Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

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jonathan
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Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by jonathan »

So, what trips are we interested in as a chapter in 2015?


both kings and other snakes in southwest Oregon?

desert snakes and lizards (longnose, ground, nights, rattlers, collareds, leopards, etc.) in Snake River area in Idaho?

anything worth salamandering other than the gorge?

other ideas that I don't know about?


Depending on when my visa processing comes through, I might be in range for trips in the April-June area...so excited to think about what could come together.
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jonathan
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by jonathan »

The Idaho option got discussed well last year in this thread. A positive development is that I believe we've picked up a few Idaho members since then, so hopefully there'd be some local knowledge/scouting if they wanted to be involved.

I'd love to see southwest Oregon or other ideas get some discussion.
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TravisK
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by TravisK »

I will for sure be going to SE Idaho this year, dates pending, and will put a thread out as soon as the dates are set. I know the guys that went that direction last year had some good finds.
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randimal
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by randimal »

I intend to go on every trip this year since in April I will be freed from the burden having of a job. I'm particularly interested in Southeast Oregon since there are several species there that I can't see in Washington. But I imagine Idaho has some of the same species so that may work out as well. I'll also be spending a lot of time in Cle Elum and Vantage for desert species photography.
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jonathan
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by jonathan »

Myself, my wife, and Matt will be passing through SW Oregon around the end of April, and I would love to go on a snake-focused trip there. (There are cool amphibians too, but I found most of them last time!)

It depends on a few factors, but I think I would love to jump on an Idaho trip if it happened in May. Might have my dad come along too, who herped that area well 40 years ago. It could be worthwhile to check that bit of low-elevation area in the northern part of SW Oregon to see if we could drum up a state record for Longnose Snakes.
uglyelf
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by uglyelf »

Hello!

I'm Gregory. New to the forum. And I haven't done anything like herping in an organized fashion and I'd love to start this year!

Has anyone made it down to SE Oregon into common ground snake territory (Sonora semiannulata). I've never seen them in person and they look amazingly cute. What's the best time of year for a trip? Best places to camp or stay? Any other advice?

Thanks all!
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jonathan
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by jonathan »

uglyelf wrote:Hello!

I'm Gregory. New to the forum. And I haven't done anything like herping in an organized fashion and I'd love to start this year!

Has anyone made it down to SE Oregon into common ground snake territory (Sonora semiannulata). I've never seen them in person and they look amazingly cute. What's the best time of year for a trip? Best places to camp or stay? Any other advice?

Thanks all!

Hey Gregory! We discussed timings for that area a bit in this thread last year: http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/vie ... =8&t=18648


If you notice the elevation part of that discussion, most of SE Oregon is at a higher elevation than SW Idaho. So that might affect things - perhaps the ideal times skew a bit later into the season. Looking at www.naherp.com, it looks like we only have one ground snake record for Oregon so far - a fantastic find of 7 ground snakes after a rainstorm - but that's certainly not information to tell generally what their seasonal activity is.
uglyelf
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by uglyelf »

Awesome! Thanks for the response Jonathan.

I'll have to keep an eye on the temperatures in that area in a couple months. So far, this is shaping up to be a warm year.

I hope to join in a herp trip or two this year if I can.

Thanks again.
corey.raimond
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by corey.raimond »

It sounds like I will be relatively free this summer and would go to any of the places mentioned. Did any dates get established?

-Corey
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jonathan
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by jonathan »

Rose and I met Joshua and Matt in the California/Oregon border area (and Heather further up) for a sorta impromptu get-together.

I'm in Oregon through the end of May, but my weekends are quickly getting filled up. I'm definitely down for something if anyone else has weekdays free...perhaps the Washington side of the gorge, or something a bit east.
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TravisK
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by TravisK »

I just found out I have Grade 3 Patellofemoral Chondromalacia in my right knee. Translation, I am almost bone on bone under my right knee cap. I am gonna be pretty limited this year but definitely will try and get out some weekends for WA herping. Hit me up if any of you are going to head out at all. Obviously the more notice the better. If any of you don't have my cell just PM for it.

Cheers,
TK
NACairns
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Re: Northwest Chapter Trips this year thread

Post by NACairns »

If you plan anything in late July do you folks mind out-of-towners tagging along? My name is Nick, my wife along with our young son will be on a road trip from Kingston Ontario to visit my folks on Vancouver Island via SW Utah and San Fran. If the timing lines up we'd love to meet up with other herpers and learn from locals. We're keen to see anything,
Nick
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