feet, Big Fella??? FRESH ROSES??? Wow... methinks someone slid off that rock before, or worse, off the top of the falls... sad story...
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I took a GPS reading, just to plot it on the map, and later find that this is an un-named river (so far) that starts at the top of Whistlepig Mountain !!! That’s right, I said “Whistlepig”!!!...
Here's the map...
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Cool... So we started our “hike” into the Pine Patch... a car with a Japanese couple stopped and asked if we had Pine mushrooms to sell... Ah ha, we’re in the right area... Cool...
So we headed into the bush... splitting up into 3 groups of 1... Karl headed up, and Wally down... I was centered (I always am)... a couple of km in, I stopped for a washroom break, and while doing my thang... saw them... there they were, 10 ft away, covered by a layer of pine needles... my first Pine Mushrooms!!! I finished... and went over... luckily I had my poles with me, and gently lifted the needles to find that it was only the remains of someone elses washroom break!!!... OK... that's it.. we'll never find Pines in here... others have beaten us here... time for lunch...
So I headed back to our prearranged meeting spot, and ate ma lunch...
It was kinda damp, but the the Sun was breaking out mostly... there was snow across the valley...
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No sign of Wally or Karl, so I headed upwards to try to find the top of the falls... It was a zig-zag logging road, and after an hour I gave up and started back down... only to find my buddies bogged down in the sandy road... we got outta there...
Back on the road, Wally suggested that we pay a visit to his old cabin... there was a boat there, and maybe we could get across the river to his other patch... We found this skinny little road and drove in... The bush encroached to 6” less than the width of the car!!!
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Then, rounding the last bend, and came to his cabin... Way Cool !!!
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We looked around and posed for pics... Wally gave us some of the history of the place... truly interesting...
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Check out the view from the living room...
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and the "presents" some local rednecks left in the kitchen sink...
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and the chimney detail... a tree...
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I love "corners" and this one has tile roof!!!
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No cabin would be without it's biffy... this one, the open air style...
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Anyways, we wanted to check out the river, and maybe get to the other side... we did a quick bushwack behing the cabin, only to find that some bastard had stolen the boat which was nicely hidden in the bushes... Shoot...
However, the beach was cool, and the wind was picking up a bit...
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OK... time to get going... we had agreed to check out another patch up on the Coq... so oft we trundled... a mile or so down the road, Wally said, let's go do the Harrison East Side instead and go over the ridge on the Kookipi LR... "Huh??? Are you sure, Wildman??? Will our trusty red steed make it???"
"Sure... no sweat"...
'K...
Here's the map... You'll notice that on the BC Interactive Map site... the road over the Col is not shown !!! (Thank God it was in my old, coffee stained Backroads book!!!)
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We came up behind a 4x4 with like 30" rims on it... I swear the top our car wasn't even as high as his transmission !!!
Wally goes "peep, peep" with our pissy little horn and the guy pull over to let us by !!! (glaring at me in the passenger seat as we went by, thinking "What the ...") Too funny...
We drove slowly, stopping for photo ops all the time... this one was of a rock balanced on two others forming a couple of caves...
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Then we heard the truck again... "Oh no, they're pissed and are going to kill us!!!"... It roared by and we waved sheepishly... Then rounding a bend, there they were... They had a chain out and had dragged a tree over to block the road!!!... We were ambushed... we're gonna die!!!!
I got out so I could take the first bullet for the boys... I wandered over for my final chat... they said they were trying to drag the tree off the road... they were sorry for blocking our path, so could we wait for them to get out the way!!! LOL!!! They were scared of us!!! Cool...
It was at that point that I saw a sidearm on the guy driving the truck!!! They had camo outfits on, and it looked like they were scouting for bucks... I'm pretty sure that sidearms (looked like a S&W 45) are illegal for hunting!!!
Anyways, we all went on our ways (there was only one way to go)...
...and as we came towards the Harrison East road, we stopped at the sound of a(nother) thunderous waterfall... this one the Big Silver Creek...
Awesome sight... check out the size of that hung up log, and how high the river musta been to pin it there!!!
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and the rocks caught in a whirlpool that had ground a circle out of the side of the falls...
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It was getting dark and we needed to get going... Cool country round here, as we made our way towards civilization... we came to the old (now dismantled) Silver Creek Camp only to spot the 4x4-ers taking a dinner break in the clearing!!!...
A half hour and several km’s later, we stopped for a pee break and to check out our headlights, when thundering over the hill came the truck... headlight blazing, turning night into day!!! They skidded up to a halt alongside us, movie-style, and shouted down “You guys OK??? Need a hand???”
Way cool... don’t you just love 4x4’ers???
So we all set off again, and in an hour or so reached Agassiz... where we ate and drank like Kings, as the local Halloween festivities started in the pub...
Sunday started a little brighter but brisk... we met again at my place at 8am... and headed into the unknown...
I set my GPS at our “secret parking spot” and we headed into the bush... Wildman gave us directions to look in, and we split up... I caught an occasional glimpse of Karl and we stopped and chatted and compared finds... A few white Chanterelles, and a couple of Boletes... No Pines though... ;o(
The deal was that if we didn’t find any, we would head over to that “other” spot on the Coq!!! So after a couple hours, I sat down on the trail, and Karl appeared through the bush, looking dejected... No sign of young Walter though... We decided to hike along the trail aways, and set down for lunch... maybe the smell of sandwiches and red wine wafting through the bush, would make him find us !!!
It didn’t... so Karl and I decided to head back to the car... I set the GPS to show us the way home through the bush...
We only went 10 mins, then heard the Wildman scream “Hello”... He was trying to say something at the top of his lungs... but the bush was sooooo thick, that you couldn’t discern any words... Karl dropped his stuff and ran back down the trail... then came running back to get me... “He’s found some Pine’s !!! Yippee!!!”
We both charged back through the bush, adrenalin pumping... and there was Wally with the biggest smile on his face “Finally... look how big they are in only a couple of weeks”... there were at least a dozen there in various stages of popping up through the forest floor...
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We were soooooo happy... like big kids... It was cold and wet... snowing... but we didn’t care... we (actually, le Wildman) found them!!! We were soaked to the skin... who cares...
We searched for another hour before deciding that we’d hit on the only patch up right now... maybe come back next time...
OK, time to boot it outta there... We got back to the car, cold and wet and decided to skip the Coq, and go visit Floss Lake instead...
It was deserted, save for one truck and a young family braving the weather...
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Even the washrooms made for a photo op...
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There was a bunch of Snow Geese (but they sounded more like Trumpeter Swans) flying in for a landing...
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Hozomeen looked wicked... cold granite, foreboding, covered in a layer of snow... ouch!!!
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Time for a Pano...
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Then we got out of there... stopping a couple of times to catch the snow on the trees...
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and a(nother) waterfall...
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Hmmmmm... supper last night... (yes, I do clean them before I cook them)...
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Wally, man... you're a gentleman and a scholar... thank you for letting me in on all your mushroom "secrets"... and for driving us around for two days straight, and not even accepting a plug nickel for gas...
C'Jack... |
Edited by - OK Jack on 11/01/2006 09:09 AM
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Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5897 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 3:20 PM
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Cool, can't wait. Del Sol and I headed up that way last year for some soapstone. We took a wrong turn and ended going up to Skuzzy Mt.(sp)
Found a very nice campsite by the river too. We never had time to make it up to the main lakes so I'm looking forward to the shots. |
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Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13028 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 4:17 PM
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Looking forward to more, Rick, looks like an interesting outing  |
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Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13028 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 5:25 PM
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So that's Whistlepig Falls ? TMC might know, I think he's been in there
Minus the straps, we used to have a recliner just like that one, it was a United Buy and Sell special and it self destructed in two years |
Edited by - mick range on 10/30/2006 5:32 PM |
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 chinese hot-pot gourmand, costco pirate, 103 hikes completin', picture postin', commander of our newest canadian trekkers
Vancouver, BC
Canada
1740 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 6:00 PM
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| beautiful! I love all your pics. |
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Fungi Filmin', Wine Drinkin', 'Shroom Eatin', Early Risin', Deer Whisperin', Curry Cookin', Macro Maniac
Chilliwack + Osoyoos
3618 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 7:00 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by mick range
Looking forward to more, Rick, looks like an interesting outing
Hang in there, buddy... I'm typing as fast as I can... |
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Fungi Filmin', Wine Drinkin', 'Shroom Eatin', Early Risin', Deer Whisperin', Curry Cookin', Macro Maniac
Chilliwack + Osoyoos
3618 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 7:01 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by mazeGirl
beautiful! I love all your pics.
Thanks mazeGurl... I'm just a regular Joe... wait till you see some of the Wally's and Karlster's shots... |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13442 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 7:15 PM
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Rick. Excellent TR and layout of the photos, illustrating our adventures so well. I will post a few pics latter on.
Regards, |
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ass wigglin, cheese lovin, 4x4 drivin, apostrophe hatin, hiking chick who loves camping on snow
spaceship..
Canada
7209 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 7:50 PM
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Hey man, whatdyoudo to your post? 
I enjoyed the start of your TR earlier today! |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 9:45 PM
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I phoned Rick to ask what happened to the TR he started. He was upset. He said he spent several hours uploading the TR and then something happened and it all just disappeared. He is on dial-up and to upload a picture it takes him a average of seventeen minutes per picture. I will try to carry on this TR for him.
(The Pines Have A Silver Lining)
Not really a hiking trip but a few bushwacking trips intead.
Chilliwack Jack, Karvitk, and myself decided that since the secret Pine Mushroom Patch wasn't producing we would scourer the country and find some before the season ends.
We went to the Nahatlatch Valley, West by Northwest of Boston Bar.
Hunted around the Valley and took some nice pictures of silvery flowing falls, creeks and rivers and silvery sparkling wind swept lakes.
As a alternate route back we could go over the hump and follow Big Silver Creek to Silver River Logging Camp at Harrison Lake and take the FSR along the east side of Harrison Lake back to Chilliwack. A vote on whether to try the rough road in my roadster was one to do it, and two against. Even though my one vote lost, I was the driver so I won the decision. Don't ya just love Democracy. So away we went over scary terrain expecting the worst.
It was a long route back, not a short cut by any means. The speed was steady and I had to pass a few 4X4's that were having a rough time in spots but we prevailed with little trouble and arrived at the pub in Agassiz somewhere around 8:00 to 9:00 pm. (Correct me if my time is off Karvitk or C'Jack). The beer was great and my Fish & Chips looked pathectic compared to their Triple Jumbo Mushy Burgers.
Here's some pix from Day One, Saturday.
Spectacular unknown name falls on Grizzly FSR, Nahatlatch Valley.
  
Karl looking for shrooms.
Part of the Upper Nahatlatch River.
Karvitk still looking.
At the old cabin and a fovourite camping site.
 
Looking along the river.
    
Chilliwack Jack (Rick) on the left and Karvitk (Karl) on the right.
Karvitk pointing!!! Oh no, he's picked up C'Jack's bad habit.
Interesting colour combo.
A last shot of the river.
Upper Nahatlatch Lake.
   
Eventually we came to the fork in the road back to Boston Bar and North Bend or over the Pass to Harrison Lake. Well we were hunting Pines so why would we go back the way we came where there wasn't any.
So up and over we went.
Rocky silvery topped mountains.
    
Two room condo.
We saw many small silvery falls like this one.
Finally we made it over the hump and even though there was much discussion about being lost, I knew exactly where we were. City folk and all their new fangled gadgets and they still think they are lost. he,he.
Crossing over Big Silver Creek. Looks more brown right now.
 
Then into Silver Canyon and the last pix before it became to dark on day one for my canera. But what a ending.
    
Interesting rock formation.
More of the falls.
  
The old boys look a little awe-stuck, don't they?
 
Either that or tired and miserable.
So that ended Day One and still no Pines.
Rick asked Karl if he wanted to go and check out the Skagit.
Karl was eager to go so planned to go there in the morning and if we didn't get any pines then we would give the Patch one last try on the way back.
Next morning Sunday, Day Two, we headed off the highway at Silver/Skagit exit to Skagit Park and hiked a bit of the Centennial Trail.
Along the trail there was perhaps one of the most dangerous mushrooms in the world.
Destroying Angel, Death Angel, Death Cap, Widow Maker, call it what you want, it has many common names. I think the latin name is Amanita Bisporigera or Amanita Virosa. Take a good look at it because if you even have tender skin or a open sore and you handle this mushroom it might make you ill. Don't even touch it.
You usually see it as a perfect specimen because nothing will go near it. The edges look like it is dripping or milking.
    
Some pix along the trail.
A little horsing around. Bunch of Hams. Especially the monkey hiding behind the tree.
  
On the Centennial Trail. Amazing that big tree never broke the bridge when it fell.
  
The hiking and sight seeing was over so we headed to the mushroom patch.
Along the way we passed some scenery and Silver Lake, Silver Peak and Silver Daisy Mine. Along with Eureka Falls.
     
As we headed out of the Silver/Skagit we noticed the snow line was down really low and hoped that it hadn't snowed at the mushroom patch up the Coq. Oops!
We got there just before a huge black cloud came in. There was no sign of the Mushroom Monster so things did not look good.
We started hunting anyway. Then it started to snow. The weather started to get rough and the mighty trio held their ground and kept searching.
We were just about to give up and there they were.
Pines (Matsutake) Mushrooms.
Hiding under the moss.
Hiding behind the moss.
Hiding under leafs.
A brave one in the opening.
Another one hiding under the needles.
C'Jack in his glory picking a Pine Mushroom.
Karvitk picking his first Pine Mushroom.
We were all happy now. Accomplished what we started to do. It was a long hard search with a lot of neat sights we seen. It was a great time with great guys and they were great company. It was wonderful to be out with fellow CTer's with the same interests.
We headed back just when it started to snow in earnst.
On the highway back there was a fantastic sunset. The picture does not do it justice at all even though it's a exceptional picture from my camera.
Shortly after I got home I got a message in the wind from the Mushroom Monster saying that he seen us coming and was busy chasing away the gnomes so that they would not pick all the mushrooms and we would be able to get some this time. He also wanted to know who the other guy was with C'Jack and myself. I sent a message on the wind back to him and he replied that you are welcome back any time Karvitk.
Getting ready to prepare the mushrooms.
Pines on the left and Chanterelles on the right.
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Edited by - Wildman on 10/31/2006 05:14 AM |
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Mysterious, pop can stove stashin', gps totin', overnighter virgin, wannabe tentmaker and foul weather wuss who rides a thumper to the trailhead with wonderdog Max to hike the Chilliwack Valley
Chwk
Canada
4908 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 11:35 PM
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Wow...what an epic!
I've always wondered what the trip would be like, going from Nahatlatch over to Harrison. Looks like you guys made it just before the snowline dropped - lucky for you!
I don't know...maybe it's just me but...I don't see much difference!
 
Guess I shouldn't go 'shroom picking!
A few years ago, we use to collect the field mushrooms (Agaricus Campestris) at one of the local parks. One day I came across a Destroying Angel in the middle of a patch and haven't picked another one of those delicious little white ones since!
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Edited by - TheShadow on 10/30/2006 11:36 PM |
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Hope, BC
Canada
7093 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 11:42 PM
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Amazing Pics guys, looks amazing there, I liked the waterfalls and old cabin, so cool!
Whats with that cabin, is it overgrown on the outside I am suspecting? It appears the doorway sure is low? Yet it is in such good condition on the outside for its age. Were you inside? Any antiques :)? |
Edited by - AcesHigh on 10/30/2006 11:43 PM |
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1355 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 11:44 PM
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Good trip guys!! Thanks for the pictures !!! |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13442 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2006 : 11:56 PM
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I can not believe Ricks TR and collection of photos just disappeared. What a CRAP!!!!
Here are a few pics, I will post the balance tomorrow.
Wildman by the Falls, and the roses left on behalf of someone dearly departed.
View of the west end of the lake and river inflow:
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Hope, BC
Canada
7093 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 12:02 AM
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Amazing KARVITK, very nice addition, breathtaking place.
I had the same problem uploading too, but I do all my photo aditions manually by typing and left out a simple [ on the [img] and had one url screwed up and had my whole post vanish too. But thats not likely why Cjack had the problem, strange.
On the internet almost anything can happen!
I see lots of nice pics now, seems to be working fine. |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 12:06 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by TheShadow
I don't know...maybe it's just me but...I don't see much difference!
Guess I shouldn't go 'shroom picking!
A few years ago, we use to collect the field mushrooms (Agaricus Campestris) at one of the local parks. One day I came across a Destroying Angel in the middle of a patch and haven't picked another one of those delicious little white ones since!
The Destroying Angel is always white all over. Other mushrooms will have some colour. The Pine has some rusty colours on the top of it's cap and the lower part of it's stock.
I have never mistaken a Destroying Angel from another mushroom since I first saw one. They are a delicate mushroom that seems like it milks. Real Milkies are not delicate at all. |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 01:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by AcesHigh
Amazing Pics guys, looks amazing there, I liked the waterfalls and old cabin, so cool!
Whats with that cabin, is it overgrown on the outside I am suspecting? It appears the doorway sure is low? Yet it is in such good condition on the outside for its age. Were you inside? Any antiques :)?
I used to stay in that cabin. Then someone moved in and pulled up the floor boards and dug a large hole in the living room. Don't know what that was about.
This cabin used to be used as part of a Native fishing camp and was deserted. There is many cabins around this part of the country. I know of a few of them. It's ok to stay in but you have to share with the pack rats and listen to them thump their tails all night long. |
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Hope, BC
Canada
7093 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 01:23 AM
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LOL No thanks, rather sleep outside in the rain.
Cool! |
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Fungi Filmin', Wine Drinkin', 'Shroom Eatin', Early Risin', Deer Whisperin', Curry Cookin', Macro Maniac
Chilliwack + Osoyoos
3618 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 04:55 AM
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Thanks Wally for adding to your story and tons of pics too... excellent!!!...
Luckily, I saved the words in "Word" and so I still have them...
I get up early, so I'll start to download the pics again slowly... I enjoyed these days sooooooo much, that I'd like to keep for posterity...
C'Jack... |
Edited by - OK Jack on 10/31/2006 08:47 AM |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 05:17 AM
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| Top notch report so far Rick. Glad you are making a second attempt. Lots of work for you and very much appreciated. Right on! |
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Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5897 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2006 : 07:29 AM
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| Very detailed report. Thanks guys for posting it. |
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3 Dudes Do a Double Header
