Album of Kelly Butte Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and volunteer Lauren Taylor from our 23 July 2013 spider collecting trip to Kelly Butte and a lower elevation site on the Greenwater River in the obscure mountain borderland between eastern King and Pierce counties, Washington. Collecting at the higher elevation sites was pretty sparse, but we succeeded in getting a grid-sample and Lauren absolutely loved the scenery, despite the steep, vertigo-inducing trail hike up the butte.
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spider collecting site on Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington, 2009 aerial photo road through grass & forest habitats, spider collecting site on Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Blue line shows course of Greenwater River through first collecting site          (Pierce County, 2009) Forest road with grassy & forested habitats        © Rod Crawford
Greenwater River in shade. spider collecting site on Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington vine maple, spider collecting site on Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Greenwater River         © Rod Crawford Vine maple crosses a dry gravel bar          © Rod Crawford
Dictyna sp. #1 from conifer foliage, spider collecting site on Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington river, spider collecting site on Greenwater River, Pierce County, Washington
Dictyna sp. #1          © Rod Crawford Bank of Greenwater River          © Rod Crawford
view from forest road to Kelly Butte Trailhead, King County, Washington Mt. Rainier seen from road to Kellty Butte Trailhead, King County, Washington
View from vertiginous road to Kelly Butte        © Lauren Taylor Turn around, and see Mt. Rainier              © Rod Crawford

Our main site was the summit plateau of Kelly Butte, plus the steep but well-maintained trail ascending thereunto.

2009 aerial photo, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington lichen-clad rock chimney on trail to Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Kelly Butte from the air          (Pierce County, 2009) Lichen-painted rock chimney on way up                  © Lauren Taylor
steep south face of Kelly Butte, King County, Washington trail ascends steep south face of Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Trail climbs a steep, steep slope…           © Lauren Taylor …in a series of tight switchbacks                 © Rod Crawford
Lauren Taylor on trail, Kelly Butte, King County, Washingtonbsp; &copy; Rod Crawford</td> </tr> subalpine parkland on Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Lauren poses below the summit          © Rod Crawford Subalpine parkland                 © Rod Crawford
beargrass flower Xerophyllum tenax, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington closeup of beargrass flower Xerophyllum tenax, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Beargrass was in bloom everywhere          © Rod Crawford Closeup of beargrass flower               © Lauren Taylor
bumble bee visits shrub flower, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Bumble bees were super-abundant…        © Lauren Taylor …especially visiting this flowering shrub            © Rod Crawford
subalpine fir needles, Abies lasiocarpa, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington subalpine firs in parkland, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Subalpine fir foliage        © Rod Crawford Characteristic silhouette of subalpine firs            © Rod Crawford
huckleberry foliage Vaccinium sp., Kelly Butte, King County, Washington spider Clubiona pacifica beaten from fir foliage, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Huckleberry foliage         © Rod Crawford Clubiona pacifica from fir foliage              © Rod Crawford
fir litter in tree group, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington shrub meadow between tree groups, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Productive fir litter         © Rod Crawford Shrub meadow between tree groups              © Rod Crawford
stones habitat on Kelly Butte, King County, Washington rocky crest of Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Some good spiders nestled under stones     © Rod Crawford Rocky crest of Kelly Butte              © Rod Crawford
rock rampart on Kelly Butte, King County, Washington jumping spider Dendryphantes nigromaculatus from under stone, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Rock rampart            © Lauren Taylor Dendryphantes nigromaculatus from under a stone              © Rod Crawford
lookout on Kelly Butte, King County, Washington Lauren Taylor in lookout, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
The restored fire lookout in sight        © Rod Crawford Lauren in the lookout            © Lauren Taylor's camera
View from lookout, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington Lauren Taylor in lookout, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Lauren's view: mountain & clearcut     © Lauren Taylor Lauren admiring the view                    © Lauren Taylor's camera
krummholz subalpine fir on summit ridge of Kelly Butte, King County, Washington Lauren Taylor departing from Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Krummholz on ridge crest            © Rod Crawford We begin the hike out        © Rod Crawford
Rod Crawford starts descent from Kelly Butte, King County, Washington Rod Crawford starts descent from Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
"Where is my sombrero? It is on my head!"           © Lauren Taylor Going down                    © Lauren Taylor
Rod Crawford starts down from Kelly Butte, King County, Washington Streep descent from Kelly Butte, King County, Washington
Here goes nothing            © Lauren Taylor Geronimo!                     © Lauren Taylor
Rod Crawford collecting at base of Kelly Butte, King Couynty, Washington Lauren Taylor poses with Mt. Rainier at base of Kelly Butte, King Couynty, Washington
Rod still trying for one last spider         © Lauren Taylor Down the steep part, Lauren poses with Mt. Rainier         © Rod Crawford
tiger lily Lilium columbianum, Kelly Butte, King County, Washington sunset on Mather Memorial Parkway, 23 July 2013
Tiger lily, burning bright          © Lauren Taylor Sun sets as we drive home                © Rod Crawford
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This page last updated 26 October, 2013