WEEK 8 (Field trip!)

Date: Saturday, May 25, 2013
Weather: Sunshine! Perfectly comfortable, mild weather
Temperature: ~65 degrees F
Time: 8:00am - 8:30pm
Location: East Slope of the Cascades 

Transitional Habitats: Ponderosa Pine & Shrub Steppe 
On the last weekend in May, I chose to attend ENVIR 280s second viable field trip option, a day-long adventure to check out the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. As I'm sure I've prefaced in previous blogs, I have been born and raised in western Washington (in Lynnwood, WA to be exact). This upbringing exposed me to features of the Puget Sound and temperate forests, whether it be exploring the dredges of the tides at the Edmonds waterfront, or hiking near Birch Bay with girl scouts. I will never cease to be amazed by the sheer complexity of natural systems in the PNW (especially after our first class field trip to the Olympic National Forest). For this reason in particular, I was skeptical, at the least, of what the east slopes would have to offer. 

My dad is a native Spokanite, and at least once a year we venture across the state to visit my grandparents and other relatives. Ever since I was little, the movie outside of my backseat car window seemed to slow way down after crossing the crest of the Cascades. I was blind to what barren desert had to offer and saw only the brown, rolling hills of what seemed to be Mother Nature's large, cracked hands, grounded and clasping the earth. However, I did not find until this field trip (in the 20th year of my life, might I add), the wonders and complexities that follow even the most "dry" looking habitats. A single day of exploration left me unsatisfied and yearning to return, to seek out more hidden treasures and bask in the generous sunlight that is so foreign to western Washington. 

Needless to say, I had a fantastic time on our class field trip. Although I may not be entirely familiar with the common names of plant species  found during my exploration, I spent the majority of my time observing birds.

Checkpoint 1: Umtanum Ridge 

View at Umtanum Ridge 

Our first stop was at Umtamum Ridge. About 40 miles outside of Ellensburg, we pulled up to a giant parking lot at the base of a Ravine, already filled with cars and people. There were old people, young people; people hiking, camping, swimming; boyscouts, old people and rednecks alike. There was no mistaking that I was outside of my comfort zone, presented with an entirely new, unseen world (through my new eyes, of a naturalist, that is). However, with my classmates by my side, my field guide in hand, and the knowledgeable birding eyes of Professor Tim Billow and TA Ross looking to the skies, I knew the success of this trip was imminent.  

The bend in a now small, winding creek.
You can see how the water has carved out the hillside, and the creek's height in the off-season.

My first observed Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)!
The sagebrush was spiny that I had imagined and looked more green up close than I had imagined.
The underside of the sagebrush plants provide a nice shaded area for small species, I kept trying to find a bunny or a lizard but was not fruitful in my hunt, at least not at this site. 

I found a cactus! The Brittle Prickly Pear (Opuntia columbiana)
The cactus was very small, clustered no larger than 6" in diameter, and no longer than 4" tall.
This is the first wild cactus I have seen in my life. 

More cactus shots.. So cool! 

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES (help!)
*Possibly heart-leaf buckwheat*
The leaves are large, and very soft, almost cotton-like. I'm sure that throughout history, 
people must have used these leaves to create clothing or bedding because it is so comfortable.  

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES (help!)
*Possibly heart-leaf buckwheat*
This same species had a large cone-like seed structure at the top
It looked at felt almost like the inside of a beehive and was very stiff, about 8" tall

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES (help!)
I'm fairly certain that this flower is the Sagebrush false dandelion (Nothocalais troximoides).
I think this because of the slightly serrated tips and the color.
I am thrown off by the number of petals and the shape of the leaves on the stem. 

Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana)
Yay! Finally one that I know on site. 

Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana)
(broad view)
These flowers were buzzing with bees, looking almost animate from afar. I was scared to get an up-close
view because I didn't want to disturb them. 

Mock orange flowers (Philadelphus lewisii)
... I think! These flowers were most definitely growing on a tree, on a very stiff, woody branch.I am not entirely confident in my identification.  

Arrowleaf buckwheat (Eriogonum compositum)
A plush-looking flower of light yellow and pinks. 

CARTER FOUND A GARTER SNAKE! (Thamnophis)
The adventurous Carter Case was on a snake hunt our entire trip and was amply gratified with the 
retrieval of a well-mannered garter snake that was fairly large for its kind. 

List of Birds: 
(They were too difficult to photograph, and my drawings too small to adequately upload)

- Lazuli bunting (Passerina amoena) > blue with an orange patch, small
- Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) > beautiful song, orange belly, finch beak
- Cedar wax-wing (Bombycilla cedrorum) > Black and white stripes, mohawk hat 
- Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)
- Yellow breasted chat (Icteria virens) > Warbler family 
- Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
- Common raven (Corvus corax)
- Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) > red heads, white under the wings (THE COOLEST) 




Checkpoint 2: (Shrub Steppe)

View #1 of our "Shrub Steppe" site

View #2 of our "Shrub Steppe" site

This was my favorite stop of the day. Not all too surprising, I love flowers, especially native ones. This site was the ideal setting for a natural garden of rare and exciting, beautiful desert flowers, all growing on a broad plane. Although it doesn't look like much from a distance, this was the coolest arena to get up close and personal with the plants and examine them carefully in real life, not simply in a field guide. I saw lots of rabbit feces throughout my exploration which only fueled my excitement to find one.. however, I think they heard us coming and went into hiding. I'm sure our rambunctious group caused a great deal of commotion in this peaceful, serene landscape. Given that the land had drank thoroughly from the heavy rain of days passed, the soil was loose and fertile, with almost all plants looking lush and fruitful. We were very lucky to arrive at just the right time.  

Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) (aka Rock Rose)
My favorite! How beautiful! I have never seen anything quite like it. This small rose, located on the ground, happens to be my favorite color. With undulating petals and clusters of buds, they are truly a site to see.

Showy Phlox (Phlox speciosa)

Gray's Biscuitroot (Lomatium grayi)

Douglas buckwheat (Eriogonum douglasii)

Broadleaf lupine (Lupinus latifolius)

Broadleaf lupine (Lupinus latifolius)
(View from above)

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza saggitata)

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza saggitata)
(Viewed from above)

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES (help!)
I can't quite tell if this is a shrub or a flower species. It has small leaves, grows directly on the ground, and has
very small, magenta/pink and light yellow colored petals. 

HUGE beetle! (Order: Coleoptera)

Short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi)

WE FOUND A LIZARD! And used teamwork!
I spotted this lizard moving quickly on the flat rocks, and Carter ran over, swiftly swooped in, and caught him!
SO EXCITING! The entire class had to run over and see this cute little guy in the flesh. 

Short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi)
Isn't he the cutest :') I wanted to take him home. 

Checkpoint 3: (Ponderosa Pine)

View #1 of our "Ponderosa Pine" site

View #2 of our "Ponderosa Pine" site

The last stop of our day-long field trip was in a basin of lower elevation, to observe the Ponderosa pine. These trees have a really thick, heavy, woody bark and are drought tolerant. I was taught on our trip that the deep cracks in the tree back is known to smell like vanilla, but I didn't get a strong sense of this myself. The needles come in bundles of three and were around 6" in length. 

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

 Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) snag
Here, you can really see the distinct puzzle-piece shapes that make the bark. 

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) needles 
These can range from around 5-10" in length

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES (help!)
Tree with small, doubly-serrated leaves that are no larger than 1" in diameter.
Hard, woody stem. 

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
I also saw this in the temperate rain forest at the Olympic National Park! I love the 
intricacy of lobes on the leaves and I can't wait until the flowers bloom! 

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES (help!)
Hallow feeling stem, covered in thorns, the 'flower' part is made up of
sharp and spiny leaves, which possibly holster seeds. This could be some type of 'comb' plant.

Rocky Mountain iris (Iris missouriensis)
SO BEAUTIFUL! It took me forever to get the right picture of this wild flower. 
People would pay (and do) lots of money to have such beautiful flowers in their own backyard. 

Wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina)
This lichen was growing just off of the trail, in close proximity to the stream and
a number of Ponderosa Pines. 

Western mountain balm (Yerba santa)

Red Columbine (Aquilegia)
SO COOL! One of my favorite finds of the trip came at the very end, as Professor Tim Billow spotted this 
Red Columbine flower just as we were headed out. Up close, this flower is one of the most 
complex I have seen, in terms of both shape and color. One of my fellow students noted that 
it's upside down shape is characteristic of flowers that are pollinated by hummingbirds. 

Giant fire-ant hill! Aaaah!
This shot is from a fair distance away, I did not want to get too close. I hate ants,
but there is something to be said about the immensity of their colonies and size of their home. 

Despite my paralyzing fear of heights, I (somehow, with the help of fellow classmate Bennet and TA Sara)
made it up and around the ledge that surrounded this waterfall to take in the breath-taking view. 



It was truly a wonderful day, filled with lots of learning and surprises.

~The End~