Hi Tweets

We went backpacking this weekend up to Gothic Basin in the Cascades, and on
the eastern flanks of Gothic Peak (just above Foggy Lake) we found at least
9 and maybe 12 White-tailed Ptarmigan. A life bird for me, and it is really
neat to be able to get within a couple of feet of a bird without it freaking
out. There were also lots of American Pipit and Pikas.

Gothic Basin is reached via the Weden Creek trail which splits off from
Monte Cristo Rd. The trail has been extensively reworked this summer, and
it is a little longer and a little easier than it used to be, but it is
still at a strenuous three or four miles (and 3000+ ft elevation gain) from
Monte Cristo Rd. (plus you have to hike over a mile of the road from the
parking at Barlow Pass at the end of the pavement on the Mountain Loop
Highway). If you are vigourous, you could get up and down in a day, but we
camped overnight at Foggy Lake.

The ptarmigan were at about 5600 feet, and appeared to be eating sedge
seeds.

For those of you with a GPS, the Ptarmigan were at N 47 58.907', W 121
28.252' or see the top left corner of page 81 in the De Lorme (birds at
about the township line between Gothic Peak and Foggy Lake).

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== MJCT_Hobbs at msn.com