THE BEARTOOTH - ANOTHER WATERSHED

With the lack of good low tides in the Autumn it was time to do another road trip.  I'd been wanting to do the Beartooth Highway for many years but something always derailed that trip....but not this time.
The Beartooth Highway runs 66 miles from Red Lodge to Cooke City Montana just to the northeast of Yellowstone National Park.  We tried to time the 10,974 foot Beartooth Pass to good weather as a cold front with snow was headed south from Canada.  Our timing was good and we crossed the Beartooth one day before it was closed due to snowfall.  The Beartooth Highway has a reputation of being one of if the the most spectacular highways in the United States.  I agree with that.
After the Beartooth we chose a route back home that included a number of stops at hot springs in Idaho.  In addition we visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton, John Day Fossil National Monument and friends on Mosier OR.

Yellowstone Falls

Gretchen - Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Beartooth

The Beartooth

Beartooth

Beartooth Highway

Mt. Sheep

Mt. Sheep

Sawtooth Range

Yellowstone River

Yellowstone burn area

Sawtooth Range

Beartooth Highway

Gretchen - hot spring

Beartooth Pass

Marmot

Turtle crossing

Stanley hot spring

Stanley hot spring

Gretchen hot spring

Another hot spring

Pronghorns

Turtle relocation project

Antelope OR

Beartooth Highway

Yellowstone Bison

John Day Fossil National Monument

John Day

Gretchen John Day

Gretchen John Day

John Day River

John Day

Painted Hills John Day

Gretchen Painted Hills

Thirsty travlers

AUTUMN AND SEA PUPS....AND ADULTS

Autumn sees the end of the good low tides in Seattle....September and October have few minus tides so beach exploration slows down.....weather can be a factor also.
Harbor Seal pups have been weaned by October and are attempting to adjust to being on their own for the first time.  The mothers have provided rich milk for 4 to 6 weeks and the pups may have doubled their birth weight of about 23 lbs.....but this weight gain is now becoming a weight loss.
The pups do not start eating solid food for 10-14 days after weaning....and then do not reach a positive energy balance for another 2 weeks....that's a month of losing the baby fat they put on while nursing.  We don't see fat pups now....we see ones that are slimmer than they were at the end of nursing.  This is a very stressful time for the pups and 50% of them will not survive the first year.
Seal Sitters are busy checking the beaches for pups, setting up barriers and providing volunteers to monitor the resting pups.   It has been a busy Autumn so far with as many as 5 pups on West Seattle beaches at one time.  In addition a female adult seal took up residence on the floating dock at the boat ramp.  A very poor choice of resting locations.   After 5 days an attempt was made by WDFW to remove the seal to a different location but capture attempt was not successful....indicating that the seal was healthy...and quick.  Since the capture attempt the seal "Jellybean" has not returned to the dock.

Jellybean - Adult Female

Jellybean adult female

Jellybean

Jellybean

Seacil - pup in surf

Jellybean capture attempt for relocation

Seacil Pup - weaned

ALASKA - LAST REFUGE FOR SEA STARS?

Sea Star wasting syndrome is still out there....but as yet not north of Sitka Alaska.  There is hope that Alaska will provide a refuge for sea stars that can repopulate southern stocks.  Sea Stars are broadcast spawners so larvae can float in the plankton for up to 45 days....that gives currents time to take them long distances from their parents location.
This is the first wasting episode that has ever been known to carry through a winter season. A warm water "blob" in the Northeast Pacific may have contributed to this.
We will do some surveys this winter at December low tides to assess the situation at Constellation Marine Reserve in West Seattle.....see if we can actually fine any sea stars.
During this Summer's low tides I have noticed that the population of Purple Stars that was in the best shape was under the Sea View condos south of Constellation Marine Reserve.  The sea stars there are all on pilings that are protected from direct sunlight and the area is thus cooler at low tide.  UV radiation is not a factor there....yet there are some stars with wasting.  While air temps are cooler on hot summer days (of which Seattle had many this Summer) water temps are not any different from the sunny areas.
I will post results of the December surveys here.....
Happy Autumn