Mt. Rainier National Park
April 28, 2012
Finally visited Mt. Rainier the second time this year for National Parks Week, no entrance fee! The sun broke through a couple times, but it remained in the low 50s most of the day with no precipitation. On the drive there, I saw the same vegetation I did four weeks ago on a class field trip with increase amounts of lichen farther away from the city centers. I stopped at Longmire for about an hour to hike the Trail of the Shadows again. There were volunteers putting soil and gravel back into the trail after the snow melts. I'm surprised to see how quick it warmed up in a month, all the snow that covered the ground was completely melted. The water in the hot spring disappeared as well. I heard a lot more birds, ranging from Steller's Jay to Red-Winged Blackbird. I also saw what I believe are flycatchers. Red-Winged Blackbird calls are unique and to me, sounds like a whistle. Most of the vegetation still looked the same, with exceptions to flowering plants due to warmer temperatures. I saw prominent skunk cabbages blooming therefore increase in pollinators which also attract more birds. Skunk cabbages grow at almost all elevations and are tolerant to mineral soil as opposed to other plants. The cones and nuts were falling off of conifers surrounding the area; that attracted the nearby squirrels. I am surprised to see, even at a national park, these squirrels are not afraid of humans. I took another drive up to Paradise, the second developed area in the park. There were 15 feet of snow cover on each side of the drive up and there were a couple to zero wildlife at that elevation. There were still enough snow to ski and snowshoe, although I did see what I thought was a crow, but maybe a raven. It had glossy black feathers and picked at wrappers or garbage that accidentally fell out of tourists' hands. The bird was quite big in size, larger than a common crow. It almost freaked me out a bit seeing it up close. I was advised by a park ranger that the best time this year, the five week window, to see wildflowers in the meadows should begin the first week of August. I plan to definitely return.
Species List:
Western skunk cabbage
Common witch's hair
Steller's jay
Red-winged blackbird
Flycatchers
Douglas fir
Mountain hemlock
Western hemlock
Lichen
Moss
Yellow cedar
Western yew
Shelf fungus (unidentified)
Alaska Cedar
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Witch's Hair (Alectoria sarmentosa)Observer
lhuynh10Description
This was common everywhere as soon as I entered Mt. Rainier National Park. I saw this specific one at the trailhead of Longmire, Trail of the Shadows. It grew on a deciduous next to a hot spring where the water tend to look orange due to the iron and carbon dioxide gas. Weather was cloudy with zero precipitation, elevation of 2782 ft, and mid-40s with zero snow on the ground compared to four weeks earlier in the season.
Photos / Sounds
What
Western Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)Observer
lhuynh10Description
Found in swampy water surrounded by a small hot spring under the shade of a Western Hemlock. It was difficult to mistake due to the increase amount in flies for pollination season and the distinct smell. The size was generally smaller than other Skunk Cabbages I've seen in wetlands although I'm surprised to find that they grow at this elevation (3252ft). They produce fruits that like berry-like and embedded in the fleshy flower spike.
Photos / Sounds
What
Shelf Fungi (Order Polyporales)Observer
lhuynh10Description
Shelf fungus growing on a western hemlock nurse log, in a swamp surrounded by hot springs at elevation of 2674ft. Surrounding vegetations include skunk cabbages, western hemlocks, and mountain hemlocks.
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