Album of Silver Creek Field Trip

Selected photos (by Laurel Ramseyer and Rod Crawford) from a spider collecting trip to three sites near Silver Creek Ranger Station and Crystal Mountain Ski Area, just outside the NE corner of Mt. Rainier National Park. We handily brought an old 7-species sample up to 34 by collecting on the spider-rich ranger station buildings and around a nearby parking lot. A much more natural site, at higher elevation on Silver Creek, was not such easy collecting but was a lovely place to spend the afternoon and we ultimately came away with 25 spider species from there.
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1998 aerial photo of Silver Creek spider collecting site, Pierce County, Washington scenic view of Mount Rainier from east of Enumclaw, Washington
Aerial photo of Silver Creek site (see below) (USGS, 1998) Our goal was about 3 ridges left from the famous volcano      © Rod Crawford

First we stopped at the Silver Creek Ranger Station (not staffed this weekend) for spiders living on buildings.

manmade spider habitat at Silver Creek Guard Station, Pierce County, Washington historic Silver Creek Guard Station, Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Manmade spider habitat; snow provides water  © Laurel Ramseyer Historic guard station building, rebuilt in 1930      © Rod Crawford
Neriene digna in web on building, Silver Creek Guard Station, Pierce County, Washington Novalena intermedia web on building, Silver Creek Guard Station, Pierce County, Washington
This Neriene digna picked an appropriate spot    © Laurel Ramseyer Novalena intermedia, the Ranger Station Funnel Weaver    © Laurel Ramseyer

Our second site, to add some natural-habitat spiders, was at what turned out to be the local Sno-Park parking lot.

Snow patch in woods at 2760' in late May, Silver Creek, Pierce County, Washington Silver Creek Sno-Park Lot, Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Snow patches common at 2760 feet       © Rod Crawford It really looked like a meadow in satellite photos        © Laurel Ramseyer
rotten log in forest, Silver Creek Sno-Park Lot, Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington fir-hemlock forest, Silver Creek Sno-Park Lot, Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Logs and stumps produced site's best species      © Laurel Ramseyer True fir – hemlock forest           © Rod Crawford
salal Gaultheria shallon in understory, Silver Creek Sno-Park Lot, Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington habitat-rich tree trunk, Silver Creek Sno-Park Lot, Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Salal dominated the understory       © Laurel Ramseyer Tree trunk provides habitat for diverse life          © Rod Crawford

Our last site was a side road on the east side of Silver Creek at 3560 feet, markedly earlier in "season".

Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington unnamed tributary of Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington
Silver Creek looking silvery with snow melt     © Laurel Ramseyer Our site was at this unnamed tributary               © Rod Crawford
catkins of slide alder Alnus sinuata, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington slide alder Alnus sinuata not yet in leaf, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington
Catkins of Alnus sinuata            © Rod Crawford Slide alder not yet in leaf along tributary brook          © Rod Crawford
Douglas-fir and salmonberry foliage, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington roadside rocky wolf spider habitat, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington
Douglas-fir and just-leafing salmonberry  © Rod Crawford Rocky habitat of Pardosa mackenziana              © Rod Crawford
unidentified flower by fir cone, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington rotten wood habitat in forest, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington
Flower seems to be growing from fir cone    © Rod Crawford Dead wood habitat added a few species         © Rod Crawford
developing salmonberry Rubus spectabilis flowers with orb web, Silver Creek along Crystal Mountain Boulevard, Pierce County, Washington Microhexura idahoana from swamp on Tolmie Creek, Pierce County, Washington
Salmonberry and orb webs coming into bloom    © Laurel Ramseyer Microhexura idahoana was taken at last two sites        © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 2 June, 2009