Devil’s Kitchen

 Devil’s Kitchen is an old blue slate quarry found at the split between the Overlook trail and Devil’s path. It is about a mile hike up from the Platte Clove trail head. Hikers have arranges the piles of loose blue stone into tables and chairs around the deserted quarry. The quarries go back to pre-colonial … Read more

Mushrooms of Platte Clove

  • Milky Caps Lactarius volemus
    Milky Caps Lactarius volemus -poisonous

 

Honey Mushroom: Armillaria Gallica

Identification: Cap tan to golden yellow; prominent ring on stem; white spore print; black “shoestring” cords (rhizomorphs) that transport food to growing hyphae

All Armillaria are edible 

 

 Emetic Russula: Stropharia rugusoannulata —Russula emetica

 stored on branches of black spruce by squirrels.

 

Crown-topped Coral Fungus: 
Clavicorona pyxidata

Another cool fungus I spotted is the Crown-tipped Coral Fungus growing on the forest floor. It’s scientific name is Clavicorona pyxidata. This was new one for me and I found it growing on the forest floor in a grove of old growth red pine and spruce trees.

   
 
 
 
Fly Agaric : Amanita muscaria
 
Identification: Cap yellow to orange with white scales that are remnants of the universal veil; white gills free from stalk; white veil; an amanita mushroom, beautiful, but hallucinogenic and poisonous.

 

 

 

 

 Milky Caps Lactarius volemus

Identification: Cap rounded, center often depressed; all members of this group contain a latex that is exuded when the gills are cut Season of fruiting: Summer-fall Ecosystem function: Mycorrhizal with conifer and hardwood trees Edibility: Not recommended; mushrooms with a latex that turns yellow or lilac color are poisonous 

 

 Psilocybe caerulipes – psychotropic mushroom

 

   

Lactarius mammosus
 

Oyster mushrooms in the hood : these are very edible.  Eat them when they are young and soft.

 

   

 

HIke Up Hunter Mountain

Joe Goldman On his way upDevil's path to the summit of Hunter Mountain.
Joe Goldman On his way upDevil’s path to the summit of Hunter Mountain.

Hunter Mountain is at the end of Devil’s Path. It is 7 mile hike with a 2000 ft. vertical rise.  The snow is on the ground until May. Hiking  from December to April requires

Root system of tree on rock out cropping on Hunter Mountain
Root system of tree on rock out cropping on Hunter Mountain

 ice capons on your shoes. During the winter you may elect to hike in snow shoes depending on the depth of the snow. The trail is too rocky for back country skiing. During the summer the hike should take 4-6 hours. There are two trail heads along rt 214.  this leg of the trail is considered very rough rated at a 9/10. There are some small  rock scrambles as you hike above the 3500 ft elevation  mark. There is no water once you leave the streams at the bottom of the mountain. This is a popular hike. The Hunter Mountain Fire tower is on a side trail at the summit. The fire towers offer the best views of the Catskills. On weekends in the summer the fire towers are open so that hikers have the joy of standing on a flat solid platform to view the mountains