Album of Big Meadow Lake Field Trip

Selected photos by Rod Crawford and Laurel Ramseyer from our 6 October 2025 spider collecting trip (with Kathy Whaley) to Big Meadow Lake, NE of Colville, just over the border of Pend Oreille County, Washington. The biggish lake has an outlet (Meadow Creek) that supports extensive wetlands (but no bogs that I found), and a lookout-like tower at the wetland edge provides nature lovers a panoramic view of all that goes on there. Laurel met young family members here for some spider education near the lake, while Kathy and I collected near the tower. Part 2 of the expedition's second day added a nice 29-30 species sample.
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aerial photo of Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington with collecting sites outhouse, Meadow Creek trailhead, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Main collecting sites at Big Meadow Lake     (Stevens County, 2023) Outhouse at lake/trail parking lot            © Rod Crawford
multi-species tree clump in parking lot, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington grasshopper Melanoplus bivittata
We parked under a multi-species tree clump © Rod Crawford Melanoplus bivittatus                       © Laurel Ramseyer
engelmann spruce foliage, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington spruce and pine foliage, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Engelmann spruce foliage                 © Rod Crawford Spruce and pine together                      © Rod Crawford
bridge of Meadow Creek Trail, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington paved Meadow Creek Trail, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Trail bridge                     © Rod Crawford Paved trail — with cowpies                         © Rod Crawford
cow pie, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington small marsh beside Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Typical cowpie, not small!                 © Rod Crawford Small marsh by Big Meadow Lake                          © Rod Crawford
western white pine cones, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington many pine cones, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Pinus monticola cones are big            © Laurel Ramseyer And there were lots of them, with spiders!                 © Laurel Ramseyer
shoreline of Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Shoreline that Laurel & great-nephew Archer swept © Laurel Ramseyer And here it is, Big Meadow Lake!                            © Laurel Ramseyer
2023 aerial view of marsh at Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington fall color in marsh fringe, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Tower, trail, wooded fringe and big marsh    (Stevens County, 2023) Fall color in marsh's swampy fringe                       © Rod Crawford
tower at cottonwood canopy level, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington swampy fringe of marsh, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Tower platform at canopy level             © Rod Crawford Alder in swampy fringe                   © Rod Crawford
alder litter by tower, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington alder litter in sifter at tower, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Litter at base of alder stems           © Rod Crawford Sifting on platform at base of tower             © Rod Crawford
observation tower at big meadow, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington observation tower at big meadow, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
The tower in context                    © Rod Crawford Meadow Creek Observation Tower                           © Rod Crawford
sedge & grass in marsh meadow, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington marsh meadow along Meadow Creek below Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Sedge & grass in marsh meadow         © Rod Crawford Vast marsh meadow along Meadow Creek                     © Rod Crawford
male spider Ceraticelus atriceps, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington dusk along Aladdin Road NE of Colville, Big Meadow Lake, Pend Oreille County, Washington
Ceraticelus atriceps from spruce           © Rod Crawford Dusk along Aladdin Road                    © Rod Crawford

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This page last updated 5 November, 2025