Touring - Mushroom Expeditions and Other Alternative-theme Tours

It's possible to go into a forested area during mushroom season, and have a tour that is centered on mushroom hunting.

One has done these, and they can be very interesting and enjoyable tours.

It seems as though there are probably a number of other possibilities that don't often get mentioned.

Any ideas?

ride all day and all night and you won't need the mushrooms! like those french randonneurs in paris brest who ride 700km without sleeping...

First, I hate mushroom.

Second, I can get all my hallucinations from the 1200Ks I do (as mentioned above) :D

Which brings me to the "Theme" of most of my tours .... 1200K Randonnees. I figure, while I'm in another country for an ultra-distance ride, I might as well tour before, after, or both.

"Rivers" also seem to come up a lot in my tours. I've seen many of the major Canadian rivers, plus the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Seine, the Thames, the Murray, and probably a whole bunch I can't think of right now.

Why not? You'd need a bike equipped for rough terrain though and there would be a lot of walking with your bike to get to a proper hunting spot.

Some people also do the geocaching thing in conjunction with tours.

And here's something which sort of interests me a bit: http://confluence.org/ If you don't feel like locating co-ordinates etc., that site can also be useful for photos of what's there. I've referred to it when I have created local brevet routes to get an idea of the terrain, tree cover, etc.

how about, don't stop until you find one dollar worth of pennies on the highway.

I'd like to visit all the Canadian and Commonwealth war memorials in Europe, and see what remains of some First and Second World War battlefields.

Any agricultural or wine tours would be cool.

edit: or wildflower mtb tours!

On one day rides, I try to do some birding as I pedal, shooting for a species per mile. It's pretty easy up to about 30 miles, and after 50, it's nearly impossible without stopping and applying some binocular time. I've thought about touring with an objective of certain target species. How about trans-Sierra with a short list that would include sage grouse, black-billed magpie, Clark's nutcracker, blue grouse, gray-crowned rosy finch, black-backed woodpecker, pilieated woodpecker, great gray owl, etc.?

Just thinking about it makes me itch to go. A good route would be into Yosemite from the west, then over Tioga Pass, pausing around Mono Lake for a good spell. Then up 395 over Conway Summit and onto gravel out toward Bodie for the sage grouse. Riders could roll along to Tahoe to hook up with the family.

oh yah, wine and ag. wala wala county in washington would be perfect for that, especially with the beautiful rolling hills. if i recall correctly, there are around 100 wineries in that area, mostly free samples too.

I don't think the original poster meant psychedelic mushrooms, did you?

Any agricultural or wine tours would be cool.

edit: or wildflower mtb tours!

There are a bunch of such tours along the French/German border. A friend of mine who lives in Strasbourg recently paid me a visit and suggested my wife and I do some this summer.

Virginia/WV-mountain biking on single track (unloaded)
SC/GA-mountain biking and disc golf
Florida- snorkeling in springs

I'd like to visit all the Canadian and Commonwealth war memorials in Europe, and see what remains of some First and Second World War battlefields.

That would be a long tour ... there are a lot of them!!

Have a look: http://www.machka.net/pbp2007/2007_Pre-PBP_2.htm Rowan and I visited quite a few around the Ieper area last August.

On one day rides, I try to do some birding as I pedal, shooting for a species per mile. It's pretty easy up to about 30 miles, and after 50, it's nearly impossible without stopping and applying some binocular time. I've thought about touring with an objective of certain target species. How about trans-Sierra with a short list that would include sage grouse, black-billed magpie, Clark's nutcracker, blue grouse, gray-crowned rosy finch, black-backed woodpecker, pilieated woodpecker, great gray owl, etc.?

Just thinking about it makes me itch to go. A good route would be into Yosemite from the west, then over Tioga Pass, pausing around Mono Lake for a good spell. Then up 395 over Conway Summit and onto gravel out toward Bodie for the sage grouse. Riders could roll along to Tahoe to hook up with the family.

Great ideas, and some trips after my own heart.

This sparked something in me. I used to be head over heels in love with falcons -- when I was in my teens I used to play hooky during family ski trips at Mammoth, and go down the mountain into the desert off 395 to watch the Prairie Falcons during nesting season. What absolutely magnificent birds.

Rock climbing can be combined.

A spotting scope helps sometimes too.

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Golden Eagles are often seen in the same sort of territory.

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White-throated Swifts! What incredible birds to watch in flight.

They strafe the rock climbers on the cliffs of Yosemite, rocketing by within inches of their heads, at a couple hundred miles per hour. Slicing through the air at those speeds, their wings make some fascinating sounds.

Fossil hunting, and the places it could take you, might be interesting.

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Once I saw a shelf of Audubon field guides -- there is quite a variety of them, and many are very well done. They could provide one or more chosen themes.

The night sky field guide is an excellent one. I used it once on tour, and it was fascinating to be in the mountains among so many stars, with this book along. It was the best interaction with the night sky I have had in my life.

[I believe there is an unusually good meteor shower expected by the astronomers late tonight, for anyone with clear skies.]

I don't think the original poster meant psychedelic mushrooms, did you?
Quite.

I can see how there is a tendency to think that way, though.

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Mushroom hunting can be absolutely fascinating. There is a lot more to it, and it opens up, as you actually get into it.

Even those who don't particularly enjoy the gourmet mushrooms and over-the-top meals that often form a part of these expeditions, and the feasts around the campfires at the end of the day's hunting, can appreciate the places they take you.

Some of the most beautiful sights in my life have been deep into remote forests during mushroom hunting expeditions.

This is one is fascinating, and exciting to see in the wild; some close relatives and variants can be as large as a lion's head, and weigh over a hundred pounds (and are among the most delicious edibles -- prepared properly they are similar to freshly cooked and well seasoned shrimp or lobster):

http://americanmushrooms.com/edibles2.htm

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Here are some other pictures -- even the ones you shouldn't eat can be beautiful [this is one of those that really (truly truly to the Nth degree really) shouldn't be eaten without at least a couple of years of good experience],

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_browseimgs_fungi_sci&enlarge=9187+3302+4603+0032

Some text by a mushroom enthusiast here,

http://www.bayareamushrooms.org/mushroom_month/mom_2006_11.html

The pictures don't do it justice. In person, in the low sunlight, the colors and textures are fully extraordinary. I've never seen any artist come close to presenting colors and textures like those.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/images/smith/smith_amanita_lanei_01.jpg

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This is an excellent slide show that gives some sense of the incredible diversity and range of colors and life forms,

http://americanmushrooms.com/mushroomshow.htm

[it's downscreen in the second visual, scrolling down....]

The only time I've ever picked mushrooms was when I was researching them for a mystery story I was writing.

ride all day and all night and you won't need the mushrooms! like those french randonneurs in paris brest who ride 700km without sleeping...

You Just know these people haven't done mushrooms.... : )
Or not enough, anyway ; )

[QUOTE=Machka;5917002]That would be a long tour ... there are a lot of them!!QUOTE]

I know, 20+ memorials :D

That's one reason I'll probably never do it... or maybe I'll just limit myself to France ;)

Combining Spring skiing and biking have led to some of my most enjoyable moments on tour.

Musty old used bookstore tour! Make sure to pack the allergy meds.

I have thought a tour that stopped at amusement parks with good roller coasters would be fun. Multiple whitewater rafting stops might be fun too.

Musty old used bookstore tour! Make sure to pack the allergy meds.

If you want to do a tour like that, make sure you get to Hay-on-Wye on the border of England and Wales. The entire town is a bookstore. It's great!! I could have spent days there!

How about a Microbrew tour of Michigan?

On one day rides, I try to do some birding as I pedal, shooting for a species per mile. It's pretty easy up to about 30 miles, and after 50, it's nearly impossible without stopping and applying some binocular time. I've thought about touring with an objective of certain target species. How about trans-Sierra with a short list that would include sage grouse, black-billed magpie, Clark's nutcracker, blue grouse, gray-crowned rosy finch, black-backed woodpecker, pilieated woodpecker, great gray owl, etc.?

Just thinking about it makes me itch to go. A good route would be into Yosemite from the west, then over Tioga Pass, pausing around Mono Lake for a good spell. Then up 395 over Conway Summit and onto gravel out toward Bodie for the sage grouse. Riders could roll along to Tahoe to hook up with the family.

Could do that in Washington State, as well. With luck, and time, you could also spot sharp-tailed grouse, boreal chickadees, Northern Hawk-Owls, White-winged Crossbills. There's morels and chanterelles, depending on time of year.

East Hill

Waterfalls.

Hot springs.

Swimming holes,

http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Holes-California-Trips-Splash/dp/0965768643

Waterfalls.

Hot springs.

Swimming holes,

http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Holes-California-Trips-Splash/dp/0965768643
That just brought back some very happy memories :)

The same author has written about swimming holes in the Southwest,

http://www.amazon.com/Day-Trips-Splash-Swimming-Southwest/dp/0965768627/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199751616&sr=1-4

and other places,

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-2427303-7415265?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Pancho%20Doll

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This guy has a tough job.

How about an ant themed tour? I keep ants (which is more complicated and interesting than most people thing). This spring break I plan to go to the City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho:

http://www.nps.gov/ciro/

and spend a few days observing and collecting ants with possibly a friend or two. I wish to bicycle there, but this will be my first "tour", so I'm still working out the planning on it.

Ants can be fascinating.

There is a tour account on a geocities site, by a guy who biked along rivers in the Amazon Basin. I don't have the link right now, but it was something like "transamazonia" ....

He encountered ants that started 'eating' (or at least chopping up, dismantling, and carrying away) his tent.

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I once had some creature lodge itself in my ear (at night, inside a tent) while on tour.

It was scratching away at my eardrum and keeping me awake for quite a while.

It would not go away.

The situation became a little worrying. I didn't know what it was, and didn't know if it was trying to get through or what.

Finally I found a piece of wire, and twisted a small loop on the end (to prevent scratching or damaging anything inside the ear, I wanted a smooth, rounded tip...).

It turned out to be a small ant.

It was surprisingly loud for its size.

The only reason I can think of for his tent being carried away like that, by what where probably leaf cutter ants of either the genus Atta or Acromyrmex, is if it was made of some primarily organic materials. Do you know what he was using?

Ants make lots of interesting sounds as you noticed. Occasionally when I have a big enough colony in the right enclosure, I can hear them walking around from across the room at night. Big enough colonies of wood/thatcher ants in the genus Formica can be heard in the wild from several feet or yards away. If you ever encounter a queen ant, and assuming you can tell that it is one, try holding her up to your ear. You may hear a type of grinding/vibration type of sound called stridulation that the queens make to call for help from the workers in the colony.

The only reason I can think of for his tent being carried away like that, by what where probably leaf cutter ants of either the genus Atta or Acromyrmex, is if it was made of some primarily organic materials. Do you know what he was using?

I'll see if I can find his journal.

Here it is:

http://www.transamazon.de/amazonia.html

The November 10 entry has some mention of the ants:

"Ants are probably the most annoying animals in the tropics. They might be very important for the environment, but if they constantly crawl over you, bite you and attack all your food that you don't pack into clean plastic bags you start to hate them. I had once (on another tour) my tent 'attacked' by Leafcutter ants. They seemed to like the thin mosquito nets of the inner tent and simply started to cut them into pieces. When I woke up I could see them carrying away thousands of green leaves - and some white parts of my tent. Since then I use anti-ant powder. Don't worry, I do not poison the soil. I put it on top of the big plastic sheet I put under my tent, and on top of the inner tent. It might not be very healthy to sleep in there, but for sure it's better than waking up without mosquito net, but with malaria, yellow fever and dengue. It worked fine all the time. But here, on the poor soil of the deserted farm, they seem to be more hungry. Hungry enough to ignore the white powder and to cut through and enter my tent... probably I shouldn't have crushed Chocolate cookies inside... Good luck I noticed on time. Now a midnight cleanup is required...."

Yah, would definitely have been some sort of organic material. Would be interesting to know what specifically. Leaf cutters are typically picky, and will only forage off of the least repulsive and freshest materials availible at the time even if other suitable foiliage is availible. The tent must have been very attractive to attract attention despite other abundant sources.

Michael Pollan, in the Omnivore's Dilemma writes:

"Okay, it is hard, I agree, to avoid the conclusion that some of the people who write about the mushrooms have themselves partaken, perhaps immoderately, of the mind-altering kinds. Their reverence for theis subject runs so deep that they will pursue wherever it leads..."pp. 377

Seriously though, I'm right there with ya. On my trip down the West Coast I made it a point to visit my favorite enormous trees, and got into a good discussion with another "dendrophile" along the way. Sitka spruce, Western redcedar, Port Orford-cedar (Lawson's Cypress) Redwoods (of course), Monterray cypress, and others. Vancouver Island, B.C. would be an AWESOME place to do a myco-tour, imo.

I hope you all have fun pursuing and finding whatever you're looking for on your bike!! Peace.

Ride the coast range or Cascade range in the Pacific NW of the US and you can search for chanterelles, matsutakes and morels by looking along the roadside. No need to get off the bike to find the right spot. I do it every year on fire roads here in Oregon. Saves a lot of walking.