I first saw this on a stump in the Deep Creek Lake area of western Maryland in early July, 2011. I returned to the area October 15 and it was still there..looking just as it did in July. It is hard to the touch, not soft or spongy. Most are in the cluster on the top of the stump, but there are also single ones growing at the sides of the stump (visible to the right in the first picture). I've browsed through various sites but haven't been able to find anything similar.
