61. Mushroom hunting
August and September is a very good time of the year to go mushroom hunting. I no longer have a car and therefore I depend on friendly and mushroom loving people to accompany me. The following post is the summary of two such occasions. Early in September Gabi and her friend Sherana, both keen on mushroom, drive us to an area in Upper Styria at the slope of Greim Peak, a place where Porcini Mushrooms [edible boletus] normally grow in abundance. I know this area quite well because way back I rented a cabin in these mountains in the late Sixties and early Seventies of the last century.
Being the king of mushrooms [aside from Truffles], places where Boletus grow are normally family secrets passed on from parents to their children on their death bed. We start out into the forest on a sunny afternoon full of hope or, in other words, my companions depend on my assurance that there will be Boletus in the part of the forest which I am taking them. However, the last weeks have been very dry and plenty of moisture in the ground is one of the preconditions for finding mushrooms. We did find some – but only Chanterelle – which also make for a delicious dish. But for Boletus the forest floor was too dry.
To sooth our disappointment we follow the road to the end to a small mountain inn which is the starting point for climbing Greim Peak. The summit is at 8000 feet which means a climb of 2 to 3 hours with the last 30 minutes being rather steep and there is no trace of water along the trail. I have been there many times and we settle for a nice lunch at the terrace of the place with Edelweiss conveniently being grown in a flower box.
Instead of challenging the summit, we are taking a nice walk along the mountain side. After all, we are on a hunting spree and not on a mountain challenge. All in all it is a lovely afternoon.
On our way back to Graz we stop for a coffee in Oberwölz, the oldest town in Austria. It’s actually the size of a village but it did receive its municipal charter as early as the 12th Century by the bishop of Salzburg. Proof of its former importance is an old cathedral which one wouldn’t expect in a small place like that. It makes me realize again that in the old days Austria has been cultivated mostly by monks coming from Bavaria and Franconia. Anyway, it’s a quaint place to walk around on a sunny late afternoon.
The second mushroom hunting expedition I a attempting alone. Gabi is in Sweden, visiting Benedikt. I am taking care of her flat and her cats and I have her car at my disposal. A chance not to miss! This time, my destination is an hour’s drive from Graz in the mountain range to the West. We also discovered it many years ago by accident, when on a rainy vacation with the children. The place is called Schrottgraben, a narrow and hidden valley below the Gaberl mountain pass. Aside from two marble quarries, there is nothing very interesting in this valley and there are rarely other mushroom hunters in this place. There is however always an abundance of water.
There are a number of old houses along the way. But – if at all – they are only inhabited in the summer month. Stretching from South East towards North West, the valley does not get any sun during winter. Higher up there are some mountain farms but they are falling apart or rented to weekenders. Aside from the quarries, only the forests are still managed with occasional cattle on the meadows.
It is a peaceful place and rewarding place, not only because of the mushrooms. Nice places to just sit and look around, rare plants and aesthetic surprises like this reflection on a little pond in one of the marble quarries. I have shown it to people and they thought it was a painting.
And YES, there are mushrooms: Because the valley kind of locks in moisture, there is almost always something. It’s mainly a place for Chanterelle but I did find Boletus too. I had to cut them before taking this picture because they were growing among blueberry bushes. Another edible species is the Parasol mushroom on the right. It tastes quite good but it has to be prepared close to harvesting it. Sometimes it is confused with the rather deadly Green Death Cap, but in my opinion one has to be rather inexperience to mistake them.
It has been a real treat to find this place. Sometime I am a little sad that it is only rarely possible to visit it. But then – maybe – the being rare makes it so special.