Fungi Fun Woods Hike

Ever seen one of these in the woods? On a hike up to Blanca Lake in the North Cascades yesterday, I found lots of them. They are from a class of fungus called polypores, folk name "Artist's Conk," formally Ganoderma applanatum. You can find them grown on deadwood and standing snags. When they are fresh, they bruise a brown color on the white side, and can be engraved with pictures and writing, thus, the folk name, Artist's Conk. I have seen them at souvenir shops in the mountains, and I have one I collected and painted on, and a very large one that has no image, but has dried and will end up in an assemblage one of these days.