White River Riparian Exploration - Wenatchee Naturalist

Field trip description

Lake Wenatchee in October

Starting at Lake Wenatchee, we travel up the White River Valley with guest botanist and artist, Olivia Schilling, and Wenatchee Naturalist Susan Ballinger to explore both natural and cultural history with a focus on conifer and deciduous trees and shrub species identification. We drive to 4-5 different locations, stopping at each for about an hour to engage in natural history observations, journaling activities with short walks to scenic viewpoints.

We walk under western red cedar to see an active river function restoration projects, and drive to a spectacular scenic overlook of the valley. As invited guests at Tall Timber Ranch, we walk a ½-mile riverside interpretive trail and learn about the conservation easement that permanently protects their river corridor property. The afternoon’s focus in on native conifers and wildlife within the White River’s forested wetlands and old-growth forests. The featured Community Science Volunteer program focus is the Upper Basin Birders, monthly monitoring since 1999.

Logistics

Access the 2026 field trip’s logistics letter here

Along the White River

Guest scientist leader

Botanist and artist, Olivia Schilling

Featured Organizations

Tall Timber’s Conservation Easement and Lake Wenatchee area White River properties of the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust

Community Science Project

Upper Basin Birders; eBird; Leavenworth Bird Fest

Resources

Photos

: A bonus stop to see the White River falls from the campground before we head for home.

: We’re all smiles after a day of exploration and learning in the White River. Thanks Heather!

: Our last stop at the end-of-the White River road tralhead to experience old-growth forest. Here, trials head northward on both sides of the river.

: Our class was invited to be guests of Tall TImber Ranch, and to walk the newly instralled interpretive trail along the White River.

: Late fall alongside the White River with bright leaves on redoiser dogwood (Cornus stoloniferous)

: Fall is a low-flow season for the White River. Large woody debris on the gravel bar is evidence of powerful high spring runoff.

: Large woody debris within the river creates pools, spreads and slows the flow. Wood provides a source of food & habitat for the food web for the river food web.

: A mix of deciduous and coniferous trees form the riparian canopy with an understory of decidous shrubs like redoiser dogwood and alder.

: The White River is one of the headwater rivers for the Wenatchee River Watershed. Meltwater from Glacier Peak glaciers gives the White River a milky-white color, except in winter when the White runs crystal clear.

: Beaver utilize riparian shrubs for food (the inner living cambium on branches) and as building materials for lodges.

: Distincitive leaves of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa).

: White River at Tall Timber Ranch, mid-October, 2012

: The White River experiences seasonally high flows in late spring and low flows in late fall.

: Willow (Salix species) seeds take root in wet sand and rocks and quickly sprout and grow on river deposited bars.

: Just a few weeks earlier, sockeye salmon manuvered they way thorugh this logjam to reach th spawning gravels in the riverbed, just a few hundred yards upstream.

: The White River valley at 2000 feet is flanked on both sides by high ridges.

: THe White River threads its way through a “U” shaped glacier carved valley.

: Pioneering riparian plants like this rush (Juncus sp.) can quickly root and grow in river-deposited sandy soils.

: Welcome to the White River, a headwaters of the Wenatchee River watershed.

: Evidence that a beaver cut down this alder (Alnus species) which created a sunny opening and an opportunity for new seeds to sprout and grow.

: The distinctive red stems of redoiser dogwood (Cornus stolonifera).

: Supplied riverside with abundant water and sunshine, shrubs like Alder (Alnus species) take on tree-like height.

: Mature black cottonwood (Populus tricocarpa) is distinctively deeply furrowed.

: Mature black cottonwood (Populus tricocarpa) is distinctively deeply furrowed.

: Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) sheds its leaves each fall and stores energy below ground in extensive root systems.

: Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is thin, red-brown, and can be pulled off in long strips.

: The trailhead to Twin Lakes at the confluence of the Napeequa River and the White River. Vine maple (Acer circinatum) flank the parking lot.

: Our class experienced the first snowfall of the year on a chilly Saturday morning, Oct. 20, 2012. Our first stop was the Dirtyface Viewpoint.

: Looking south toward Lake Wenatchee with its two headwater rivers: The Little Wenatchee River (farside of valley) and the White RIver (mid-point of valley). The open fields with straight-line drainage ditches are evidence of past land use where the forest was cleared to create grazing lands.

: Standing tall behind these focused adults is the bare bole of a ponderosa pine tree with bark that is deeply fissured and orange-brown.

: Our class is focused on drawing a habitat map of the White River valley.

: The diagnostic growing tip of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugan menziesii) is sharply pointed, in contrast to the rounded growing tips on true firs.

: Here, a thick grove of Douglas-fir will provide fuel ladder fuels that will allow a future wildfire to climb into the crowns and result in a high-intensive burn.

: Can you find the Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) tree in this group of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)?

: Heather A. Wallis Murphy, wildlife biologist and artist leads our class in a journaling exercise to draw the habitat components of the watershed below.

: Heather A. Wallis Murphy, wildlife biologist and artist served as our field trip leader. With over 30 years of experience working in the watershed, she provided a comprehensive overview of the region’s natural and cultural history.

: The low-angled October sun creates an electric red glow along the White River road.

: The low-angled October sun creates an electric red glow of vine maple (Acer circinatum) underneath the rich green of the conifers at the Twin Lakes trailhead.

: Standing above the confluence of the Napeequa River as it flows into the White River.

: The Napeequa River is flanked with redoiser dogwood and the milky color indicates its source of glacier meltwaters.

: The distinctive red stems of redoiser dogwood (Cornus stolonifera).

: Grand fir (Abies grandis) bark is relatively smooth, ashy-gray, and has resin-filled blisters.

: Each class member is sketching 5 habitat features visible from this White River bar. A peregrin falcon flying overhead captured out attention.

: Time to head inside Tall Timber Ranch for a warm-up lunch break.

: River-carried rounded rocks with a splash of black cottonwood!

: Two-ranked needles on Grand fir (Abis grandis). Looking down, we can see the brown stem.

: Black bear claw marks on the trunk of this alder (Alnus).

: On the other side of the river, Susan’s group starts to do a close-up sketch of bark on this massive old-growth Western red cedar (Thuja plicata).

: Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is thin, red-brown, and can be pulled off in long strips.

: an old streamchannel, now a forested wetland is flanked by ferns and the spiked stems of devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus).

: A sentinel of the centuries- A massive old-growth Western red cedar (Thuja plicata).

: We prepare to do a close-up sketch of bark on this massive old-growth Western red cedar (Thuja plicata).

: Sharp, short, and square: Englemann spruce (Picea englemanii) needes on a young tree.

: We are headed back to the campground parking lot after vewing the White River Falls, as our day winds to a close.

: 10 23 12 Broadview trailhead

: A bitterbrush (center) survived the low-intensity burn