This past Saturday, half of our class journeyed across the Cascades to visit and learn about the geological, biological, and climatic spectacles of the region. We would soon learn, that along with the change in culture, there is a drastic difference between the nature and its history of the west and east sides of the mountains.

The day began with the drive through the Cascades headed to the Yakima Canyon. I volunteered to drive, and I’m glad I did, as it made me remain attentive throughout. The rolling hills appearance created by the drumlins of the Puget Sound region slowly turned into intense slopes with staggering peaks capped with snow. The alder lined highway gradually becomes more saturated with mountain conifers but the landscape remains incredibly lush. After a while, the mountainous landscape receded and became an arid shrub steppe filled with farms and agriculture. We took a brief break at a rest stop where I saw a sign on a booth that advertised free coffee. Intrigued and sleepy, I approached the booth and chatted with two nice older ladies about our field trip. Upon hearing that we were headed to the canyon, one of the women mentioned that there had been a population bounce-back of Bighorn Sheep in the area and to keep an eye out for them. These women really brightened my day, as they reminded me of fond memories of my grandmother. She lived in Yakima before she passed, and would often be doing generous things like they would for leisure.

After passing through Ellensburg, we made our way to the Yakima Canyon. Before reaching our intended destination, we made a surprise stop on the side of the road along the Yakima River. 

The river was lined with Ponderosa Pines which prefer the drier, less mild climate of the east side of the Mountains. Across the river on the slope of the canyon were three groups of Bighorn Sheep—the women were right! There were no males present, just females with their children wandering the canyon and grazing. Above the canyon, Osprey soared, looking for fish in the river. Among the Ponderosas we saw a number of amazing birds, the most astounding of which were the Bullock’s Oriole and the Western Tanager.

A shot of the Bighorn Sheep through the telescope

The geological formations of the canyon were truly breathtaking: multiple layers of columnar basalt covered in green and orange lichen that. The intriguing geometry of the columns looks like its from an alien planet. We learned that each layer of basalt columns corresponded to ancient lava flows from past Cascade volcano eruptions, a fact that blew me away and made me realize immense amount of history there was exposed in the slopes of the canyon.

A view of the layers of columnar basalt

We continued on our way and arrived at our destination: Untanum Creek, a natural site great for birdwatching, fishing, and hiking. Apparently in centuries past, it was a place frequented by Native Americans for its abundant resources and some students in years past have found artifacts. Once in the thick of the lush riverbank, we observed some of the vegetation and waited for birds. We looked at the Tall Sagebrush, an aromatic shrub that dominates the shrub steppe and has furry leaves that help it retain water. 

Tall Sagebrush

Also very abundant were Dogwoods and Black Cottonwoods that enjoy the riverside real estate. Before long, we saw multiple strikingly beautiful birds, the most amazing of which I’d have to say was the Lazuli Bunting. Its electric blue head and orange breast made quite the site, especially when it sang its intricate song. We also observed a Red-Tailed Hawk flying high above the canyon, making its characteristic screech that really epitomizes the great, wild outdoors. Yellow-Breasted Chats were flying among the bushes making their ‘loud chack’ noises.

Next, we split up and I hiked up one side of the canyon in search of more birds and interesting plants. Although I couldn’t see it, I repeatedly heard Canyon Wrens. I was, however, able to spot an American Goldfinch sitting in a tree with a Lazuli Bunting. I was unable to identify many of the plants and flowers we saw on our hike, but their bright colors were gorgeous in the arid setting. 

Some Wildflowers

At the end of our site, there was a great view of the river valley and the curvatures of the banks of the canyon. 

Some vibrant lichens on Sagebrush

Panoramic view of the Canyon from the end of the hike

I returned to the parking area where we ate lunch. Well, everyone else ate lunch but I had forgotten to bring food so I spent the time looking for butterflies to catch with a net. I ended up catching a whitish one with green spots, but unfortunately I failed to identify it. Just before leaving, Tim spotted a Brown-Headed Cowbird and told us of their tendencies to place their eggs in other birds’ nests, a behavior that helps their reproductive success while damaging that of the nests’ owners.

Next, we headed to Umtanum Ridge, a lush deserted landscape of beautiful rolling hills. This landscape was very hot and the soil was tan, tough, and covered with desert shrubs and flowers.

The dry, hard soil

We saw plenty of Sagebrush, but also the rarer Paintbrush variety of wildflowers and Desert Parsley. 

Some Wildflowers 

Desert Parsley

Paintbrush

The ground was unexpectedly bizarre, as it seemed so dry and infertile yet we discovered so many plants and animals amongst it, although they were certainly well hidden. Without tree cover and plenty of predators (especially avian), it makes sense for the species to favor being hidden underground or within bushes, not to mention to regulate their body temperatures and avoid the intense exposure. Some members of our group uncovered a Northern Scorpion and others discovered (what I believe was a) Short-Horned Lizard. 

Short-Horned Lizard

Others even heard Rattlesnakes, which made me overly cautious for the rest of the walk. I was able to capture a Sara Orangetip butterfly in my net after a vicious quarrel.

Our final destination was a small hike along Umtanum Creek to Untanum Falls. There, we saw a lush landscape of riverside species. When we set out, it began raining and the cloud cover made it cold enough to want an extra layer. However, the rain quickly subsided along our hike and we were immediately all hot again and shed the layers. The species must be able to adapt to such a variety of temperatures if they are to succeed in this environment. We saw plenty of idyllic Quaking Aspen with its white bark and plentiful, thin trunks. Interestingly, this plant can be a single organism with multiple stocks spanning the entire forest. There was also a sizable Ponderosa Pine forest that provided some shade for the lush riverside, on which we saw patches of Camas. Apparently, the hips of these flowers were consumed by Lewis and Clark on their expedition.

Camas Patch

I actually took no notes during this field trip and wrote all of this from memory, which I feel gives a good representation of how intrigued I was throughout the day. Many species were difficult to identify, but they aided my ability to understand the drastic difference between the eastern and western sides of the Cascades. This field trip showed me the spectacular variety of Washington’s nature. This state never ceases to surprise and astound me when it comes to the environment.