Welcome to the alpine. This is Mt. Diadem taken from Freda Mountain.
– T. Koleszar

The context. Here are some of the places that provided my “research”.
– Google Earth

On a nice day, the alpine is a wonderful place to visit. Here we are nearing the summit of Freda Mountain.
– T. Koleszar

Because on a not-so-nice day…
– T. Koleszar

Some of the old-growth that one hikes through is pretty impressive. This is a yellow cedar, on the way to Emma Lake. It’s likely several hundred years old.
– T. Koleszar

Fortunately, sustenance is readily available. The blueberries are wonderful. These are oval leaf blueberries near Beta Lake.
– T. Koleszar

The insect life is impressive. Here’s one of our native bees pollinating a penstemon on Tin Hat.
– T. Koleszar

In spots, the bees have their work cut out for them! Here’s a carpet of pink mountain heather at Beta Lake.
– T. Koleszar

Life persists, anywhere there’s even a hint of soil. Heather filling a small crack in a granite boulder.
– T. Koleszar

Alpine lakes come in many sizes, but at high elevations are mostly pretty lifeless except for insects. This is Beta Lake at the Knuckles.
– T. Koleszar

The glaciers in our backyard are massive, impressive…and shrinking. This is the glacier on Mt Alfred.
– T. Koleszar

Streams become torrents, and water movement shapes the terrain . This is the Emma Lake creek just below the outlet.
– T. Koleszar

This mountain doesn’t fit in with the granitic geology seen in the background. It’s the much older sediments and volcanics of Skwim Mountain.
– T. Koleszar

The alpine is a place of quiet, solitude, and time. This is the clear, blue waters of Beta Lake.
– T. Koleszar

It’s a place of vastness, filled with tiny details and enormous complexity. Here is a series of small pools on the open slopes of Freda Mountain.
– T. Koleszar

Let’s hope the weather holds!
– T. Koleszar

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!