Summer in Aspen
The justification for my roadtrip (which, in fact, is only getting started!) was a multi-week workshop at the Aspen Center for Physics dedicatead to studies of unusual supernovae. When I found about this event earlier in the year it didn't take much convincing for me to sign up - even if it's summer and the skiing that made my previous trip here (way back in 2007) so awesome isn't available, spending a couple weeks surrounded by high Colorado mountains seemed like pretty much the best thing ever! So as soon as the observing schedule came out (which did conflict with the first week of the three-week nominal period, but that was fine - two weeks would be enough), I signed up and planned the drive out and back.
Awesome views from the summit of Mt. Elbert
The summer workshops are a bit different from the winter conferences (and from scientific conferences generally). Instead of following the "everyone gets a short talk" model - such that talks run from 9 to 5 every day in a nonstop barrage of powerpoint presentations of variable quality - there are only one or two short sessions per day, usually with a revolving set of speakers presenting using a blackboard only. While initially I was skeptical of this approach I sort of came to like it, since the idea was less to give a report on an individual's own research than to seed subsequent discussions that were supposed to halppen during the rest of the day. I did some of this, although for me the conference was mainly a learning experience as I try to build up a better background in general supernova studies (as opposed to just GRBs) - while I'm pursuing a project in this area it probably won't start seriously progressing for another couple months.
Aside from that, though (and aside from hanging out with a tremendous number of old colleagues from Berkeley working in related areas), the main appeal of this was, of course, the location. Not so much the city of Aspen itself (which has an air of exclusivity that I find obnoxious and restaurant prices to match it, even if in all other ways) but the fantastic surrounding area, with high mountain ranges in every direction (but especially south and east). I was able to go on four significant hikes (7 miles+) during the time here, two of which were not particularly notable (a hike to the top of the ski area gondola and a trip to a high-altitude lake) but two others of which were quite memorable, scenic, and intense. Last Saturday I summited Electric Pass south of town, a high peak (13700') overlooking the dramatic spires and cliffs of the nearby Cathedral Peak, and boasting panoramic views of practically the entire central Colorado mountains from the summit. Today I went even further, summiting Mt. Elbert, the highest point in Colorado (and in fact the 2nd highest point in the US outside Alaska - outranked only by Mt. Whitney, which of course I've also climbed) at 14440' - a long and grueling (but relatively straighforward, and unquestionably awesome) climb from the valley far below, and clearly worth the 5 AM wake-up.
But, my two idyllic weeks are up, so tomorrow I'll be motoring on out of town and returning to the "road trip" theme as I slowly circle back towards California.
Awesome views from the summit of Mt. Elbert
The summer workshops are a bit different from the winter conferences (and from scientific conferences generally). Instead of following the "everyone gets a short talk" model - such that talks run from 9 to 5 every day in a nonstop barrage of powerpoint presentations of variable quality - there are only one or two short sessions per day, usually with a revolving set of speakers presenting using a blackboard only. While initially I was skeptical of this approach I sort of came to like it, since the idea was less to give a report on an individual's own research than to seed subsequent discussions that were supposed to halppen during the rest of the day. I did some of this, although for me the conference was mainly a learning experience as I try to build up a better background in general supernova studies (as opposed to just GRBs) - while I'm pursuing a project in this area it probably won't start seriously progressing for another couple months.
Aside from that, though (and aside from hanging out with a tremendous number of old colleagues from Berkeley working in related areas), the main appeal of this was, of course, the location. Not so much the city of Aspen itself (which has an air of exclusivity that I find obnoxious and restaurant prices to match it, even if in all other ways) but the fantastic surrounding area, with high mountain ranges in every direction (but especially south and east). I was able to go on four significant hikes (7 miles+) during the time here, two of which were not particularly notable (a hike to the top of the ski area gondola and a trip to a high-altitude lake) but two others of which were quite memorable, scenic, and intense. Last Saturday I summited Electric Pass south of town, a high peak (13700') overlooking the dramatic spires and cliffs of the nearby Cathedral Peak, and boasting panoramic views of practically the entire central Colorado mountains from the summit. Today I went even further, summiting Mt. Elbert, the highest point in Colorado (and in fact the 2nd highest point in the US outside Alaska - outranked only by Mt. Whitney, which of course I've also climbed) at 14440' - a long and grueling (but relatively straighforward, and unquestionably awesome) climb from the valley far below, and clearly worth the 5 AM wake-up.
But, my two idyllic weeks are up, so tomorrow I'll be motoring on out of town and returning to the "road trip" theme as I slowly circle back towards California.