Album of Hope Lake Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and new volunteer Fiona Rhodes from our 23 July 2017 hike and spider collecting trip to Hope Lake, a subalpine lake reached by the Tunnel Creek Trail which starts from the King County side of Stevens Pass, though the lake itself is just over the divide into Chelan County. At an elevation of 4400 feet I thought we'd be sure of a full sample. The best-laid plans! In the event, we found all habitats were far later-season than expected, with few species mature and only females of those few species. Inexplicably, we found no crab spiders at all, and there were other lacks. By the time we had to start down we had a maximum of 16 species. That's the way the granola bar crumbles….
READ TRIP NARRATIVE PHOTO ALBUM INDEX MAIN JOURNAL INDEX
2015 aerial photo of Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington scene on Tunnel Creek Trail to Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Hope Lake & sparse nearby forest  (Chelan County, 2015) Tunnel Creek Trail passes through varied terrain            © Rod Crawford
scene on Tunnel Creek Trail to Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
One of the few non-steep trail segments   © Fiona Rhodes We finally arrived at Hope Lake with high hopes           © Rod Crawford
forest ranger leaving Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington Fiona Rhodes at Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Mr. Ranger Sir heads on after a brief chat  © Rod Crawford Fiona breathes fresh mountain air after a stiff hike        © Rod Crawford
trail directional sign at Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington lakeside meadow at Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Straightforward-looking sign, but there are 4 trails, not 2 at "confusion junction"              © Rod Crawford Lush lakeside meadow got us only 3 species                  © Rod Crawford
Aquilegia formosa, western red columbine, near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington boggy mini-meadow near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Western red columbine                 © Rod Crawford Boggy mini-meadow led us up to a forest grove               © Rod Crawford
mystery tracks in mud, possibly dog, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington dead wood habitat near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Dog tracks? Or native predator?          © Rod Crawford Nice pile of dead-wood habitat              © Rod Crawford
open mountain hemlock forest near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington steep mountain hemlock forest near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Forest too open/vegetated for litter        © Rod Crawford Also too steep to move around easily                 © Rod Crawford
still drainage of small bog near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington meander in drainage of small bog near Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Still water breeds mosquitos          © Rod Crawford Meandering channel drains small bog               © Rod Crawford
purple flowers in lakeside bog, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington lakeside bog and campsite, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Bog flora, but no spiders!         © Rod Crawford Lakeside bog and hiker's campsite             © Fiona Rhodes
juvenile theridiid spider from conifer foliage, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington mountain hemlock Tsuga mertensiana foliage, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Not a single Theridion was mature         © Rod Crawford Lush-looking mountain hemlock foliage                © Rod Crawford
young conifer foliage habitat, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington slope of Vaccinium huckleberry shrubs, Hope Lake, Chelan County, Washington
Copious conifer foliage added 4 species     © Rod Crawford The lake is known for huckleberries in season            © Fiona Rhodes

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This page last updated 28 July, 2017