Album of Mt. Pilchuck (lower slope) Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Jerry Austin from our 23 June 2017 spider collecting trip to an old rock quarry on the lower NW slope of Mount Pilchuck, a well-known peak 17 miles east of Marysville, Snohomish County, Washington. Selected to sample mid-elevation fauna at the beginning of summer, the site was a pleasant place (except for the deer flies) with varied habitats but not very high spider diversity! However, we managed to get 25 species over and above an old 2-species collection, seeing plenty of low-key but lovely forest scenery.
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2007 aerial photo, rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington rough side road to rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Our 2 collecting sites in red     (Snohomish County, 2007) We hiked up rough road to the quarries             © Rod Crawford
Jerry Austin and western hemlock forest at edge of rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington overgrown old quarry, rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Jerry against backdrop of western hemlock   © Rod Crawford Scene in the middle of the old overgrown quarry           © Rod Crawford
Jerry Austin at rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington very rough circum-quarry road, rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Jerry giving thumbs-up to the site        © Rod Crawford Circum-quarry track too rough even for a 4WD pickup        © Rod Crawford
deer fly, Chrysops surdus, biting, from Pack Forest, Pierce County, Washington log pile in middle of quarry, rock quarries NW side of Mt Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Beautiful biter: Chrysops surdus           © Lynette Elliott Log pile in mid-quarry was a Pardosa running ground        © Rod Crawford
salmonberry foliage, berries not yet developed, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington western hemlock foliage, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Salmonberry foliage lined roadsides       © Rod Crawford Western hemlock dominated the forest trees             © Rod Crawford
semi-permanent puddle in road to old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington salal stand high on quarry side, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Semi-permanent puddle had varied aquatic insects    © Rod Crawford Salal stand high on side of quarry                    © Rod Crawford
Sphagnum moss in tiny bog, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington pocket Sphagnum bog in wet quarry, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Sphagnum, what a surprise!        © Rod Crawford Amazing little pocket bog in protected nook of the quarry        © Rod Crawford
sifter and sifting cloth for spider collecting, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington female microspider Linyphiidae, Halorates alascensis, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
I sifted the moss in a shady corner      © Rod Crawford Common Halorates alascensis dominated Sphagnum spiders    © Rod Crawford
dead wood in seral hemlock forest, old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington forest floor near old rock quarries on lower NW slope of Mt. Pilchuck, Snohomish County, Washington
Dead wood habitat in forest          © Rod Crawford Sun-speckled forest floor          © Rod Crawford
grassy verge along main Mt. Pilchuck Road, Snohomish County, Washington grassy verge along main Mt. Pilchuck Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Grassy verge along main Mt. Pilchuck Road  © Rod Crawford Grassy verge segues into a little meadow                 © Rod Crawford
ripe salmonberry along main Mt. Pilchuck Road, Snohomish County, Washington falls of Hawthorn Creek along main Mt. Pilchuck Road, Snohomish County, Washington
Delicious snack growing along the road     © Rod Crawford Falls of Hawthorn Creek along Mt. Pilchuck Road             © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 25 June, 2017