Hoffman Notch ~ Trout Brook

Footbridge over Trout Brook West Branch on Big Pond Trail

Yesterday a friend and I walked back into the Hoffman Notch Wilderness Area to fish for brook trout in the appropriately named Trout Brook.  We actually ran across a few other hikers, which is most unusual on this little used trail.  One group was coming back from Marion Pond, which is on the list of ponds to be reclaimed and restocked with "heritage" brook trout as part of the Hoffman Notch DEC master plan.

Sulphur Shelf Mushroom

Last week I made the same trip with a group of friends, and as I passed by a bright orange sulphur shelf mushroom, I casually commented "That's edible."  Unbeknownst to me, someone behind me broke some off and ate it. Bad idea.  Many "edibles" still need to be cooked to be edible, and any wild mushroom should be carefully examined to assure its pedigree.  PS - this sulphur mushroom,  a small hen of the woods, tastes like chicken.  They can grow to enormous size.

Artist's Conk Mushrooms are used for drawing.

A cluster of shelf mushrooms sometimes called Artist's Conk, are used by artists for drawing. Impressions made on the mushroom's flat surface in the first day after harvest will dry and be preserved for many years.