Album of Huckleberry Mountain Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 25 September 2019 spider collecting trip to Huckleberry Mountain, in the remote SE corner of King County, Washington. One of a mere ten Huckleberry mountains in our state, but the only one in King County! Reached by a confusing network of logging roads across the Greenwater River from State Highway 410, we were amazed that we could actually drive to the summit ridge with its spectacular views. With 4 sites at different elevations, we accessed quite a variety of habitats and bagged 43 species.
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Aerial view (2017) of Huckleberry Mountain field sites, 25 Sept 2019 early fall foliage on state highway 410 near Greenwater, Washington
Assorted Huckleberry Mountain sites      (King County, 2017) Very early fall color of vine maples                  © Rod Crawford
conifer foliage at mid-elevation on Huckleberry Mountain, SE King County, Washington Laurel Ramseyer sampling cones at mid-elevation on Huckleberry Mountain, SE King County, Washington
Conifer foliage at 3000'             © Laurel Ramseyer Laurel sampling cones at the 3000' site       © Rod Crawford
female cobweb spider Theridion lawrencei, mid-elevation on Huckleberry Mountain, SE King County, Washington roadside foliage, mid-elevation on Huckleberry Mountain, SE King County, Washington
Yet another Theridion lawrencei color    © Rod Crawford Roadside foliage at the mid-elevation site                   © Rod Crawford
subalpine tree forms at 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
Subalpine tree forms at 4600'       © Laurel Ramseyer We made it to the summit ridge!                 © Rod Crawford
multicolored shotgun shells, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington ridge crest to NW, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
Multicolored shotgun shells           © Rod Crawford Laurel went NW while I went SE                 © Rod Crawford
diverse meadow flora, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington natural subalpine meadow, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
Diverse meadow flora            © Rod Crawford Natural subalpine meadow                     © Rod Crawford
diverse meadow flora, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington bullet-pocked rock, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
More diverse meadow flora               © Rod Crawford Bullet-pocked rock                      © Laurel Ramseyer
diverse meadow flora, 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington looking north into Green River Watershed from 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
Totally different shade-meadow flora   © Rod Crawford Seemingly endless foothills in Green River Watershed     © Rod Crawford
vine maple and talus on a side ridge from 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington vine maple and talus on a side ridge from 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
On a side ridge, talus & vinemaple           © Rod Crawford Zeroing in on the brilliant vinemaple          © Rod Crawford
cloud-capped Mt Rainier viewed from 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington view to the south features Mt Rainier, from 4600', Huckleberry Mountain summit ridge, SE King County, Washington
Cloud-capped Mt. Rainier…       © Rod Crawford …the main feature of view to the south                © Rod Crawford
alder thicket at 4600' summit ridge, Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington panorama from 4600' summit ridge, Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington
Alder thicket had a little good litter      © Rod Crawford Panorama from Laurel's end of ridge                 © Laurel Ramseyer
tachinid fly Xanthoepalpus bicolor, 4600' summit ridge of Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington Laurel Ramseyer heading out from 4600' summit ridge of Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington
Tachinid fly Xanthoepalpus bicolor    © Laurel Ramseyer Time to head out, shadows getting longer!             © Rod Crawford
boulder talus, 4600' summit ridge of Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington spider-mobile that made it to the top, 4600' summit ridge of Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington
Subalpine boulder talus          © Rod Crawford Nets resting against the Little Car that Could!           © Laurel Ramseyer
mountain hemlock foliage Tsuga mertensiana, 4600' summit ridge of Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington spider Anyphaena aperta, 4600' summit ridge of Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner King County, Washington
Mountain hemlock foliage         © Laurel Ramseyer Anyphaena aperta                         © Rod Crawford

Heading back down from the summit, we visited a mature forest stand for wood and a dusky ravine for litter & moss.

dead wood on forest floor, 4000' level on Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner of King County, Washington mature conifer forest, 4000' level on Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner of King County, Washington
Dead wood ready for tapping            © Rod Crawford Nice mature forest habitat at a switchback            © Rod Crawford
leaf litter and moss, 2800' level on Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner of King County, Washington dark mossy ravine, 2800' level on Huckleberry Mountain, SE corner of King County, Washington
We found leaf litter & moss         © Rod Crawford …in this dark, alder-grown ravine at 2800'         © Rod Crawford
sunset from lower slopes of Huckleberry Mountain, King County, Washington on 25 September 2019 sunset from near Greenwater, Washington on 25 September 2019
Sunset from the lower slopes            © Rod Crawford Full sunset from the highway                    © Rod Crawford

This page last updated 14 February, 2020