Hopes For Lush Crops Of Morels Crushed

Last summer’s enormous wildfires, deep snow packs and a wet spring had mushroom lovers hopeful there would be a bumper crop of valuable morels in the Idaho City area this spring.

Forest Service officials made plans for an invasion of pickers. Brokers set up operations in Idaho City. But the mushroom explosion never came.

“They were guaranteeing us lots of mushrooms, big crowds,” said Terry Sexton, who as resource assistant at the Idaho City Ranger District was in charge of Forest Service preparations. “We kept waiting and waiting.”

Seasoned pickers say they are not surprised by the shortfall. Morels, which sell for more than $150 a dry pound on the East Coast, flourish in perfect conditions: Disturbed ground, warm weather and wet soil.

The right ingredients were there around Idaho City, pickers say, but the mix was wrong. The temperature stayed cool too long around Idaho City, and then the ground dried too quickly.