Sounds of the Forest - 10/22

Ah! The peace and quiet of a walk in the woods…but is it really? Listen carefully and you will hear the symphony of the wild. In the distance the constant bass of the creek, underscores the other notes you may hear. The flute-like call of the chickadee, the haunting melody of the pileated woodpecker, or the ratchet-like squawk of the steller’s jay follow you along the trail. On busy summer days the murmur of the crowd adds a human element to the song and changes the composition.

Click on the numbered headphones to hear the individual instruments or combine them in different ways to create your own “music of the mountains.” After clicking the picture to see an expanded version, place your mouse over the numbered circles to see the musicians.

American Dipper - 11/22

An overall slate-gray appearance camouflages the American Dipper perfectly with the boulders that it uses for perches in fast-moving streams and rivers. Also commonly known as the "water ouzel," the dipper is restricted in its range to cold, rapid waters in western North and Central America. As the only aquatic songbird in North America, this unique bird combines the melodious song and aggressive territorialism typical of songbirds with some traits of ducks, such as feeding methods, molt, dense feathering and complete tracts of down.

If you're hiking along a creek such as Avalanche and you hear a loud, but sweet, bell-like song interspersed with a sharp "jik" call, you know you are in Dipper country. Singing in the spring helps to establish breeding territories, whereas songs erupting in fall and winter relate to winter territories. Summer and winter territories may be located in the same area provided that there are ample food and suitable nest sites. When freeze-up occurs in the coldest of areas, dippers migrate to open water, either downstream or to other drainages. These birds can maintain normal body temperature in temperatures as low as -22 degrees F., although they probably can't survive air temperatures above 97 degrees F.

Indeed this bird is a survivor with its special adaptations of low metabolic rate, greater oxygen-carrying capacity in its blood, and the will to staunchly defend its winter and summer territories. Crucial in their territories is the availability of perch and nest sites, escape locations, and principally the presence of aquatic insects, such as caddis flies and mayflies. Most foraging takes place under water with repeated dives and plunges (lasting 5-15 seconds) into cold, rushing streams. This means that good water quality is a prerequisite. This enjoyable character may be telling us more than we know!

Click the Headphone Icon to listen to an American Dipper.

Avalanche Gorge - 12/22

What do you think about when you see and hear running water? Tranquility, calmness, and serenity are just a few words that are often used to describe the effect water has within the environment. But what about power?

The power of water and the role it plays here at Avalanche Gorge is evident all around you. Much like a sculptor in a studio, ice age glacial melt-water carved and sculpted this beautiful gorge that you see today. But after thousands of years of progress, the work on this masterpiece is not yet complete, as water from Avalanche Lake is slowly continuing its work at forming, shaping, and altering the gorge. Notice water's power in the scalloped and smoothly polished rocks when you walk by.

During the winter, the water that runs through Avalanche Gorge is reduced to a trickle, if not completely frozen. But even in winter, work on the gorge has not halted, only slowed, as chunks of ice will scrape the sides of the gorge. One can only wonder, what will this place be like in the next thousand years?

After clicking the picture to see a larger version of it, place your mouse over the picture to see what this place looks like in the winter. Click on the Park Ranger Icon for more information about Avalanche Gorge and the Camera Icon to see sculpting in action.