Album of Tacoma Pass Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford, Laurel Ramseyer and Andrew McKenna-Foster from our 24 August 2018 spider collecting trip to Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County line, Washington. This pass, accessed by an obscure but mostly good Forest Service road, features a little-known trailhead for the Pacific Crest Trail, which we followed from the 3400' pass to the 4200' level to collect in sub-subalpine old growth. We also did some supplementary collecting in a nearby clearcut and on a rough side road crossing Tacoma Creek. The day's take was 34 species, more than satisfactory for late August!
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2015 aerial photo of Tacoma Pass area, King/Kittitas County, Washington Rod Crawford starts up the Pacific Crest Trail from Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
White T=trailhead, red dots=spider sites       (Kittitas County, 2015) Rod starts up the trail                  © Andrew McKenna-Foster
Andrew McKenna-Foster and Rod Crawford on Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Laurel's quick shot as she caught up   © Laurel Ramseyer Trail through old growth hemlock-Douglas-fir forest          © Rod Crawford
Andrew McKenna-Foster on Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington magnificent old growth, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Andrew contemplates the forest             © Rod Crawford Magnificent old growth!                © Laurel Ramseyer
Andrew and 2 joggers on Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington logs and fallen bark, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Andrew takes video of 2 trail joggers     © Rod Crawford Fallen bark was most productive habitat                   © Laurel Ramseyer
douglas-fir cones, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington disintegrating log, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Western hemlock cones, not sampled      © Laurel Ramseyer Andrew's disintegrating log                © Andrew McKenna-Foster
moss on old growth hemlock trunk, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington moss and bark scales in sifter, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Moss on old-growth hemlock trunk     © Laurel Ramseyer Moss and bark scales in sifter                © Laurel Ramseyer
conifer foliage in clearcut, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington edge of clearcut, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Abundant conifer foliage in clearcut     © Laurel Ramseyer Edge of 1990s clearcut               © Rod Crawford
beargrass and cones in clearcut, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington Andrew at edge of clearcut, Pacific Crest Trail south of Tacoma Pass, King/Kittitas County, Washington
Beargrass and mixed cones         © Rod Crawford Andrew at the dramatic change in habitats         © Rod Crawford
Tacoma Creek SW of Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington road along upper Tacoma Creek SW of Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington
Tacoma Creek falls out of a culvert    © Rod Crawford Side road along Tacoma Creek lined with rich foliage              © Rod Crawford
roadside herbs near upper Tacoma Creek SW of Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington large stump beside upper Tacoma Creek SW of Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington
Diverse roadside herbs            © Rod Crawford Stump of a giant tree                  © Rod Crawford
small grassy field, upper Tacoma Creek near Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington chink of blue in overcast sky, upper Tacoma Creek near Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington
Sweepable grass, but in wrong area      © Rod Crawford Mostly-cloudy skies with the odd chink of blue               © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford, Laurel Ramseyer and Andrew McKenna-Foster at upper Tacoma Creek near Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington view of nearby hills from Forest Road 41 west of Tacoma Pass, King County, Washington
The Terrible Three           © Andrew McKenna-Foster Smoke dissipated enough to actually see across valley    © Rod Crawford
sunset on 24 August 2018 near North Bend, Washington sunset on 24 August 2018 near North Bend, Washington
Clouds and smoke made…       © Rod Crawford …an ever-changing sunset                © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 2 September, 2018