Monday and I am back from the woods :)

Well at the last minute my friend and I decided to go camping instead of only a day trip and to spend two days in the woods..so we threw more stuff in the back of the van and headed out.
We stopped at a friends house near Darrington WA who is a mushroom expert and she took us out to her favorite chantrell spot. We got a nice batch of chantrells and two lovely lobster mushrooms.
She headed home and we hurried to find a camp spot cause night was falling.
On the way..we passed a nice pile of logs on the side of the road left by the forest service for campers so we grabbed a few for our campsite..and when we got to the campsite we found we were the only ones there. It was wonderful! :)
Fortunately there were a lot of campsites with tons of wood left..so we grabbed kindling from the forest floor and a bunch of logs and got a fire going. Night was falling fast and we quickly realized we had forgotten a few things...a lantern being one of them and dishes and silverware the other :P
So we built the fire first and by the light of the fire and two candles I had stuck in my backpack I always keep ready to go to the woods with..we made a nice supper (we had to use our knives to eat the food with and we used a couple of pan lids for plates :P next morning we also were able to have sausage, hash browns and eggs along with our herbal teas.
We had grabbed several layers of clothes and lots of extra sweaters and coats cause we knew it would be cold..and it was! We quickly got into more layers and got the beds made in the van (I have an ever so small built in bed in the back of my van with room on the floor for a second mattress and bed.) and then we stayed up until our rather large fire burned down and we drummed and chanted and played with the rattles and singing sticks and danced around the fire in the moonlight..it was tons of fun.
My friend had found another chant that was new to us so we practiced it. She had found it on you tube so here is the link. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S0gqI6koJw

We decided it was so cold by then and we had let the fire die so it would be best to just get some sleep..so we went to bed.
It was so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face when I heard something move around. Then the van rocked and I heard a low growling...it took me a few seconds to realize it was not coming from outside the van! It was my friend softly snoring!!!! rofl! But for one brief moment..it was a bear in my half awake mind! hehee
Next day we jumped up..made breakfast, packed up and cleaned the campsite and walked around a bit exploring the area.
We found tons of mushrooms but not any that I know so I did a few sketches of the ones I wanted to ask my mushroom teacher about and a sample for some spore prints and then we headed up the mountain.
The day was gorgeous and we had a few close encounters with a few birds. A couple of woodpeckers, several robins, saw an eagle, had a tiny little fluff ball of a bird hop right next to me on a branch and ignore me. I don't think the little guy had ever seen a person before..sure was not the least bit afraid.
We also saw quite a few chipmunks along our journey, a few squirrels busy in the trees and one mouse that tried to steal our breakfast! :P
We took a few photos and then headed down the mountain to another friends ranch where they let me gather some salal leaves for my herbal cupboard along with some pearly everlasting that had gone to seed. I already had dried pearly for sinus infections this fall but I wanted some that had gone to seed for my moon garden. They also let me gather some white sparkly granite rocks to finish the border on my new flowerbed. They fed us lunch and then we hurried down the mountain and home.
All in all..a lovely trip even though we got cold for a while.
This morning I had breaded and fried chantrells with my eggs for breakfast. :)

I'm so glad you shared!

Sounds wonderful and peaceful.

did I mention it was coooooold? :P

Ah, I didn't know you were taking a mycology class! That was something like a field trip, then.

My husband took a mycology class many years ago in France.

I was laughing when you said you had to use your pan lids for plates and that you had to eat with your knives!

It sounds like so much fun to chant and dance around the fire. I watched the youtube video. I've never done anything like that and I'll bet it would be so ummmm....enchanting! :)

I've been into herbs for years but I don't know anything about salal. I didn't know about coltsfoot, either, which you mentioned in another post.

Thinking of your plans for the day, I, too, spent time in the woods. Only my time was spent on my own property, trimming off a big branch of a tree that had fallen during a wind storm. Not quite as interesting but I did enjoy being outside and enjoyed the pleasant tiredness that comes from working outdoors.

Here's to the outdoors! :toast:



Cher

I tend to study the wild plants for medicinal purposes and for food. They are a good excuse to go play in the woods too :P
Salal is a great one to know.
The berries were mixed with other berries such as blueberries and pressed and dried into large cakes for winter storage by natives. Sometimes they were mixed with fats and made into sausage-like travel cakes. They are also made into jams, syrups and pies.
The leaves are made into teas and used for anti-inflammatory and anti-cramping..so are great for periods among other things. Some of the other uses are to treat the internal inflammation regarding the stomach, ulcers, bladder, heartburn, indigestion and sinus inflammations. They also help diarrhea and sore throats as well..most anything that is inflamed so it can also be used as a poultice for bug bites and stings.
You can just chew on the leaves and they are tough and brittle but soon start making a thick mucus-like fluid in your mouth...which was used for heartburn while on the trail. I have used it that way myself and it worked fine for me.
Coltsfoot tea on the other hand is great if you have a cough ..it was especially used for colds and coughs that were not wanting to go away by my ancestors.
Mixed with mullein and blackberry leaves..it makes a great tea to ward off colds when you feel one coming on or have a bad chest cold....(and now days we can also use a lot of cinnamon thrown in to dry up the sinus colds but natives would have used pearly everlasting)....and is also antibiotic as well as very nourishing for you. You can eat the young stems like celery in the spring.
I am not giving any medical advice...just sharing what I have learned that was done with these plants. Never use any plant until you know you are not allergic to it.
I am not good at remembering the latin names but I do know a lot of wild plants.
If anyone reads this and is sick...please see your Doctor. :)
I tell myself that one day..I shall know every plant I pass in the woods :)...this means I will need to go on a lot more trips to my beloved mountains!!! heheh

Welcome back, and thanks for sharing the details with us, winyanstaz. :)

:thumbsup:

So I had to curl up in a tight little ball all night long.
I told my friend Greenleaf that next time..she gets the upper bed and I get the mattress on the floor..at least I will be able to streach out:P..anyways..she is shorter! (just kidding..I will be a good hostess and give my company the longer bed)
When I got up in the morning I was having trouble walking or standing straight for a bit..my muscles didnt want to uncurl:P