Album of Table Mountain Field Trip

When summer is past its first bloom, spider collecting is only good in the highlands. On July 30, Laurel and I headed for Table Mountain (a sizeable plateau 5000-6000 feet above sea level, north of Ellensburg), expecting to supplement an old 6-species sample. We were disappointed by very sparse pickings for spiders. But it was a nice outing in sunny, scenic sylvan surroundings. Photos by Laurel Ramseyer and (using a borrowed camera) Rod Crawford.
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX

log at edge of mountain meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington mountain meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Log at edge of meadow     © Laurel Ramseyer Mountain meadow, our first collecting site      © Rod Crawford
orbweaver, Araniella displicata, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington degraded mountain meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Araniella displicata on Veratrum   © Laurel Ramseyer Still beautiful, but meadow is clearly degraded by overgrazing
© Rod Crawford
Speyeria sp., Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington lower part of mountain meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Speyeria sp.         © Laurel Ramseyer Lower part of mountain meadow         © Laurel Ramseyer
web of Pityohyphantes minidoka spider on Veratrrum, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Veratrum californicum stand in mountain meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Pityohyphantes minidoka in web on Veratrum plant
© Laurel Ramseyer		 Veratrum californicum stand in meadow      © Laurel Ramseyer
ants tending aphids on Veratrum, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington rocky stony ground near mountain meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Ants herding aphids on Veratrum      © Laurel Ramseyer Ground gets a bit stony in spots         © Rod Crawford
egg sacs of Steatoda albomaculata, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington sagegrush meadow, Wilson Stock Trail, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Steatoda albomaculata egg sacs     © Laurel Ramseyer Sagebrush meadow and cause of overgrazing  © Rod Crawford
ecotone of sagebrush and riparian meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington ecotone of sagebrush and riparian meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Three types of meadow         © Laurel Ramseyer Abrupt ecotone, sagebrush to riparian     © Laurel Ramseyer
exuvium (shed skin) of spider, Pimoa sp., Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington small stream and riparian meadow, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Exuvium of Pimoa sp.  © Laurel Ramseyer Small stream and riparian meadow         © Laurel Ramseyer
Rod Crawford in front of Riders Cabin, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Riders Cabin, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Riders' Cabin hides in woods      © Laurel Ramseyer The photo's not crooked, the cabin is     © Rod Crawford
cones of Engelmann spruce at Riders Cabin, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington foliage of subalpine fir Abies lasiocarpa, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Spruce cones          © Rod Crawford Abies lasiocarpa foliage           © Laurel Ramseyer
roadside Gilia aggregata, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington grass in forest understory, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Roadside Gilia aggregata     © Laurel Ramseyer Sweepable grass in forest understory      © Rod Crawford
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Pinus ponderosa, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Lodgepole pine foliage   © Rod Crawford Ponderosa pine foliage         © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer collecting from pine cones, upper Reeecer Canyon, Kittitas County, Washington view of Kittitas Valley from top of Reecer Canyon, Kittitas County, Washington
Laurel demonstrates collecting from pine cones
© Rod Crawford		 Kittitas Valley from Reecer Canyon overlook     © Rod Crawford
blue butterfly Icaricia icarioides mudding, Table Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington "no mudding" sign at mouth of Reecer Canyon, Kittitas County, Washington
Icaricia icarioides mudding   © Laurel Ramseyer ...in violation of county and Forest Service regulations     © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 17 August, 2008