Album of Red Top Mountain Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 26 June 2016 spider collecting trip to Red Top Mountain and Teanaway Ridge, Kittitas County, Washington. The mountain was already snow-free (and had been for a month) so many habitats were drying out, but meadow-sweeping, conifer-beating and rock-turning still produced reasonable numbers of species. Conifer litter and fir cones were dry enough to produce little but juvenile harvestmen; but dead wood habitat in the subalpine groves saved the day by contributing 9 species. An evening stop well below treeline added a few more, for 28 total. Also we must not ignore the intangible benefits of beautiful meadows, forests, and scenery!
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
Red Top Mountain & meadows to north, Kittitas County, Washington, 2015 USDA aerial photo trailhead parking lot, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Red Top (lower middle) and meadows       (USDA, 2015) Trailhead parking lot on a beautiful day          © Rod Crawford
male Xysticus locuples crab spider, Thomisidae, Liberty Meadow, near Liberty, Kittitas County, Washington clouds, 26 June 2016, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Xysticus locuples        © Rod Crawford Make that a partly cloudy day              © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer eyes the distant lookout, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Rod Crawford arrives at meadow, north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Laurel looks up and spots the lookout        © Rod Crawford Rod arrives at the Teanaway Ridge meadows         © Laurel Ramseyer
parkland, meadow and forest seen from Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington subalpine parkland habitat, Teanaway Ridge north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Teanaway Ridge meadows seen from Red Top    © Laurel Ramseyer Subalpine parkland              © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer looking for spiders in Douglas-fir cones, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington forest understory, north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Laurel seeks fir-cone spiders in vain      © Rod Crawford Understory habitat                  © Laurel Ramseyer
meadow in parkland north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington meadow in parkland north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Diverse meadow flora          © Rod Crawford Grassy part of meadow                     © Rod Crawford
rocks in meadow north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Scotinella anti mimic spider, meadow north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Rocks ready to look under      © Rod Crawford And look what Laurel found there: a Scotinella           © Rod Crawford
cobweb weaver Theridiidae Steatoda albomaculata female from under rock north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington low conifer foliage bordering meadow, north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Female Steatoda albomaculata          © Laurel Ramseyer Lots of lush conifer foliage to beat          © Rod Crawford
loose bark and dead wood, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington looking up cliff from east side of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Productive fallen bark & dead wood    © Laurel Ramseyer Looking up the cliff from lower east trail         © Rod Crawford
trail to lookout, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Rod Crawford on trail, east side of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Precarious trail to the lookout         © Laurel Ramseyer Rod skirts the cliff base             © Laurel Ramseyer
cushion plant on rocky upper slope of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington cushion plant on rocky upper slope of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Cushion plant on rocky summit   © Laurel Ramseyer Different cushion plants                   © Laurel Ramseyer
two male Steatoda albomaculata fighting, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington lichens on summit rocks, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Male Steatoda albomaculata in a duel to the death  © Laurel Ramseyer Gorgeous lichen display on summit rocks         © Laurel Ramseyer
pink bitterroot Lewisia rediviva, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington panorama from top of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Pink bitterroot, Native American health food      © Laurel Ramseyer Panoramic view from summit ridge               © Laurel Ramseyer
checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas sp., Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington Callobius sp. spider Amaurobiidae under rock, north of Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
Checkerspot butterfly hilltopping       © Laurel Ramseyer Juvenile Callobius under a rock               © Laurel Ramseyer
cones of western white pine Pinus monticola, lower trailhead, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington forest at lower (Blue Creek) trailhead, Red Top Mountain, Kittitas County, Washington
White pine cones at lower trailhead     © Laurel Ramseyer Twilight forest at lower trailhead             © Laurel Ramseyer
pink sunset cloud from Interstate 90 near Roslyn, Washington, 26 June 2016 sunset in heavy traffic near Easton, Washington on 26 June 2016
Pink sunset cloud near Roslyn    © Rod Crawford Sunset in a traffic jam               © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 6 July, 2016