Sun, Sep 26 2010 - Mushroom photo hike / Wetlands hike (View Original Event Details)
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"Who wants to wander around in the woods, finding and photographing fungi?" I asked earlier in the week. 13 hands went up. And when the appointed day rolled around, 13 cameras were waiting along with their owners at Kennedy Station, all on time! (I am a blessed girl! (but also, my secret and evil plan of confusing everyone by purposely messing around with the start times worked wahaha))
We rolled into the parking lot to a gorgeous fall day. The cameras were all eager to hit the trail and start snapping! Some were brand new and had yet to discover their full potential. Some were tried and true, and thrilled that the rain that had been in the forecast had just up and gone. Cameras just don't like rain too much.
When the first batch of mushrooms was discovered, a current of excitement zapped through the air. You'd have thought Drew Barrymore herself had suddenly appeared... flashes and oohh and aahhs. Yes, but it wasn't Drew, it was a dead old tree, covered in fungus. But this fungus was special, it was our first of the day, and there were loads of them, all perfect and ripe, just dripping the colour of golden honey.
It wasn't long before each lens was admiring a full assortment of beauties. At times there was jostling for the best vantage point. 14 cameras trying to get a peek, vying for that perfect shot. Eventually things calmed down, and the cameras spread out a little, patiently looking for that hidden treasure. One had to really pay attention... it was almost as if the mushrooms were camouflaged! Black ones coming up from the dirt, yellow ones in amongst the freshly fallen autumn leaves, brown ones hiding alongside older, dried up and now brown leaves. But the thrill of making that discovery, it was like a treasure hunt!
Meanwhile, the owners also got to enjoy learning about the various types of mushrooms in the forest. They flipped through books filled with colourful pictures and tried the game of match-up. Better still, they strolled and chatted and got to know one another. They also got to spend several harrowing minutes helping each other, in true team-work style, navigate across and down a washed-out (and closed!!) section of the trail. It sure wasn't in the event description, but it was one of the more unforgettable moments of the day!
Tonight, all the tuckered out cameras will sleep a sound and peaceful sleep. They got to spend the whole day out, not just out of the drawer, but out in the woods, doing what they love the very best to do. They got the chance to discover, stop, look, focus, admire, and really appreciate all the little things that so often get looked over in the rush. 14 little sighs of contentment could be heard whispering across the city this night.
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.