Joe Ibach was reported to have found a strange substance he called “mountain leather”. Where and when was it located, and what on earth was it?

Joe was exploring surface evidence of copper bearing veins by digging trenches and making cuts into the earth when he began the discovery of something he had never seen or heard of before. It’s not surprising that Joe would not miss an inch of any potential mineral find as he was known to never walk more than a step or two without examining the ground and studying rock formations, both underfoot and the overall terrain far into the distance. And for all the excitement, his explorations were not far from the home he and Muz shared at Willoughby Cove on Lemesurier Island. The exact location (within 0.15 mile) was later reported to be “almost at sea-level at Iceberg Point just south of Jacks Cove and west of Willoughby Cove on the south-central coastline of Lemesurier Island”.

GHAA has a Daily Alaska Empire newspaper clipping from September 17, 1936 with the following headlines—YAKOBI TAKES REX BEACH TO MINERAL FIND; Famous Author Leaves Juneau This Morning to See “Mountain Leather”. The article begins like this—“Rex Beach with his miners nose hot on the trail of a mysterious mineral known as mountain leather……enroute to Lemesurier Island where Joe Ibach has discovered the strange something.” Obviously in response to Joe posting a letter to his good friend Rex informing him (likely in code) of his “find”, Rex’s “love of Alaska and an author’s desire for romance and things a bit out of the ordinary proved too strong for Mr. Beach (to resist).” The “Yakobi” was captained by Tom Smith (well known to the homesteaders in Gustavus and a prospector himself in Glacier Bay) who undoubtedly joined enthusiastically in the investigation.

Today, “mountain leather” is referred to as paligorskite, an unusual asbestos-like mineral. We found one reference that stated prior to the 1940’s “mountain leather” was primarily seen as “museum specimens”, but suggested the “unusual occurrence on Lemesurier Island in Southeastern, Alaska might afford small tonnage enough that it might be possible to put it to commercial use”. Subsequently, “mountain leather” has been studied for use in soundproofing, insulation, filters, space age NASA applications, and even reportedly used by the U. S. Government during WWII as a filtering agent for blood plasma.

As it turns out, paligorskite turns up (when the conditions and minerals are right) all over the world—including Asia, North America, Europe and Africa. Its soft leathery surface is generally a white to grayish, yellowish or gray-green. It is very light in spite of having a specific gravity of 2.5. If broken apart it is fibrous and pliable, and is used in some clays.

Whatever came of Joe Ibach’s claims? We really don’t know. Nothing much, we believe, or more information would have been forthcoming. Paligorskite masses were reportedly mined by Ibach, but it is believed that once the excitement died down and no immediate need for the leather was found that he happily returned to Reid Inlet in Glacier Bay and his first love—the pursuit of gold.

P.S. GHAA has recently been told a story by Aimee Youmans as it was recounted by her father Ken Youmans. In the 1950’s Ken was accompanying Joe Ibach on the top of a mountain on Lemesurier Island when a large saucer-like piece of “mountain leather” was discovered. Not wanting to carry it down the mountain, Joe reportedly “frisbeed” the piece off into the wild blue yonder, intending to pick it up at the bottom upon descent. It was never recovered though Joe looked for it on every outing thereafter. Joe Ibach died in June of 1960.

Joe Ibach was reported to have found a strange substance he called “mountain leather”. Where and when was it located, and what on earth was it?

Joe was exploring surface evidence of copper bearing veins by digging trenches and making cuts into the earth when he began the discovery of something he had never seen or heard of before. It’s not surprising that Joe would not miss an inch of any potential mineral find as he was known to never walk more than a step or two without examining the ground and studying rock formations, both underfoot and the overall terrain far into the distance. And for all the excitement, his explorations were not far from the home he and Muz shared at Willoughby Cove on Lemesurier Island. The exact location (within 0.15 mile) was later reported to be “almost at sea-level at Iceberg Point just south of Jacks Cove and west of Willoughby Cove on the south-central coastline of Lemesurier Island”.

GHAA has a Daily Alaska Empire newspaper clipping from September 17, 1936 with the following headlines—YAKOBI TAKES REX BEACH TO MINERAL FIND; Famous Author Leaves Juneau This Morning to See “Mountain Leather”. The article begins like this—“Rex Beach with his miners nose hot on the trail of a mysterious mineral known as mountain leather……enroute to Lemesurier Island where Joe Ibach has discovered the strange something.” Obviously in response to Joe posting a letter to his good friend Rex informing him (likely in code) of his “find”, Rex’s “love of Alaska and an author’s desire for romance and things a bit out of the ordinary proved too strong for Mr. Beach (to resist).” The “Yakobi” was captained by Tom Smith (well known to the homesteaders in Gustavus and a prospector himself in Glacier Bay) who undoubtedly joined enthusiastically in the investigation.

Today, “mountain leather” is referred to as paligorskite, an unusual asbestos-like mineral. We found one reference that stated prior to the 1940’s “mountain leather” was primarily seen as “museum specimens”, but suggested the “unusual occurrence on Lemesurier Island in Southeastern, Alaska might afford small tonnage enough that it might be possible to put it to commercial use”. Subsequently, “mountain leather” has been studied for use in soundproofing, insulation, filters, space age NASA applications, and even reportedly used by the U. S. Government during WWII as a filtering agent for blood plasma.

As it turns out, paligorskite turns up (when the conditions and minerals are right) all over the world—including Asia, North America, Europe and Africa. Its soft leathery surface is generally a white to grayish, yellowish or gray-green. It is very light in spite of having a specific gravity of 2.5. If broken apart it is fibrous and pliable, and is used in some clays.

Whatever came of Joe Ibach’s claims? We really don’t know. Nothing much, we believe, or more information would have been forthcoming. Paligorskite masses were reportedly mined by Ibach, but it is believed that once the excitement died down and no immediate need for the leather was found that he happily returned to Reid Inlet in Glacier Bay and his first love—the pursuit of gold.

P.S. GHAA has recently been told a story by Aimee Youmans as it was recounted by her father Ken Youmans. In the 1950’s Ken was accompanying Joe Ibach on the top of a mountain on Lemesurier Island when a large saucer-like piece of “mountain leather” was discovered. Not wanting to carry it down the mountain, Joe reportedly “frisbeed” the piece off into the wild blue yonder, intending to pick it up at the bottom upon descent. It was never recovered though Joe looked for it on every outing thereafter. Joe Ibach died in June of 1960.