January 30 (Saturday),
10 AM: Foray along Ortega Highway in the Cleveland National Forest.
LAMS will sponsor a foray to several locations on or
near Ortega Highway, State Route 74, in the Cleveland National Forest THIS Saturday,
January 30. Rather than spend all or most of the day at one location, we
will forage at each location for an hour or two, return to our vehicles
and travel in caravan to the next location. All locations included in
the foray itinerary are close to the highway or other paved roads; the
terrain is not challenging, but we will encounter a variety of habitats
and hopefully a variety of mushrooms as well, given the recent rain.
We will meet in the parking lot of the El Cariso
Ranger Station at the east end of El Cariso Village above Lake Elsinore.
See photo below. The public is invited to participate.
Here are the important foray details:
Date: January 30, 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00 AM--please be prompt.
We will leave the meeting site to go to the first foray location, so
late arrivals may be unable to join the group.
Meeting Place: Meet in the parking lot of El
Cariso Ranger Station on the SOUTH side of Ortega Highway 23 miles EAST
of I-5 in San Juan Capistrano or 10 miles WEST of I-15 in Lake Elsinore.
From there we will drive in caravan to the foray locations.
Leader: Steven
Pencall <fieldtrips(at)lamushrooms.org> (please replace (at) with
"@") For fastest response, please
make sure the word "foray" appears in the subject line of your
message.
Directions: From the San Diego Freeway, I-5 in
San Juan Capistrano, drive EAST approximately 23 miles on Ortega
Highway, State Route 74, to the ranger station on the RIGHT side of the
highway at the east end of El Cariso Village. If you reach the turn off
to the Wildomar OHV area you have gone about 0.2 miles too far.
From I-15 in Lake Elsinore (Central Street exit), drive WEST approximately
10 miles on State Route 74. The ranger station will be on your LEFT about 0.4 miles below the summit of the hill (el. 2662')
Here
is a Google map showing the general vicinity of the meeting site. It is
just to the west (left as you view the map) of the intersection of the
North Main Divide Road (labeled "El Cariso Road" on the map) and South Main Divide
Road (labeled "Killen Trail" on the map) with Ortega Highway.
(Google has trouble keeping up with the changes in street names.)
Please allow yourself enough time to reach the meeting
site--typically around 1.5 hours from either the Los Angeles or San
Diego metro areas.
RAIN CANCELS!
Activity
rating: 1 (Easy)
General
information for first time foray participants (Please click and
read.)
Photo of the El Cariso
Ranger Station
Note that the ranger station is just west of the El
Cariso Fire Station. There are signs for the ranger station and
the fire station on eastbound and westbound Ortega Highway. Click on thumbnail for larger image.
Several
persons have inquired if carpools are available for foray participants.
A LAMS carpool Yahoo Group page has been created to assist foray
participants in joining or forming carpools.
However, it is up to potential foray participants to select appropriate
carpool/rideshare partners.
LAMS will not attempt to match carpool/rideshare partners.
Please read the “group description” at the LAMS
Carpool Yahoo Group page.
If interested in forming or joining a carpool you should click
the “Join This Group!” button, fill out the information requested by
Yahoo to join the group and then send a message to the group indicating
your interest in carpooling.
IMPORTANT NOTES
#1. In accordance with LAMS policy, all foray
participants, members or not, will be required to sign a liability
release in order to participate in the foray.
#2. You will also need a forest parking permit called
an "Adventure Pass" to park in the National Forest.
"Adventure Passes" are available at National Forest ranger
stations and at many sporting good stores, such as REI or Sport Chalet.
One day permits are $5.00 and annual permits are $30.00. Parking passes
are sometimes available at the small ranger station where we will be
meeting, however, it may not be open. Parking passes are usually for
sale at the small general store in El Cariso Village just west of the
ranger station. If you are age 62 or older and have a "Golden
Age Passport" you will NOT need an "Adventure Pass".
Additional
"Adventure Pass" information is available at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap/
#3. Well-behaved dogs are OK, but must
be on leash.
