What do you know about whitebark pines? Yeah. I didn't know anything, either. But I learned. And then it was time to go questing for them.
(And if you're wondering, this is the project: Tracking Whitebark Pine run by Adventure Scientists.)
Mount Margaret should have been completely inaccessible. But big rains (and I mean BIG) washed all the snow out of the mountains. So instead of enjoying a long road walk I was able to drive to the trailhead. The snow was spotty along the climb to the ridge. It was only continuous for the final slopes.
Above 5,250 feet I started looking for whitebark pines in earnest. That one? Hemlock. Over there? Fir. Ooh ooh! Tinkham. I covered about a mile searching the ridge, but came up empty. But even the lack of trees is valuable data or so I'm told. Back at the car I ditched my frozen shoes and filled out my observation forms.
There are several other areas in the project so I'll keep looking. Maybe even just a day later...
📍On the lands of the Snoqualmie people.
