Painting Watercolors of Autumn

We celebrated the colors of the autumn season this October with John Adams, NW Watercolorist, at the North Cascades Basecamp.  A full house of artists partook in a weekend workshop learning techniques for composition, texture and value, color mixing, and putting those vibrant golds, oranges, reds, and yellows into action in a fall landscape.  Johns demonstrations were invaluable in the painting and crafting process.  The diversity in the group from age to skill level came together as an enjoyable weekend for all.

  

 

Capturing the Shades of October

A Photography Workshop with Teri J Pieper

Several of us joined Teri for a day of exploration with nature photography and fall colors.  Teri helped us play with the colors and textures of the natural world coming to life.  Textures of ice, colors of leaves, movement of the river, and reflections of the water kept us alive and excited to take the next step and the next photograph.  Click here to see her blog about the workshop and more photos.

 

 

Mindful Movement Retreat

What an amazing way to spend a long weekend in the Methow Valley!  Together with Mary Marmorstone and Quin Brett (through Vera Wellness), the North Cascades Basecamp hosted an amazing weekend of challenge, restoration, and wellness for a group of ladies throughout Washington.  Yoga on the grass or in the lodge filled everyone's stretching and strengthening needs, while time on the rock pushed everyone to new heights.  We hope to do it again next year!

 

Raptor migration festival weekend

a snowy owl and golden eagle in Pateros

The Third Annual Raptor Migration Festival was a great time this year with many participants enjoying the weekend.  The weather held out for a weekend of great raptor viewing at Chelan Ridge and Harts Pass.  The North Cascades Basecamp was proud to be involved with face painting at Pateros Memorial Park. 

A crowd joined us at the Basecamp on Saturday night for summer squash soup and homemade bread, live raptors from WSU Raptor Rehab Center, and a great presentation by Jim Watson (WDFW Raptor Research Biologist) about his collective 40 years of studying raptor migrations.  Jim led another 15 participants up to Harts Pass on Sunday morning to watch more of the migration magic.  The highlight of the day was continual great views of 2 juvenile prairie falcons unsuccessfully hunting a hoary marmot (quite a sight indeed) and resting on rock and tree perches at the Slate Peak parking area.  We watched over 40 birds in their migration south, catching those thermals and riding the gusty winds.  Happy travels and we’ll see you next year! 

Harts Pass field trip

Raptors observed at Harts Pass on Sunday, September 9th, 2012

sharp shinned hawk- 12

red tailed hawk-15

golden eagle-1

prairie falcon- 2 juv, 1 ad fem

unidentified falcon- 2

merlin- 3

osprey- 1

American kestral- 2

harrier hawk- 1

coopers hawk- 1

Wild Foods Harvest



It is early fall, late summer in the Methow Valley.  Bears are roaming low and high on the valley floor and mountain country due to the ripening of so many wonderful foods.  BERRIES! 



collections of wild berry harvest



We setup a booth with help from the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project at the Mazama Farmers Market last week to describe to folks bear activity during the fall season, and how many wonderful foods (for bears and humans) are naturally occurring in our environment right now.  Huckleberries, strawberries, blueberries, mountain ash berries, elderberries, raspberries, thimble berries, blackberries, bitter cherries, apples, and more...  These are all foods that both black bears and grizzly bears depend on for their winter fat stores.  We of course, also love and cherish the harvest of many of these foods as well.  GBOP's website describes encountering bears while picking berries in the backcountry, "More often than not, the experience of seeing a bear grazing in an alpine meadow is one of the greatest thrills of hiking; just give the bear space to enjoy his lunch too. We all know how delicious those mountain huckleberries can be!"  At the Basecamp, we collect berries and use them fresh on top of waffles or in our homemade jams; dried to make healthy teas and additives for breads and pancakes; and frozen for winter treats in breakfast scones, muffins, and evening dessert cobblers and pies.So put away your trash cans and be careful with composts this time of the year~  remember those bears are searching for the goodness hanging low on the branches that we love as well.

bear food display at the Mazama Farmers Market~ Sept 2012

Dragonflies and Damselfies Across the Cascades

Dennis Paulson and North Cascades Institute students spent a weekend at the North Cascades Basecamp and in the Methow Valley learning and sharing information on dragonflies this summer.  The weekend was spent outside with nets at the ready, searching cattail ponds among the pine forests and sagelands, wildflower meadows at higher elevation alpine sites, and wetland areas of the Methow Valley. 

 

Calliope's Hummingbird Chicks Have Fledged!

July 19th- The chicks are eighteen days old today and after having been gone for two days I was excited to see the presence of flight feathers. Over their head and back they are that brown w/red tipped color, but also have a greenish tinge now. The feathers on their wings are longer and black, there are also solid white feathers toward the back of their wings and tail. Their little beaks are mostly black now with some yellow at the base. Their chins are solid white in color.

July 20th-  I checked on the chicks right before a thunderstorm hit Mazama and the Basecamp. The chicks were sitting close together. There was generally no change in their appearance between day 18 and 19.

July 21st- The chicks are twenty days old today, the number of days predicted for a Calliope's hummingbird to fledge.. which sure enough was right on! I checked on them this morning to find that they had survived the wind and rain of the storm in the protected foliage of the forest. Both chicks woke up when I arrived, they also appeared to be much greener in color. I took a few pictures, and as I turned to leaved both chicks flew out of the nest. I was able to turn around and see one of them fly up into a neighboring tree!