Tom Koleszar – “Hidden treasure in the attic: our local alpine”

Tom Koleszar – “Hidden treasure in the attic: our local alpine”
by Andrew Bryant, 22 June 2017.

Intrepid hiker, geologist, and Club President Tom Kolesar took us on a vicarious exploration of the high alpine in our own backyard – and what a fine view it was!  Using images spanning years and multiple adventures, Tom shared his experiences on many of our local mountains.

He structured his talk in terms of layers, discussing each of the
• Tree Layer
• Shrub Layer
• Herb Layer
• Moss Layer
• Water Layer
• Rock Layer
• Wildlife Layer
as the inter-related ecosystem components that they are.

I was personally impressed with his geologist’s view of things.  Where I see an awesome mountain ridge, Tom sees a geological intrusion that “doesn’t fit”.  Where I see an extraordinary mountain waterfall, he sees “inexorable forces”.  Where I see a beautiful meadow of wildflowers, he sees “resiliance”.  And where I see an enormous glacier, he sees “time” and “pressure”.

A talk not to be missed.  Nor is our upcoming helicopter field-trip in August!