About the cover photo: It took me three attempts of between 4 and 5 days each to get into the spot where this photo was taken. On the first two trips I suffered some very painful injuries. This spot is in the Baker River drainage in North Cascades National Park. Do you know the name of the mountain?

Converse hightops on my feet, I traverse the North Cascades in pursuit of my life project to walk into every high lake or pond mapped in the Skagit River watershed. The upper Skagit Valley near Marblemount, WA is my home and has been home to my family since 1888. I have come to feel that the culture of this place, like the culture of much of rural America, is misunderstood by an increasingly urban population and threatened by economic depression. I would like to share the stories of this place and the people who call it home. Through my stories and images of these mountains, my goal is to help others understand and respect both the natural resources and the people of the North Cascades.


Sunday, February 16, 2014

Signs of Spring Already

Over the last week or so I have been noticing several of the plants that are my harbingers of spring start to show signs of life.

The catkins are beginning to open on both the native hazelnuts (Corylus cornuta) and the ones introduced from Europe. I have seen snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) which are introduced ornamentals blooming as well. Compared to other years, this seems to be about the right time for these plants to be showing activity.

I have also noticed some salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) and osoberries (Oemleria cerasiformis) beginning to break bud. This seems a little early but most of the bushes I see breaking bud are a little bit back from forest edges where the forest canopy moderates temperatures and it doesn't get as cold as it does directly in an opening.

And there are the stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). They are already up and growing beneath the layer of last years tree leaves. Some people swear that they are "hotter", with a more intense sting, when they are just beginning to grow. I don't know if this is true but it wouldn't surprise me. Other plants tend to put more of their energy into defense at more vulnerable life stages.

Sometimes I wish I had kept notes years ago on the first day or week the different species of plants break bud or when the first species of migratory bird shows up. Living here, you have a good general idea of when certain organisms will start to become active but notes give you a more solid information without having to rely on memory which can often be faulty.
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