Alpine Adventure #4 – Ironface

on the way to the peak looking back towards Mt Alfred
– T. Koleszar

not ALL of our members like flying in the front seat of a Hughes 500…but some very much DO
yee-hah!!!
– A. Bryant

view from our landing area to the Beartooth-Slide Mtn range
– T. Koleszar

the top of Ironface Mountain
– T. Koleszar

part of the meadows between Ironface and Mt Alfred
– T. Koleszar

Mountains are large. People are small.
According to local mountaineer Jason Addy, “This is “Split Peak 2200m. First recorded ascent 1965. First ascent of the main Mount Alfred summit was in 1929”. Colour me “impressed”
– A. Bryant

there were several patches of lupines still flowering
– T. Koleszar

No wildlife? hah. Here’s a Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa) on Partridgefoot (Luetkea pectinata) I’ve never seen either species before…
– A. Bryant

the Mt Alfred glacier with its many meltwater streams
– T. Koleszar

part of the crew enjoying lunch in the shade of mountain hemlocks
– T. Koleszar

proof that the Naturalist Club is made up of angels (or at least angelic people)
– T. Koleszar

some of the angels prefer to do their work standing up, however
– T. Koleszar

the view inland from the peak
– T. Koleszar

Red-belted Bumblebee (Bombus rufocinctus) on a subalpine daisy (Erigon peregrinus)
– A. Bryant

contemplating nature, or wishing the photographer would go away?
– T. Koleszar

happy Naturalists – it really doesn’t get much better than this!
– T. Koleszar

there were still a few struggling mountain hemlocks and yellow cedar
– T. Koleszar

the Alfred glacier up close
– T. Koleszar

a Naturalist in her element
– T. Koleszar

So the photographer says “ok, I want everyone to line up beginning at the nose of the helicopter (I want the helicopter in frame) all the way to this big boulder on the right”. Oh well. 19/20 isn’t terrible.
– A. Bryant

Alpine Adventure #4 – Ironface
by Tom Koleszar, 14 August 2021

After being rained out last week, we got out today.  The wildfire smoke threatened, but we were largely clear in the mountains further from the coast.

Twenty members were landed by helicopter at 1660 metres elevation in the meadows between Ironface Peak and Mount Alfred.  The weather was sunny and warm with some smoke drifting in during the afternoon.  After everyone was assembled at our destination, we spent a hour before lunch learning about the geology (several interesting rock samples were spirited away into backpacks!) and the flora of the area.  At that elevation few trees – mostly mountain hemlock – were present, but we did identify several kinds of wildflowers and other plants.  Due to the later trip date and dry summer we were passed the peak flower time, however.

A few birds were seen, and some bear scat was spotted – but the most abundant wildlife encounters were of the “flying insect” variety.

After an enjoyable lunch in the meadows, we had a couple of hours of free time to explore, and many started out by making snow angels in one of the remaining snow patches (yes, we are still kids at heart!)  After that, people wandered the area around the meadows and along the ridge, and one even made it all the way to the peak of Ironface (1920m).

All in all, a great day was had by everyone.  Thanks again to our drivers who got everyone to the staging area safely and to Nancy for bring the extra helicopter fuel, and especially to Tag, our Oceanview Helicopters pilot, who got everyone on and off the mountain safely.