A couple of species are likely candidates to fit these photos, which are from Debbie Viess. More of her photos and an explanation of her ID adventure is on the Bay Area Mycological Society web site. Both have a strong, disagreeable pungent odor and according to Largent (1985) only one is known to occur in CA; Camarophyllopsis subfuscescens var. odora. This species starts out a honey-yellow and fades to gray. I did not locate any photos, but descriptions are in Largent and Hesler & Smith. The original description is also on line: Sydowia 8:318. (1954). Bird & Grund and Hesler & Smith both have descriptions and B&W photos of the variety Camarophyllopsis subfuscescens var. subfuscescens.