Truffle found today! 24 Aug. 2002

[Daniel B. Wheeler]

It's so dry around Oregon, and so much of the country is a little dark
around the charcoal, that the last thing I expected to find today was
a truffle. Nonetheless, there is was, partially exposed from an animal
dig near the top of Larch Mountain, between the trail from the parking
lot to the overlook, at about 3,900 feet elevation.

The aroma is worth writing home about: caramel, coconut, butterscotch.
Looks to be a Leucophleps or Leucogaster, orangish exterior, pure
white interior; tiny, less than 1/3 inch wide; and fortunately mostly
obscured by a rock that whatever animal was digging toward it couldn't
budge. Under Noble fir (Abies procera) on a rather steep slope (I'm
estimating 30 degrees). About one inch under where the top of the duff
layer _would_ have been, had the animal not already scratched it away.

Several more (5?) pits nearby, all about 1 inch deep. So I'm guessing
the animals had at least one meal before I happened by. Tried to find
another one by just eye-balling the soil surface, but no further
finds.

Daniel B. Wheeler
www.oregonwhitetruffles.com