A lost path found on Black Butte
01.01.70
Black Butte, a accessible pyramid on the sunny side of Santiam Pass, is now unsealed to hikers even in November.
To be sure, snow has wreathed the culmination and the fire lookouts there are closed for the season. But the reopening of a large-forgotten trail on the lower slopes now makes it reachable to sample this conical mountain’s charms most of winter.
Because Black Butte stands alone on the Important Oregon plateau, east of the High Cascades snowpeaks, it commands one of the most beneficent views in the state.
As early as 1910 rangers built a concern here to watch for wildfires. That first structure was a simple “squirrel’s haunt” platform consisting of planks nailed between two adjacent treetops. The party line is gone, but lookouts from 1923 and 1995 detritus.
Early lookout staffers hiked to the peak on a trail that spiraled up from Camp Sherman on the Metolius River. A critical telephone wire, strung from tree to tree beside the pursue, allowed lookouts to call in fire reports.
Source: The Register-Guard
New species of Albino trapdoor adds to biodiversity jigsaw
01.01.70
The spider has been identified by the WA Museum as a new species of snare door spider from the Idiopidae family.
Nicknamed the albino trapdoor spider, it was spotted by Give away Valley resident John Cornish on his back veranda in July.
The white-headed, black and brown-legged spider about the proportions of a 50-cent piece was captured in a jar and handed to the Northam favour of the Department of Environment and Conservation.
Wheatbelt Nationalistic Resource Management spider expert Mick Davis realised it was potentially a new species.
Elder curator of arachnology Dr. Mark Harvey says vague differences on the pedipalp and front leg of the male indicated it was a new variety of spider.
The pedipalp is used to transfer sperm to the female during mating and the front legs are occupied to lift her body up, Dr. Harvey says.
Comparing the sizes of the processes and the enumerate of small spines on these structures with other species of white-headed artifice-door spiders shows sufficient differences to conclude it is a new species.
Source: PhysOrg.com