Album of Salkum - Cowlitz River Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 13 October 2024 spider collecting trip to complete a 7-species sample from June by visiting 3 sites SW of Salkum, central Lewis County, Washington. The public river access (owned by Tacoma like most public sites on the Cowlitz River) was rather blackberry-ridden, but still produced a very good litter sample and enough more for 29 species (besides a near-distaster with my glasses). Upland forest and clearcut sites brought us to a minimum of 50 species, making 56 with the prior records.
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
2024 aerial photo SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington with spider sites fall color at a rest area S of Chehalis, WA on 13 October 2024
River, forest, clearcut sites SW of Salkum     (Lewis County 2024) Fall color at a rest area along the way                © Rod Crawford
Barrier Dam & salmon hatchery above river access site, Cowlitz River, Washington Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
Barrier Dam (that little hump in the river)      © Laurel Ramseyer Cowlitz River at the access site                © Rod Crawford
Vespericola columbiana snail, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington river access parking lot, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
Vespericola snail from moss         © Laurel Ramseyer River access parking lot; woods mostly impenetrable        © Laurel Ramseyer
gnaphosid spider Poecilochroa (Sergiolus) columbiana, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington woods and meadow blocked by blackberry, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
Poecilochroa (Sergiolus) montana from moss    © Laurel Ramseyer Blackberry blocks access to woods & meadow            © Laurel Ramseyer
juvenile Xysticus crab spider from moss, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington blackberry thicket, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
Juvenile Xysticus in moss         © Laurel Ramseyer Riparian zone consumed by horrid blackberry thicket!          © Rod Crawford
outhouse at river access, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington spiders Calymmaria suprema in outhouse, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
Outhouse with interesting fauna         © Rod Crawford Calymmaria suprema in upper corner of outhouse          © Laurel Ramseyer
Polistes dominula nest in outhouse, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington female spider Calymmaria suprema from outhouse, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
Polistes dominula not the only outhouse wasp   © Laurel Ramseyer Female Calymmaria suprema               © Laurel Ramseyer
river cobbles, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington gravel bar with fishermen, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Washington
River cobbles                 © Laurel Ramseyer Gravel bar with fishermen                    © Laurel Ramseyer
female spider Ozyptila pacifica from cottonwood litter, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington row of cottonwood trees, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Ozyptila pacifica from cottonwood litter  © Laurel Ramseyer Row of cottonwood trees                © Rod Crawford
moss and Calymmaria web on cottonwood trunk, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington dry grass field, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Moss, & Calymmaria web, on cottonwood trunk   © Laurel Ramseyer Dry grass field (with blackberry)                 © Laurel Ramseyer
Laurel Ramseyer sifting moss, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington riparian grass, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Laurel sifting moss               © Rod Crawford Some riparian grass I didn't spot                    © Laurel Ramseyer
Manke Timber sign, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington Manke Timber gate, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Manke Timber property           © Rod Crawford Manke's gate (note Scots broom in their road)              © Rod Crawford
mossy young-cottonwood stand, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington Manke Timber road, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Mossy trunks of young cottonwood     © Laurel Ramseyer Road/trail through the forest                  © Rod Crawford
pirate spider Ero canionis from moss, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington forest road/trail reaches cottonwood stand, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Female Ero canionis from moss       © Laurel Ramseyer Road/trail reaches the cottonwood stand            © Rod Crawford
male spider Callobius pictus from moss, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington fern understory, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Male Callobius pictus from moss        © Laurel Ramseyer Productive fern understory                 © Rod Crawford
barely penetrable brush in understory, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington cottonwood leaf litter, Spencer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
"Impenetrability, that's what I say!"         © Rod Crawford Leaf litter in the young cottonwoods           © Laurel Ramseyer
young Douglas-fir, Fullerer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington Port Blakely Tree Farm property, Fullerer Road SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington
Young Douglas-fir in a clearcut        © Laurel Ramseyer …very densely planted indeed!          © Rod Crawford
ventral view of female spider Neon reticulatus, Cowlitz River SW of Salkum, Lewis County, Washington sunset (mosaic) near Olympia on 13 October 2024
Neon reticulatus showing epigynum        © Rod Crawford Sunset pieced together from 2 car window views                  © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 20 January, 2025