Mushroom Yogi goes to Telluride Mushroom Festival

Hi, my name is Mushroom Yogi, also known as Laura Robinson. This is the year! I’m going for it. I’m going to the Telluride Mushroom Festival. They must have 100-ft mushrooms in Telluride because it's insanely expensive. Maybe that's why I'm determined to go??? I'm a working-class person from Appalachia that's going to crash a boujee town in August 2024. Isn’t that wonderful? It makes me smile.

This started 20 years ago when I found my first morel mushroom on my lunch break. Since then, my dog Uma and I have wandered the Appalachia mountains of Virginia photographing boletes, puffballs, jelly, and all other types of mushrooms. Each week, I get my cheap boots, my camera, and my dog… and we disappear into the forest. I love it so much I’ve created a website called mushroomperson.com and drew a comic about Mushroom People. Without a doubt, I’m an amateur “passion” mycologist. I’m not into psychedelics; I’m truly that nerd photographing fungi.

Why support this? The Telluride Mushroom Festival is on every mushroom hunter's bucket list. Recently, I was at a local Mushroom Club meeting and a friend said, “Telluride Mushroom Festival is on my bucket list. Maybe one year.” We all chuckled that kind of laugh that conveyed we’ll never get the time off from work and we can’t afford it anyway. And then I felt really sad. Because it’s true. Most of us will never go.

I’m feeling the ache of age in my bones and it needs to be this year for me. So, I’m going for it. If you’re like me, you might understand this: I’ve worked for 3 decades, but I can’t remember when I’ve traveled for a week’s vacation in over 20+ years. There’s always been a barrier: mostly time and money. Honestly, it’s a little scary to me.

I live a happy little life. My life’s mission is to create bubbles of joy filled with humility, integrity, health, and advocacy. And it’s time I live beyond my normal bubble.

My plan? In August 2024, I’ll leave my little house with its leaky roof, get a petsitter for ol’ Uma, and take an airplane from Virginia to Colorado. Then, I’ll rent a car and drive to Telluride. I’ll listen to lectures about mushrooms, laugh at mushroom jokes, and go on mushroom hunts.

It will be the trip of my lifetime.

What’s at this festival? Art Goodtimes. Hopefully Louie Schwartzberg and Eugenia Bone. I doubt if Paul Stamets will be there, but I'd sh*t my pants if he was. I’ve already met Britt Bunyard, Tradd Cotter, Gary Lincoff (rest in peace), Walter Sturgeon, Alan Rockefeller, and many others. I met them at mushroom conferences in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Anyway, Telluride is like the icing on my cake. It’s the final frontier (Star Trek reference).

Why so much $ for this dream? They must have 100-ft mushrooms in Telluride because it's insanely expensive. The flight, transportation, lodging, and festival fees are boujee expensive. Maybe that's why I'm determined to go??? I'm a working-class woman from Appalachia that's going to crash a boujee town. Isn’t that wonderful? It makes me smile.

I'm doing three fundraising pushes: check out my website mushroomperson .com for info. I hope you can join me for one. Fun stuff!

So, be a part of my dream.

I ask for your support and I'm grateful for each penny!

Any funds raised will be used for the flight, lodging, festival fees, transportation, meals, and a pet sitter for Uma.

Thank you. Really. Thank you.