IOF Student Society

Adam actually arranged an amusing activity - Everyone else missed out

“I’d walk through a burning building if there was a golden larch on the other side,” Adam Hicks remarked as he stepped out of his car into a smoky dawn at the Lighting Lakes parking lot.

Such was the attitude in Manning Park last Saturday, with wildfires smouldering just a few kilometres away, when an intrepid group of IOF members set off to summit Frosty Mountain and see its famed larch trees turned yellow in the autumn cool. Having awoken at 5:30AM for the opportunity, nothing was going to stop them.

Following the obligatory trailhead photo, the 12 hikers stumbled up the trail, a single-track goat path switch-backing its way uphill in a relentless grind. Max Miner set the pace, with Jess Schaub a step behind and perhaps a step slow from the 12 pounds of granola bars she carried in her pack. The narrow, overgrown path afforded few opportunities for bladder relief and many, such as Patrick Pata, were forced to soldier on and suffer kidney damage. The track flattened, weaved, and grew steep once again, but the group persevered, eventually bursting through the trees onto the open shoulder of Frosty Mountain.

Here, the larch trees (Larix lyallii) were in peak form. The IOF hikers were treated to an amazing display of colour from the 2,000 year old conifers, the climb clearly worth every step.

At this point, though Anna McLaskey was hopeful for a break in the yellow woods, the group pressed on in search of an elusive plateau which, like a master’s thesis defense, remained consistently just out of reach. As the hikers climbed higher, they were eventually hemmed in between the yellow trees and blue skies with no plateau in sight and nowhere to go but the rocky ridge. In this liminal space they finally took their lunch and enjoyed the spectacular views. Some continued up to the ridge, some relaxed on the alpine rocks, eventually all began the long and dusty journey back down. Veronica Relano and Elsa took the lead, but the dusty trail slowed all progress with its slippery purchase. Only Andreas Novalny, with his army-surplus boots practically gluing him to the trail, avoiding skidding down that dangerous path.

The trip down was long: by the time Iria Garcia-Lorenzo counted the 21,000th rock she stepped on, the conversation in the group had turned metaphysical. If Dana Price regretted getting caught up in a discussion of free will in a deterministic universe, she could take solace knowing she never had a choice. 8 hours, 22 km, and 1,300 meters later, the hikers were back where they started. 11/12 IOF members would recommend (Sarah Hyntka was still up there when we took the poll but I think she made it down).

On Saturday, September 17th, a group of IOF and zoology students joined Ocean Wise’s shoreline clean up event for International Coastal Cleanup Day! We met at Sunset Beach at 9am and enjoyed beautiful, sunny weather while picking up litter from the beach alongside many community members. This was part of a larger international effort that amounted to almost 500 kilograms of trash being collected from beaches across the coasts North America on September 17th. The event was a fun way to support efforts to keep our shorelines and oceans clean!

IOFSS Whale Watch Vancouver Trip
Orcas, sea lions, grey whales, oh my! On April 23rd  (a warm and sunny day in Vancouver for once) a group of 40+ eager biologists from UBC set off on a whale watching adventure courtesy of Whale Watch Vancouver. Spirits were high as the biologists loaded the boat, acquired their sea legs and scanned the horizon for any signs of dorsal fins. After over an hour of searching, the hope to see BC’s most iconic species began to dwindle. But not all was lost! The views were incredible and the gentle rocking of the waves allowed for some much-needed R&R. There would always be a next time for whales!

Much to everyone’s delight however, the tides soon changed, and a dramatic U-turn by Captain Rich once again had everyone scanning the surface of the sea. While driving back (3 miles from where the tour started...) not one but two separate transient orca groups graced the crew with their presence!

After admiring their playful antics (from a respectable 200m distance of course) the boat set off again in search of more. A spout was soon spotted and the boat's lovely naturalist Joan introduced the group to a grey whale lazily feeding in the waters outside of UBC (rumor has it, it's visible from campus so go grab a pair of binoculars!).

Sadly, the tour was coming to an end and it was time to head back to port. But not without one last stop past a sea lion colony which are always just #mood.

After contemplating how ~800lbs of blubber with four tiny flippers can haul themselves to the top of a rocky jetty, it was time to let the pinnipeds bask in the sun while the humans returned to land. The adventure didn’t end there however because no trip can really be complete without a stop for delicious snacks.

What better way to end the day then a box of assorted mini donuts from the Outpost Mini Donut Company (the best donuts in all of Richmond!). How could you resist?

A massive thank you to Julia Adelsheim, Kristen Sora, Polina Orlov and the whole IOF Student Society for organizing such an amazing event!

By Melanie Warren