Album of Thunder Lake Field Trip

Selected photos (by Rod Crawford & Laurel Ramseyer) from our 10 July 2011 spider collecting trip to Thunder Lake (just west of Lightning Lake), 12 miles east of White Pass in Yakima County, Washington. A small mid-elevation mountain lake in (natch) Ponderosa pine country, the spot is beautiful though somewhat marred by litterbugs, and produced a reasonable spider sample. We weren't so lucky spider-wise at the day's last site (Fish Flats, a little farther east) but that big mountain meadow was extremely scenic and not trampled by humans – only by elk! See this for Laurel's account of the day.
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2005 aerial photo, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Thunder Lake from the air    (Yakima County, 2005) First glimpse of the lake through trees          © Rod Crawford
smouldering fire left by campers at Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Previous campers left this smouldering        © Laurel Ramseyer Pretty pond in the Ponderosa pine province              © Rod Crawford
ponderosa pine tree at Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington marsh ringing Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Nice big pine tree      © Laurel Ramseyer Marsh habitat ringed the lake               © Rod Crawford
wild rose at Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington dead pine snags in pond, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
My wild Washington rose       © Rod Crawford Lake has risen, killing some pines               © Laurel Ramseyer
spider Euryopis formosa in pine cone, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington Laurel Ramseyer with ponderosa pine tree, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Euryopis formosa moons us from pine cone   © Laurel Ramseyer Laurel contemplates a world of pine cones            © Rod Crawford
sheetweb weaving spider Pityohyphantes sp #5, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington edge habitats around pond, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Pityohyphantes sp. #5           © Rod Crawford Pond-edge habitats                  © Laurel Ramseyer
shrubland habitat in clearcut, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington shrubland habitat in clearcut, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Shrubland habitat in clearcut        © Laurel Ramseyer More shrubland                   © Laurel Ramseyer
female jumping spider Habronattus sansoni, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington female jumping spider Pelegrina aeneola, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Female Habronattus sansoni      © Laurel Ramseyer Female Pelegrina aeneola               © Laurel Ramseyer
male jumping spider Habronattus sansoni, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington garter snake found under dead wood, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Male Habronattus sansoni looks like a Dilbert character
        © Laurel Ramseyer		 Under a log, no spiders, just a garter snake                © Rod Crawford
molting spider on pine cone, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington blooming Ceanothus velutinus, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
This pine cone spider has just molted   © Laurel Ramseyer Ceanothus velutinus in full bloom            © Rod Crawford
exuvium of Pardosa sp. in pine cone, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington gnaphosid spider Poecilochroa (Sergiolus) columbiana from pine cone, Thunder Lake, Yakima County, Washington
Wolf spider molted in a cone    © Laurel Ramseyer Poecilochroa columbiana, nice catch!              © Laurel Ramseyer

To supplement the Thunder Lake sample we made a brief stop down the road at Jubilee Organization Camp.

funnel opening of Novalena web, Jubilee Organization Camp, Thunder Creek Road, Yakima County, Washington Jubilee Organization Camp, Thunder Creek Road, Yakima County, Washington
Entrance of vacant Novalena web    © Laurel Ramseyer Cabins of the little-used "Organization Camp"     © Rod Crawford

Fish Flats is a large, relatively pristine meadow with spectacular pine trees, much used by elk but with few spiders.

2005 aerial photo of Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington
Fish Flats from the air         (Yakima County, 2005) Beautiful big meadow with few spiders        © Rod Crawford
monster Ponderosa pine tree, Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington
Magnificent, multi-branched pine tree  © Laurel Ramseyer Laurel heads for disappointment in the pine grove        © Rod Crawford
branched ponderosa pine tree, Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington branched ponderosa pine tree, Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington
Trunk & branches of the monster pine   © Laurel Ramseyer Another strangely branched Ponderosa pine       © Rod Crawford
wetland patch in meadow, Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington wet spring course in meadow, Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington
Monkey-flowers marked springs & wet spots   © Rod Crawford Small wetlands were numerous in the big meadow        © Rod Crawford
meadow grass, Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington Mt Rainier at sunset from west of White Pass, Washington on 10 July 2011
Meadow grass             © Rod Crawford Mount Rainier from just west of White Pass        © Rod Crawford
white flower perhaps Allium sp., Fish Flats, Yakima County, Washington Mt. Rainier at sunset from west of White Pass, 10 July 2011
Allium (?) flower built like a firework   © Rod Crawford Sun sinks behind the Mountain        © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 12 June, 2015