Mushroom weekend at Meany
Meany Lodge and the Puget Sound Mycological Society proudly and with great anticipation, present the Annual Meany Mushroom Weekend. This event is held on the 4th weekeend of October and is open to both both Mountaineer members and non-members at the same GREAT price.
Registration for this event will open later in the summer. If you wish to be notified as to when, please sign to reecive the meany notification email on the main page. Simply select which event you wish to be notified about from the pul down menu
We offer two ways you can experience this culinary event:
Option 1
full Weekend Friday night through Sunday afternoon
Cost is $140.00
Sign up Limit 35.
Arrive at Meany prior to 7 PM on Friday night to stake out your sleeping accomodations. After that is accomplished, come and gather on the main floor for some mushroom hors d'oeuvre tasting, followed by a Mushroom identification seminar, during which, yoou will receive a Mushroom Identification Field Guide and CD of mushrooms examples, some of which you may find the next day. This year the seminar will by experts from the Puget Sound Mycological Society. The evening will end with the famous Meany dessert buffet.
Get up Saturday morning to a great Meany breakfast. After you get your day gear ready, come back to the main floor where the Meany Chefs will have layed out a varitable Smörgåsbord of food, for you to pack a sack lunch from. You then head out for a day of mushroom hunting with our team of expert guides. Plan on coming back to Meany around 3 PM.
Option 2
Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon
Cost is $100.00
sign up limit 40.
Gather at Crystal Springs campground on Saturday, around 9:30 AM. Note: Campground is closed, so you will need to park by the side of the road. Meet and talk to the guides. Then break into collecting groups, and go scavange mushrooms. Please do remember to pack something for lunch and to drink. Plan on coming to Meany around 3 PM.
As both groups begin to gather back at Meany, we will have a sorting/display tables set up to
let all appreciate the aquired treasures of the forest - nope, you can't horde !!!
While the mushrooms are being sorted, your taste buds will be tempted by a hot mulled punch, canapés, and mushroom hors d'oeuvres. This will be followed by a sumptuous gourmet dinner and dessert.
A featured speaker will present the Saturday evening program.
Sunday we'll enjoy another fantastic Meany breakfast, featuring locally grown mushrooms. After breakfast we will collect locally, review the display, have a seminars on "Don't eat the mushroom!" and a "mushroom preservation, preparation and cooking". Sit down to another famaus Meany mushroom based lunch before we head back to town.
What one needs to bring:
- For mushroom collecting
- A Northwest Forest permit is required for all vehicles parking on forest land. You can purchased them at most sporting good stores (ie REI) or at any Forest Service Ranger Station
- Basket, box or large paper bags to carry your treasures AND small WAX_PAPER sandwich bags for individual small collection mushrooms
- Thermos filled with warm liquid (Those arriving Friday night can fill the thermos at Meany)
- Sack lunch (Those arriving Friday will make a sack lunch at the lodge on Saturday morning)
- Hand warmers, rubber gloves (to keep hands dry), mittens
- Warm clothing and rain gear
- A knife for cutting mushrooms
- A whistle (A MUST) - Used if you get lost or lose your group
- Footwear suitable for wet conditions
- Notebook
- Camera
- First time Meany visitors are encouraged to check out the Lodge's
Guest Information page, but here is a minumum list of items you should come with:
- Sleeping bag and pillow
- Towel and toiletries
- Lodge shoes (ie slippers)
- Flashlight
- change of clothing
- Everyone should review the mountaineers's recommended list of The 10 Outdoor Essentials
Driving directions, maps and GPS coordinates to Meany and Crystal Springs Campground
For additional information, please Patti Polinsky
To see what kind of recipes we use at the lodge during Mushroom weekend please click on Recipes then click on event meal icon.