Subject: [Tweeters] North is west-oops-Shemya Brown Shrike
Date: Jun 11 16:29:08 2007
From: johntubbs at comcast.net - johntubbs at comcast.net


Larry,

You are absolutely correct about the magnetic directions at Stillwater, as anyone who has been there at the end of the day on a sunny day can attest. Because the Snoqualmie River (and 203) twists and curves a lot through the valley, there are any number of spots where actual compass directions can be quite confusing if they reference a physical feature of the valley. For example, with the river, there are several places where it actually reverses back on itself and flows almost the opposite compass direction for a distance. Since the trail at Stillwater pretty much parallels N/S highway 203 at that point, north and south for left and right from the parking lot kind of evolved into the standard for compass-or-GPS-less people based on the highway.

Sounds like we need a convention defining directions there - either considering the railroad grade trail to be east/west or north/south and imagining an appropriate magnetic variance in that area. Otherwise, to be totally accurate, we would have to describe the trail as a right turn from the parking lot equals west northwest and a left turn equals east southeast, which would get quite confusing.

Being a relative newcomer to Tweeters, I don't know how issues like this get resolved. Since most people have been using N/S and Hwy 203 is considered a N/S route, I would propose continuing to use that as a convention despite the geomagnetic facts of the matter. However...

Anyone else want to volunteer another solution...?

: - )

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com


-------------- Original message --------------
From: Larry Schwitters <lpatters at ix.netcom.com>

> Tweeters,
>
> Now that we have our directions straight let me muddy the water. SR
> 203 which goes north out of Carnation toward Duvall swings about 70
> degrees to the west at the Stillwater store. So the highway and the
> trail are actually running more west and east at our hot spot.. Sure
> seems like north and south. Didn't want anyone with a compass to freak
> out.
>
> Confession time.
>
> I called the Bank Swallows down at the river Rough-winged. I will
> strive to do better in the future.
>
> Brag on brother time.
>
> Two of the last N. American stop press Surfbird photos, a Brown Shrike,
> and a what the heck is a Dark-sided Flycatcher, were taken by my bro.
>
> http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery10
>
> This is probably his last season on on Shemya.
>
> Larry Schwitters
> Issaquah
>
> On Jun 11, 2007, at 2:20 PM, Jonathan Cooper wrote:
>
> >
> > Thanks to everyone who replied. It was the north/south thing that
> > confused
> > me, and I was thinking I needed to cut across the fields. Now I know
> > where
> > to find the bridges. Thanks again.
> >
> > Jon
> >
> > On Mon, 11 Jun 2007 johntubbs at comcast.net wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Caren and Tweets,
> >>
> >> The WDFW parking lot is actually just NORTH of the stillwater store
> >> on Hwy 203.
> >>
> >> :-)
> >>
> >> John Tubbs
> >> Snoqualmie, WA
> >> johntubbs at comcast.net
> >> www.tubbsphoto.com
> >>
> >>
> >> -------------- Original message --------------
> >> From: carenp at totalise.co.uk
> >>
> >> just south of the stillwater intersection on highway 203 (between
> >> carnation and duvall) is a small WDFW car park... just west of the
> >> car park is the north-south trail...
> >> the bridges where the chat/redstart/kingbird were located are south
> >> of the car park... the swallow colonies are west and a bit north
> >> (two west-bound trails, about 1 mile in length, give or take, north
> >> of the car park) before you reach the river...
> >>
> >> 00 caren
> >> http://www.parkgallery.org
> >> george davis creek, north fork
> >>
> >> On Jun 11 2007, Jonathan Cooper wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >>> I visited Stillwater this weekend but was confused about where to
> >>> go. (It
> >>> was raining and not favorable to exploring). When people write about
> >>> heading south and crossing bridges, where are they referring to?
> >>> Thanks.
> >>>
> >>> Jon Cooper
> >>> Seattle
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
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> >>>
> >
> >
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