June Newsletter 2024

**View towards the Taconic Range from Yokun Ridge, pic by M Waldman**

End-to End 2024 a tremendous success!

We had another successful End-to-End Challenge on Saturday 5/11/2024! The weather was perfect for doing the hike - cool, dry, and not buggy. All 23 hikers completed the 30+ mile trek. The hikers started off briskly at 5:40 AM, just after sunrise. At check-in points, where snacks and drinks were provided, they all appeared to be moving strongly and with good spirits. The finishing times ranged from 1:59 PM to approximately 7:19 PM. There were some very fast hikers in the group! The participants all expressed how much fun the event was and their gratitude for everything that the Club did to hold the event. See more photos at the bottom of the newsletter.

Congratulations to all the participants: Bannish, Christy; Benedict, Sarah; Catallo, Merico; Chinnayakanahalli, Kiran; Finnell, Michael; Fuller, Steven; Gollin, Ed; Hall, Andrew; Hall, Peter; Hodgkinson, Seamus; Lancto, Gregory; Lewis, Scott; Muench, Erik; Parsons, Nate; Sajan, Jonathan; Sanariya, Nora; Schmidt, Chris; Seeloft, Robert; Stofko, Michael; Teal, Peter; Warne, Geoffrey; Witter, Audre; and Xu, Jonathan.

It took twenty-eight volunteers to make this happen, and many volunteers participated in two or more roles to help us accomplish the event. Whether it was planning, organizing, coordinating the participants or various groups of volunteers, clearing the trail and keeping it clear, carrying water up to the Mattison Hollow/TCT junction, sweeping, shuttling sweeps, assisting at Petersburg Pass and Rte. 346, baking goodies, dealing with the finances, making arrangements with Pittsfield State Forest and NYS DEC, greeting and assisting participants at the support sites, and all the other numerous associated tasks, we could not have done it without these volunteers! The Club is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers!

**Start of the Challenge at Berry Pond**

Volunteers included: Walt Addicks, Bob Armao, George Astle, Mike Boucher, Bill Coyle, Michelle Filiault, James Grady, Cameron Hastie, Claudia Kavenagh, Dylan Keenan, Kathy Kindness, Ted Loukides, Jennifer Morris, Dave Nagengast, Lynne Nagengast, Janice Nissan, Margaret Parks, Dave Pisaneschi, Cliff Prewencki, Karen Ross, Jeff Ross, Abbie Shoobs, Leslie Siegard, Ed Slattery, Chris Simpson Boucher, Paul St. Germaine, Martha Waldman, and Geoff Wilks.

Special thanks go to Martha Waldman for planning and organizing volunteers and to Abbie Shoobs, who stepped forward to do all the participant registration and communication and who graciously managed the hikers and their needs on the 11th from before dawn into the night.

Start your training now for the next End-to-End in May, 2026!

SPRING GATHERING, GRAFTON LAKES STATE PARK (GLSP), SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Reminder, join us at the THC Spring Gathering at Grafton Lakes State Park, at the Deerfield Pavilion on Saturday, June 1. If you haven’t registered it is OK to show up! See the outings page for more information.

THE FUNGUS AMONG US

One of the most fun things to do on the trail, when you are able to lift your eyes off the rocks and roots you’re stepping over and look around, is to observe the many forms of fungi growing up out of tree trunks, rotting logs, leaf mold, and soil.

The study of fungi has become very popular, especially with the publication of several books on the subject that make some interesting claims about the role fungi play in our lives now and will play in the future. One of these is Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake. He makes the case that fungi are more than mushrooms or molds, but help create intricate ecosystems, shape evolution, and offer remedies for our physical and mental health. Another is Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, by Paul Stamets. Here fungi are incredible resources for helping restore damaged ecosystems, providing sustainable sources of food and medicine, and for changing the way we live. Fungi can play an important role in the nutrient cycle by breaking down dead plant and animal matter and returning the nutrients to the soil. In Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet, by Louie Schwartzberg, the focus is on some of the astonishing medicinal properties of mushrooms, from boosting the immune system to combating cancer to altering our minds.

It can be tempting to take home some of the mushrooms we see in the woods; however, gathering mushrooms in the wild to eat is risky and should only be undertaken by individuals knowledgeable in mushroom identification. Many toxic and deadly varieties mimic others that one might think are edible.

Some useful vocabulary: A fungus (pl.: fungi) is any member of the group of eukaryotic (organisms whose cells have a membrane-bound nucleus.) organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Toadstool generally denotes one poisonous to humans. Agaric is a type of fungus fruiting body and refers to the shape we mostly encounter in the woods. It is characterized by the presence of a pileus (cap) that is clearly differentiated from the stipe (stalk), with lamellae (gills) on the underside of the pileus. These fruiting bodes (sporophores) emerge from an extensive underground network of threadlike strands (mycelium). Mushroom mycelia may live hundreds of years or die in a few months, depending on the available food supply. As long as nourishment is available and temperature and moisture are suitable, a mycelium will produce a new crop of sporophores each year during its fruiting season.

Some of the most common fungi found in northeast forests, and therefore on your Taconic Crest Trail are these:

Morels are a type of fungus that have a distinctive honeycomb-like appearance and a nutty taste. Chanterelles are a type of fungus that have a yellow-orange color and a fruity aroma. Oyster mushrooms are a type of fungus that have a fan-shaped cap and a mild taste. Chicken of the Woods are a bracket fungus found on standing or fallen oaks or other hardwoods.

Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside. Polypores are also called bracket fungi or shelf fungi, and they characteristically produce woody, shelf- or bracket-shaped or occasionally circular fruiting bodies that are called conks. Most polypores inhabit tree trunks or branches consuming the wood, and one type, called “Turkey Tail” has markings similar to a turkey’s tail feathers.

Now for the poisonous ones! The genus Amanita contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide. The genus is responsible for approximately 95% of fatalities resulting from mushroom poisoning, with the death cap accounting for about 50% on its own. They have some colorful names, like the Eastern Destroying Angel. Avoid bringing these home.

Mushroom lore and whimsy abound. First are the mysterious fairy rings. The mycelium starts from a spore falling in a favorable spot and producing strands (hyphae) that grow out in all directions, eventually forming a circular mat of underground hyphal threads. Fruiting bodies, produced near the edge of this mat, may widen the ring for hundreds of years.

Amanita muscaria, the most easily recognized "toadstool", is frequently depicted in fairy stories and on greeting cards. It is often associated with gnomes.

Perhaps the next time you encounter an example of a fungi, you will stop a bit to look at it closely and think about its complex structure and the important role it might play in your life and that of our greater ecosystems.

OUTINGS: Refer to the THC website outings page for details about the outings and how to register. We schedule on a monthly and short-term basis, so check the website periodically.

Saturday, June 1: SPRING GATHERING, GRAFTON LAKES STATE PARK
Wednesday, June 5: Rounds Rock Loop - Greylock B
Monday, June 10: Taconic Trail State Forest (below the Taconic Ridge- Williamston) C+
Tuesday June 25: Wallkill Valley Rail Trail B-
Thursday June 27: Hand Hollow C
Thursday, June 27: Sarah Tenney – TCT – Shepherds Well Loop B
Thursday, July 11: Stony Ledge C

“It is impossible to walk in the woods and be in a bad mood at the same time.” Anonymous

**End-to-End hikers, 2024, at the Berry Pond starting point, pic by A Shoobs**

**The end of the Challenge! pic by A Shoobs**

**Valentino Family Community Forest, pic by M Waldman**

**Petersburg Pass supply checkpoint, pic by M Waldman**

**With certificates, patches and End-to-End hats, pic by A Shoobs**

**Hikers getting reenergized at Petersburg Pass, pic by M Waldman**

**Rte 346, Challenge end: refreshments, awards and relaxation!**

**Exploring Campbell Island, pic by D Pisaneschi**

NewsletterMartha WaldmanMay 31, 2024June 2024