OT-CHAT: The newest Iris setosa sighting

From: Haggstroms <hagg@alaska.net>

I've always been interested in how high an altitude Iris setosa will
grow in Alaska. My personal "highest" sighting has been 1800'. A couple
of days ago I received my latest UFO (unidentified flowering object)
sighting.
Monday, while following the Iditarod Trail dog race to Nome in my plane,
I stopped at a race checkpoint on Puntilla Lake at the 2300' level (I
think - my altimeter was having problems) in a mountain pass the teams
go through. The owner of the lodge on Puntilla told me iris grew along
the margins of the lake, which would place it 500' above my prior
personal best sighting.
I'm a little dubious anymore when people say they've spotted iris in
unlikely spots. I've always confirmed it with my own eyes anyway,
because one can never eliminate a report without checking it out
oneself, but sometimes the trips to confirm it have been a real pain. So
you can understand my doubtfulness when the lodge owner vaguely waved in
the direction of the far side of the lake, and said "Oh yeah, I see them
every year blooming over there". I didn't want to grill him, or demand
proof :-) since he was nice enough to take time out from the busiest day
of his year to answer my questions, so I resisted the urge. But 2300'
just seems a little too high. It is also edging toward treeline altitude
in that pass - I just feel this is beyond the I. setosa's envelope. But
that old doubt started creeping in - "What if it was iris - if so, it's
a very unique stand of them".
So I taxied my plane (it's on skis) to the far side of the lake, trying
to avoid getting run over by the hordes of air charter service planes
descending like flies on a carcass, and keep from being too easy a
target to the recreational snowmachiners following the race, and
screaming across the lake at lift-off speed (the congestion is becoming
more and more of a problem every year, and I'm seriously considering not
following the first segment of the race out of Anchorage anymore, as
it's become the biggest spectator sport you've ever seen until the teams
get through the range Puntilla is on. I was one of the few local small
planes on the lake [less private residents are flying it anymore,
because it's become such a media event]  - most of the traffic was large
charter planes, disgorging media people and out-of-state/country
tourists, all in brand new, spiffy outdoor gear which was much more
expensive and "Alaskany" looking than my scruffy boots and snowsuit, all
of them heavily laden with cameras, sunglasses and fur. I looked like a
piker in this lot. I quickly took off my squirrel-chewed :-) ratty
beaver hat, and determined to go bare-headed until I was out of there.
Anyway, sorry for the editorializing - I'm just unhappy with what is
happening to this once wonderful race. It almost brought tears to my
eyes at Puntilla). Oftentimes iris will be apparent in winter by the
seed pods standing above the snow, but I couldn't see ANY vegetation on
the lake edges when I got to the other side as it's buried under
snowline.
I don't know what the lodge owner saw - there are only so many purple
plants growing in damp areas in Alaska, so there is a chance he did see
iris. I don't have any choice but check it out in the summer. I will
have to wrangle a ride with someone with a float plane, but it is the
newest entry on my places-to-go list for the coming summer. I hope they
turn out to be iris, but this little excursion to Puntilla will be a lot
more enjoyable than some of my other iris forays no matter the outcome -
just sit back and relax on the trip up while the other pilot does the
flying, maybe sip on some coffee, and step off the floats directly at
the iris stand - hmmm, I wonder if it will work that way.
Kathy Haggstrom
Anchorage, AK
zone 3



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