Ricketts Glen State Park in northeast Pennsylvania stretches over 13,000 acres. Most famously, it contains the Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark. Creeks flow through these mossy glens and cascade in a series of waterfalls, one after another. Hemlock and birch, some appearing quite old, create wondrous rootworks along the flagstone paths that carry you along the edge of the water. I visited these Conestoga Susquehannock lands in early April, 2025. It drizzled all weekend and the air was misty, but that was no problem and contributed to a calm ambiance and more solitary experience. The waterfalls had a true Rivendell vibe. These were some of my favorites: 

​I have been going to the woods as often as I can - two to three times a week - to catch sight and fill my basket with spring mushrooms. Morchella spp. (morels), the holiest of spring mushrooms for mycophagists, is my target. Along the way, I hope to find Helvella spp. and Gyromitra spp. These are all large, fleshy ascomycetes. Recently, I got a copy of Ascomycete Fungi of North America: A Mushroom Reference Guide by Beug, Bessette, and Bessette. The beautiful images in this book have inspired me to find more ascomycetes and not just the large gilled and pored species of Basidiomycota. ​