[Grad-postdoc-assn] August social

[Simona Bordoni]

Dear all,
here follow the details for the next social event. Please note that as 
this involves a 2 hr drive and we would like to carpool as much as 
possible, we would need you to RSPV by August 20th. Please reply to 
Jacob Fugal (fugal at ucar.edu) indicating if you can offer a ride, and how 
many, or if you need a ride. Please bring your own lunch with you (and 
if you want, something to share with the others!).

Looking forward to numerous replies!
The Social Committee

-----------------------------------

What: Mt. Evans drive, picnic and hike. Mt. Evans is the highest paved 
road in the U.S. It ascends to 14,130 feet (4307 meters) at the terminal 
parking lot. It's 70 miles or 2.5 hours drive from the Foothills lab and 
at least a 8000 foot elevation change. The drive in the mountains is 
breathtaking. At the top there is a couple short you can do including 
hiking to the top of Mt. Evans (14,264 feet elevation)--about 1/4 mile 
walk. You can also walk the ridgeline path down to Summit lake below 
(12,500 feet elevation)--about a 2 hour hike. Picnic afterwards at Echo 
Lake picnic area. More information about Mt. Evans is available at: 
<http://www.mountevans.com/>. It's the most accessible way to experience 
a Colorado 14,000 foot peak.

When: Saturday, August 23, 2008. Meet at Foothills Lab, 7am. Carpool to 
Mt. Evans. Maps will be provided. (ASP will pay for vehicle entrance 
fees.) Meet at Mt. Evans terminus around 9:30 to 10:00am. Look around 
and hike. For those going down ridgeline hike leave before 10:30am. Pick 
up ridgeline hikers at Summit Lake at 12:30pm and head down for picnic 
at Echo Lake by 1:00pm. 2:00pm leave for Foothills/home.

Where: Mt. Evans, Summit Lake and Echo Lake. Drive west on I-70 to Idaho 
Springs. Take SR 103 South to Echo Lake, and SR 5 West to Mt. Evans 
peak. See link: 
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=idaho+springs,+co+to+mt.+evans,+co&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.903538,68.730469&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=11> 


What to prepare for: The Clear Creek Ranger Station gave the following 
advice about this trip:
* There is an entrance fee of $10.00 per passenger vehicle good for 3 
consecutive days.
* They said to arrive early in the day to avoid heavy cloud cover and 
lightening that comes on summer afternoons.
* They said to make sure you bring clothing and jackets and hats to be 
prepared for quick changes in the weather. Storms begin and grow quickly 
in this exposed area.
* They said to make sure everyone on the trip is hydrated to the point 
they pee clear and pee often. And you need to be hydrated *before* you 
go up there. High-altitude sickness is dehydration brought on by how 
fast you lose fluid at high altitudes through your skin and respiration.
* To put things in perspective, pilots in commercial planes are required 
to have oxygen or be in a pressurized cabin above 12000 feet. The 
parking lot at the end of the trip is 14,130 feet with the peak of 
14,264 feet being another 1/4 mile walk up from there.
* There are pit toilets, but no water or picnic tables at the terminal 
parking lot or by Summit lake below. The closest water source and picnic 
tables are down at Echo Lake by the entrance station. Echo Lake is below 
the tree line.
* The summit road is open from about Memorial Day to Labor Day.

-- 
Simona Bordoni
Postdoctoral Researcher
ASP/MMM
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Office: FL-3 2070
Phone:      (303) 497-8993
(Tues only) (303) 497-1774