Album of North Mountain Lookout Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 18 July 2017 spider collecting trip to North Mountain Lookout, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington, Snohomish County). After being quasi-lost for an hour in a confusing network of roads, we made it to the gate a mile before the summit, and after an easy hike, we could see for miles and miles! Between the summit area and 2 lower sites we got 25-26 species, not a very spectacular fauna but including Laurel's prize female of rarely collected Orodrassus canadensis. Laurel's account of the day is here.
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2012 aerial photo of North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington) gate on forest road 1028 leading to summit of North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington)
3 North Mountain spider sites in red      (Skagit County, 2012) Gate one mile from summit              © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford hiking up summit road on North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington) bracken and herbs in summit clearing, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington)
There goes Rod up the road           © Laurel Ramseyer Bracken-herb-shrub field around lookout tower              © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford approaches lookout tower, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) looking up lookout tower, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Rod approaches the lookout tower        © Laurel Ramseyer Tower said to be 40 feet tall, seems taller!        © Rod Crawford
male Cyclosa conica spider from summit clearing, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington) male flower crab spider Misumena vatia on goatsbeard, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington)
Male Cyclosa conica from summit foliage   © Rod Crawford Male Misumena vatia on Aruncus             © Laurel Ramseyer
Laurel Ramseyer looks down from lookout tower, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington) Mount Baker from lookout tower, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (nr Darrington)
Laurel is way up there             © Rod Crawford Mount Baker from the tower            © Rod Crawford
Mt. Higgins and Round Mountain from North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) Mount Shuksan and Bacon Peak from North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Nearby Mt. Higgins and Round Mountain   © Rod Crawford North Cascades: Shuksan in distance, Bacon Peak             © Rod Crawford
gnaphosid spider Orodrassus canadensis with egg sac, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) stairway of lookout tower, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Uncommon Orodrassus canadensis      © Laurel Ramseyer Looking down the steep tower stairs              © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer collects a spider, summit of North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) forest understory vegetation, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Laurel attempts to collect a spider     © Rod Crawford Low forest understory             © Rod Crawford
stony debris at base of outcrop, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) roadside outcrop near summit of North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Stony debris sheltered wolf spiders      © Laurel Ramseyer Roadside outcrop               © Rod Crawford
butterfly Parnassius clodius near summit, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) Douglas-fir cones on ground near summit, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Parnassius clodius nectaring         © Laurel Ramseyer Douglas-fir cones (spider-free) near summit               © Laurel Ramseyer
juvenile western toad leaf retreat of sac spider Clubiona pacifica on alder, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Young toad on shady side of road      © Laurel Ramseyer Alder leaf retreat of Clubiona pacifica                       © Laurel Ramseyer
Rod Crawford collecting spiders from rotten wood, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) productive dead-wood habitat, west slope North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Rod in amongst trees & dead wood      © Laurel Ramseyer Lovely dead wood habitat on west slope of mountain        © Rod Crawford
Jumbo Mountain from side of North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) Whitehorse Mountain from side of North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington)
Jumbo Mountain from mountainside clearcut      © Rod Crawford Whitehorse Mountain from the same spot                © Rod Crawford
orbweaver Araniella displicata, North Mountain, Skagit County, Washington (near Darrington) fireweed,
Araniella displicata               © Laurel Ramseyer Backlit fireweed in same clearcut                © Rod Crawford
Burger Barn in Darrington, Washington sunset near Arlington, Washington on 18 July 2017
The Burger Barn, where we dined       © Laurel Ramseyer Sunset near Arlington                         © Rod Crawford


This page last updated 26 July, 2017