At the end of the summer, there was a conversation on Twitter about having a meet-up (“rendezvous” sounds more authentic, it was pointed out) for folks involved in geology social media: stuff like geoblogs and Twitter, but pretty much open to whoever’s into meeting up in some interesting place and exploring some geology together.
Following up on the Twitter conversation, I’ve traded a few e-mails with one of the folks who initially indicated it might be suitable to have the event in Colorado, but now that looks less ideal from her perspective. So I propose we use the comments section of this e-mail to hash out a time and a place for the event. It could still be Colorado, but it doesn’t have to be.
Ideally, I think it would be someplace out west, on the front range or further west than that. One idea is to have it in Bozeman, Montana, a place that I know well enough to lead a few local field trips. But I’m not going to force that on anyone – from my perspective, it would be cool to go someplace new so that I could be a learner instead of a leader. I would like that even more than sharing Bozeman’s wonders with the online geological community. What do you think about location?
Second is the question of when to have the rendezvous. I suggest early August or latest July.
If the timing doesn’t directly conflict with job-fieldwork, I can lead some disaster-centric fieldtrips around the Vancouver lower-mainland. If we have other PNW trip-hosts, it could be a fun subduction-zone adventure.
I could totally be into that. I know that there’s a significant Pacific Northwest contingent among our ranks.
Hmm. I was thinking of taking my folks on a Colorado trip next summer, but this could always happen after that, so I guess anywhere out West would be interesting. My field trip abilities are limited to the High Plateaus of Utah, and my favorite campsite is somewhat lacking in cell coverage 🙂
I will have a better handle on my my 2012 summer field work/research schedule by January/February … I will definitely do my best to fit a rendezvous in because it sounds like a great idea. I would prefer the western U.S. region in general, but am open to specifics. If we end up anywhere near Price and/or Green River, Utah I could organize and lead excursions to look at the spectacular Book Cliffs outcrops.
Just as an FYI, one of the Cutting Edge workshops for next summer will be Structural Geology / Tectonics (location & date still unannounced), which some of us might want to attend…
Ooh. Who’s in charge of that? Let’s get the inside scoop ASAP. I have to submit my summer teaching schedule requests next month – locking me in to certain dates almost 9 months in advance!
I bet Barb Tewksbury is running it. (If not, I bet she knows who is.)
They’ll have the schedule probably available at GSA, so we should know where & when by mid-October
I’m potentially interested, but I won’t know my schedule for months and months yet. So plan it without me, but I’ll make it if I can.
Bozeman’s a nice hub for excursions to Yellowstone/Tetons and Stillwater LMI and it’s got good local beer, too. I’d also be partial to the Mammoth Lakes, CA region for Long Valley Caldera/Mono-Inyo Craters/Yosemite trips. Las Vegas/Death Valley would be a great spot, too, but probably too hot in late July/early August. I don’t think we can go wrong west of the Rocky Mountain front – heck, even the Black Hills/Devils Tower would offer some great geology.
I’m up for just about any location we settle on and I expect late July/early August time frame makes the most sense for the most people. I won’t be able to commit until my employment situation is clearer, but I’m eager to make the Summer ’12 Rendezvous and I hope it will become an annual (or at least semi-annual) event at a rotating set of locations (as the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was in days of yore).
I will be interested but money might be a lmiting factor. Although you are talking about areas around me so I will likely be able to go.
My geologist fiance (soon to be husband!) and I will be in the New England area in early June. Not sure how soon we’ll be headed back to South Africa (or regions unknown), but we’ll try to make it if we’re able.
I would go anywhere in the Cordillera that’s not 4WD-mandatory to be part of this, and July-August would be splendid, although we should avoid Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc.
I’m definitely down for hanging out. My only request is that it’s anywhere but Texas! August / July works great for me. The University of Houston field camp that I attended was stationed in Red Lodge, MT. During those 6 weeks we spent a couple of days in Yellowstone and the Tetons on our way to Dillon, MT. Very beautiful and I would love to have a reason to go back.
Vancouver would be simply wonderful! Might be able to make other locations, depending.
*whimper*
(In the middle of studies, and besides, summer isn’t for another 8 1/2 months now)
Late July/early August sounds good right now and I would vote for somewhere in the intermountain west. Yes, lets avoid the o-so-popular Yellowstone and Tetons. Perhaps around dinosaur nm?? Great geology and fun rivers!
Late July would be perfect! Either CO or MT would work for this South Dakotan!
So… my summer is taking a different turn than I had originally envisioned when I wrote this post. So I may not be able to make it in person if it is out west. On the other hand, I could probably pretty reasonably host something in Virginia. We’ll see. Lily and I are looking for a farm-ish sort of spread to buy – and if we get a suitable place, it might make a good spot to hang out. Free camping, a billion years of rocks within a few hours driving… I’ll keep you updated.
I will be working as an interpretive ranger at Yellowstone again this summer, and so would be able to attend the geo-rendezvous if it were held in Bozeman.
Remember too – practically next door to that ginormous seething magma chamber is the Stillwater Complex.