Foray at Mountain Lake Biological Station - Sept 6-8

Post date: Jun 14, 2013 1:14:28 AM

Save the date! The weekend of September 6 – 8 the New River Valley Mushroom Club will be co-hosting a big foray event with the Mycological Association of Washington (MAW). Our home base will be at the Mountain Lake Biological Station – UVA (MLBS) in Giles County, Virginia, just down the road from the famous Mountain Lake Lodge. There will be a foray registration fee TBA.

Call for Volunteers:

We are still in the planning phase and will accept any help we can get from you. Some things we will need: (reply to me if you are interested)

· Assist in planning details

· Develop a registration process

· Need Mushroom Walk Leaders

· Create a Facebook page

Key points of interest:

· This is a Virginia Tech home Football weekend. (lodging in the area books up quickly)

· Get your accommodations locked in early.

o MLBS accommodations are limited to 30-50 people

o Mountain Lake Lodge has reserved us 20 rooms until July 29th and probably have many more available now…but they may book up quickly

o Camping sites are also popular in the summer and may also fill soon.

· We will likely limit the number of registrations to approximately 100 people.

Tentative agenda:

Friday Evening:

· Friday night walk signup, with short descriptions from walk leaders

· Social get-together

Saturday: Many different foray options for your choosing

· Morning forays at various locations in Giles County

· Lunch at MLBS for those lodging there

· Afternoon forays at various locations in Giles County

· All day foray option where you will need to provide your own lunch

· Dinner at MLBS for those lodging there

· Evening Program

· Mushroom Identification

Sunday:

· Table Walk

Accommodations:

· MLBS

· Mountain Lake Lodge

· Camping

Directions:

From either Interstate 81 (exit 118B) or 77 in Virginia, take U.S. Rte 460 toward Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. Once you are in Giles County, take State Rte. 700 or 613 up the mountain (NW) toward the Mountain Lake Resort Hotel. State Routes 700 and 613 merge at the top of the mountain at the Hotel. Enter the hotel grounds and continue NNE on SR 613 for 1.6 miles. You will pass through the Hotel grounds and along the west shore of the lake, and the road will turn to gravel. Follow SR 613 until you reach a fork in the road; take the right fork onto SR 668, following the sign to "Biological Station." When you reach the Station entrance, you will see a brown welcome sign. Take the right fork at the entrance. Park in the large gravel lot near the large barn-like building. Check in at the office - Lewis Hall 102 - in the large stone building.

Links:

· Mycological Association of Washington: http://mawdc.org/

· New River Valley Mushroom Club: https://sites.google.com/site/newrivervalleymushroomclub/home

· Mountain Lake Biological Station: http://www.mlbs.virginia.edu/

· Mountain Lake Lodge: http://www.mtnlakelodge.com/

· Glen Alton: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/site.asp?trail=2&loop=MED&site=MED08

· Pandapas Pond: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gwj/recreation/natureviewing/recarea/?recid=73877&actid=63

· Cascades: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gwj/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=79943&actid=50

· Mill Creek: http://friendsofmillcreek.blogspot.com/