Album of North Fork Sauk River Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 13 August 2019 spider collecting trip to the North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington. We visited Bedal Campground, a mature forest stand at the Bingley Gap/Lost Creek Ridge trailhead, the magnificent Engles Memorial Cedar Grove, and the no less magnfiicent North Fork Sauk Falls; in all, 31 species, with the 31st being the elusive Theridion aurantium that Rod's been seeking for decades!
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Four spider collecting sites along the North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington on 13 August 2019 North Fork Sauk River at Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington
Red dots on our 4 spider sites       (Snohomish County, 2017) North Fork just before it joins the South Fork                 © Rod Crawford
Laurel Ramseyer and picnic table, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington moss on trees and branches, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington
Hurrah, a picnic table!          © Rod Crawford Moss was abundant                        © Rod Crawford
roadside thimbleberry, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington moss on stream cobbles, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington
Understory was also productive        © Rod Crawford Moss was everywhere                © Rod Crawford
jumping spider male Eris militaris on bridge, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington bridge over North Fork Sauk River, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington
Male Eris militaris on bridge        © Laurel Ramseyer Bridge over the North Fork; spiders on railings!    © Laurel Ramseyer
leaf litter, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington crab spider Philodromus spectabilis with egg sac on bridge, Bedal Campground, Snohomish County, Washington
Leaf litter had few spiders!            © Rod Crawford Philodromus spectabilis on bridge, with eggs           © Laurel Ramseyer

Second site: Mature forest stand at trailhead for Bingley Gap and Lost Creek Ridge

trailhead parking lot, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington forest floor, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Trailhead parking              © Rod Crawford Wood-strewn forest floor                © Rod Crawford
dead wood on forest floor, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington dense understory, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Plenty of dead wood habitat         © Rod Crawford Area of dense understory foliage                       © Rod Crawford
dead wood on forest floor, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington giant log, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Even more dead wood         © Rod Crawford Gigantic log               © Rod Crawford
snail Monadenia fidelis on tree, Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington River shore with boulders near Bingley Gap Trailhead, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Monadenia fidelis on bark         © Laurel Ramseyer Giant boulders along river                     © Laurel Ramseyer

Third site: Harold Engles Memorial Grove of old-growth red cedars

Sign for Engles Memorial Grove, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington in the cedar grove, Engles Memorial Grove, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Sign for short trail to the grove          © Rod Crawford In the grove of giant cedars          © Rod Crawford
tall trees, Engles Memorial Grove, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington Laurel Ramseyer in front of giant cedar, Engles Memorial Grove, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Tall timber with a vengeance          © Rod Crawford "In those days, there were giants"                    © Rod Crawford

Fourth site: North Fork Sauk Falls, where we got the coolest spider of the trip

trailhead for North Fork Sauk Falls, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington North Fork Sauk Falls, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Head of the short Falls trail        © Rod Crawford The falls in August. Imagine it in spring!               © Rod Crawford
ferns in gorge, North Fork Sauk Falls, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington Gorge below North Fork Sauk Falls, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington
Trailside ferns were main habitat        © Rod Crawford Gorge below the falls                          © Rod Crawford
Laurel with trailside ferns, North Fork Sauk Falls, North Fork Sauk River, Snohomish County, Washington Sunset along Washington Route 9 near Lake Stevens on 13 August 2019
Laurel above the gorge         © Rod Crawford Red sunset and black plane-trails                             © Rod Crawford

This page last updated 23 December, 2019