Gordon Wasson, a prominent mycologist, spent a significant amount of time in the Adirondacks during the early 20th century, studying the region’s fungi and making important contributions to the field of mycology. In addition to his scientific work, Wasson had a fascinating personal life that included travels, collaborations, and spiritual explorations.
Wasson spent several summers in the Adirondacks, where he and his wife Valentina Pavlovna, a Russian artist and photographer, rented a cabin in the woods near Saranac Lake. Wasson used the cabin as a base for his fieldwork, collecting mushrooms and studying the local ecology. The cabin became a haven for the Wassons, who enjoyed the peace and solitude of the Adirondacks and hosted many visitors, including fellow mycologists and artists.
While in the Adirondacks, Wasson also collaborated with Paul Smith’s College, a small liberal arts college located in the northern part of the park. Wasson worked closely with the college’s biology department and conducted several lectures on mushrooms and their cultural significance.
Wasson’s personal life was just as interesting as his scientific work. He and his wife traveled extensively, exploring the world’s cultures and collecting art and artifacts. Wasson’s travels took him to Mexico, where he became interested in the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms in religious rituals. He famously participated in a mushroom ceremony with the Mazatec Indians in 1955, an experience that would change his life and inspire his book, “The Divine Mushroom of Immortality.”
Wasson’s collaborations and travels helped him to become a leading figure in the study of mushrooms and their cultural significance. His work in the Adirondacks contributed to our understanding of the region’s fungi and established the Adirondacks as an important location for mycological research.
References:
- Wasson, R. Gordon, and Wasson, Valentina Pavlovna. (1957). Mushrooms, Russia and History. Pantheon Books.
- Wasson, R. Gordon. (1957). Seeking the Magic Mushroom. Life Magazine. May 13, 1957.
- Wasson, R. Gordon. (1961). The Hallucinogenic Mushrooms of Mexico and Psilocybin: A Bibliography. Harvard University Press.
- Wasson, R. Gordon. (1972). Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
- Krug, Pamela J. (2013). The Mycological Legacy of R. Gordon Wasson. Mycologia. 105(3): 549-560. 10.3852/12-291.