After a nearly snow-free year last year, I have really been enjoying tramping around the woods in the snow. I'm no expert, but I learned enough about tracking as a kid to be able to decipher some of the stories left behind by wildlife as the animals travel through the snow. A deer's bed here, a bit of snow excavated there by a squirrel digging for some acorn buried away last fall. And I never fail to marvel at how the wild creatures survive the cold of winter, now with heavy snow cover on the ground for well over a week.
Of course, I am also frequently thinking about mushrooms. Primarily this is a fine time to scout for good mushroom habitat such as shaded, damp areas and stands of old growth trees that likely harbor mycorrhizal mushroom partners waiting to fruit when temperatures again rise. The woods are more open now - without leaves it is possible to see further and better evaluate the landscape. And significantly, one is not bothered by pesky mosquitos and ticks. Of course there are always a few dried and frozen leftovers from the season past. I do look for these just to keep my eye trained in recognizing the mushroom form.
On one recent walk I spotted a bit of a natural oddity that I've seen a number of times over the years. I have attached a photo of the formation and dubbed it an ice-shroom for it's resemblance to a mushroom sprouting from the ground. It's not a strong resemblance, but enough to make a mushroomer look twice. These odd formations can be found where the soil is moist. For some reason ice crystals form just beneath the surface pushing up a thin layer of soil resembling, at least slightly, a mushroom stem and cap. I'm not at all familiar with the physics behind these formations, so if someone is able to provide an explanation please reply.
Dave
