Album of Salkum - Cowlitz River Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 28 February 2025 spider collecting trip to the vicinity of Randle, eastern Lewis County, Washington. We visited Silver Creek Cemetery (Laurel's primary reason for going here); a marsh around Gibbs Lake; mossy riparian maples and alders along the Cowlitz River; forest understory a little way into the National Forest; and the local high school building. The ultimate catch was 45 species, or 54 counting a "head start" of old records. And we ended the day with a tasty pilgrimage to the Huff 'n' Puff, a regular burger stop back in the 1980s!
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blue sky seen en-route to Randle, Washington on 28 February 2025 2024 aerial photo of Randle and vicinity, Washington with spider collecting sites
"Blue skies, smilin' on me…"          © Rod Crawford Randle vicinity with localities from this trip in red          (Lewis County, 2024)
entrannce sign of Silver Creek Cemetery E of Randle, Washington Silver Creek Cemetery E of Randle, Washington
Sign maker didn't leave room for the space  © Rod Crawford Silver Creek Cemetery surrounded by Hills of Habitat            © Rod Crawford
female spider Metellina mimetoides from Silver Creek Cemetery E of Randle, Washington Western Boxelder Bugs on cemetery shed, Silver Creek Cemetery E of Randle, Washington
Uncommon Metellina mimetoides         © Rod Crawford Western Boxelder Bugs on cemetery shed        © Rod Crawford
Bathyphantes brevipes from near Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington marsh around Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington
Bathyphantes brevipes swept from marsh  © Rod Crawford Marsh around tiny Gibbs Lake                 © Rod Crawford
cutleaf blackberry invading marsh at Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington Huffaker Mountain from vicinity of Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington
Cutleaf blackberry invading the marsh       © Rod Crawford Huffaker Mountain viewed from the marsh                © Laurel Ramseyer
deciduous trees in marsh around Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington marsh by Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington
Trees make parts of the marsh swamplike  © Rod Crawford Another part, still too wet for my field shoes            © Rod Crawford
fractured outcrop across Cispus Road from Gibbs Lake SE of Randle, Washington two species of Sergiolus spiders from near Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Shattered outcrop was decent habitat   © Laurel Ramseyer Two local species of Poecilochroa (Sergiolus)               © Laurel Ramseyer
Douglas-fir foliage on Benson Road SE of Randle, Washington tree farm driveway off Benson Road SE of Randle, Washington
A bit of good Douglas-fir foliage             © Rod Crawford Tree farm driveway, but access forbidden                    © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford in maple grove along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington maple leaf litter along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Rod in maple grove along the Cowlitz   © Laurel Ramseyer I was gathering maple-alder leaf litter                © Rod Crawford
spider Apollophanes margareta from Benson Road SE of Randle, Washington female spider Calymmaria nana from maple litter along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Apollophanes margareta              © Rod Crawford Calymmaria nana from maple litter                 © Rod Crawford
mossy maple trunk, along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington Laurel Ramseyer sifting moss, along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Mossy maple trunk                   © Rod Crawford Laurel sifting moss using trunk as a table                   © Rod Crawford
male theridiid spider Dipoena lana from moss along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington quiet river water along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Male Dipoena lana from moss          © Laurel Ramseyer Quiet Cowlitz River water              © Rod Crawford
female spider Tachygyna ursina sifted from moss along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington along Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Tachygyna ursina from moss clods     © Laurel Ramseyer Bend of the river                      © Laurel Ramseyer
licorice ferns on maple trunk, Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington down Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Licorice ferns on maple trunk           © Rod Crawford Down the Cowlitz from our sifting site            © Rod Crawford
cryptogams on bluff, Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington Bluff along Cline Road, Cowlitz River SE of Randle, Washington
Big variety of cryptogams on bluff face      © Rod Crawford Bluff along Cline Road                 © Laurel Ramseyer
Rod Crawford about to beat ferns, Road N75 E of Randle, Washington western hemlock foliage, Road N75 E of Randle, Washington
Rod ready to beat ferns in the national forest      © Laurel Ramseyer Western hemlock foliage                   © Laurel Ramseyer
juvenile spider Theridion californicum from road N75 E of Randle, Washington salal foliage on road N75 E of Randle, Washington
Juvenile Theridion californicum        © Laurel Ramseyer Salal foliage, home of spider at left              © Laurel Ramseyer
White Pass High School, Randle, Washington Huff-n-Puff diner, west of Randle, Washington
High school windows had some spiders   © Laurel Ramseyer We are commanded to EAT, but where?                  © Laurel Ramseyer
sign, Huff-n-Puff diner, west of Randle, Washington Huff-n-Puff diner, west of Randle, Washington
Why, at the Huff-n-Puff of course!        © Rod Crawford Randle's historic diner, frequented by researchers in 1980s!    © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 23 March, 2025