Album of North Tucquala Meadow Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford from a 29 July 2026 spider collecting trip (with Kathy Whaley and Jerry Austin) to a not-officially-named wet meadow along the Tucquala Meadows trail to Hyas Lake, far-upper Cle Elum River, Kittitas County, Washington. We collected from a variety of meadow and forest habitats, some productive and some not, for 27 species in all. Though not a spectacular total, it filled in a remote spot on the map and may have got us a state record!
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2023 aerial photo of Tucquala Meadows Trail and North Tucquala Meadow, Cle Elum River, Kittitas County, Washington Trailhead for Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Trailhead and our meadow from the air       (NAIP, 2023) Trailhead at the end of the road                   © Rod Crawford
Kathy Whaley at Tucquala Meadows Trailhead, Kittitas County, Washington South Tucquala Meadow at Tucquala Meadows Trailhead, Kittitas County, Washington
Kathy ready to hike                 © Rod Crawford Non-marshy meadow, namesake of trailhead                 © Rod Crawford
North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Not far out, sedge with wet feet           © Rod Crawford At our wet-meadow destination; Jerry way out there somewhere  © Rod Crawford
Jerry Austin in North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington sedge in North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Zoom lens reveals Jerry sweeping away    © Rod Crawford Solid sedge even where the ground has dried out              © Rod Crawford
Pirata piraticus spider from North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Jerry found this Pirata active on moss       © Rod Crawford Male Sitticus palustris from mid-meadow                     © Rod Crawford
edge of meadow, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington male Dictyna spider from North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Edge of meadow with shrubs and trees    © Rod Crawford Kathy's male Dictyna, could it be D. cebolla?               © Rod Crawford
red Castilleja flower in North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington hikers passing meadow on way to Hyas Lake, Kittitas County, Washington
Red paintbrush flowers in meadow        © Rod Crawford Lots of hikers passing by on the trail                  © Rod Crawford
young true fir tree Abies, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington foliage of true fir Abies, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Young true fir tree                 © Rod Crawford True fir foliage, with spiders!                        © Rod Crawford
fallen cones of Engelmann spruce, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington foliage of Engelmann spruce, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Fallen Engelmann spruce cones            © Rod Crawford Engelmann spruce foliage                        © Rod Crawford
spider Philodromus spectabilis from conifer foliage, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington Edge of meadow is floral in places, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Philodromus spectabilis from conifers        © Rod Crawford Edge of meadow is floral in places                         © Rod Crawford
orbweaver Aculepeira packardii from mid meadow, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington shrubby area away from edge, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Aculepeira packardii found only by Jerry    © Rod Crawford Some shrubby patches of meadow are away from edge          © Rod Crawford
carapace of Pardosa from North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington understory and Douglas-fir cones by trail, North meadow, Tucquala Meadows Trail, Kittitas County, Washington
Carapace of juvenile Pardosa          © Rod Crawford Understory & Douglas-fir cones beside trail                    © Rod Crawford
scenery along Forest Road 4330, Kittitas County, Washington sun setting in Seattle, 15 May 2026
Scenery along the road driving out          © Rod Crawford Sun just about to set as we arrive home                         © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 6 September, 2026