If you have questions about the differences between living in Gothic (main campus) and at RMBL 365, please visit the Housing: Gothic + RMBL 365 page.

For the full and printable fee document, please visit our Rates & Fees page.

For the RMBL Handbook please visit here.

The RMBL Community Portal allows researchers and RMBL community members to arrange and manage many aspects of their RMBL activity under one online account, including project submission, housing reservations at Gothic and RMBL 365, trainings, meal reservations at Gothic, and much more coming soon. Located in the upper-right corner of every page. Summer Housing Applications for Gothic and RMBL 365 will open in mid-February in the RMBL Community Portal. The deadline to apply for first consideration is April 1st.

RMBL has special rates for visiting groups. Please go here for details.

Guests with accessibility needs or questions are encouraged to contact us in advance at admin@rmbl.org.

Requests for Gothic housing are submitted as part of the standard housing request process in the RMBL Community Portal. We take all housing requests received by April 1 and start filling in spots. If you have no preference for housing or would like to indicate that you are open to either Gothic or RMBL 365 accommodations, you can select or note this option in the RMBL portal when submitting your housing request.

We take all housing requests received by April 1 and start filling in spots. When we have conflicting requests for RMBL housing, we prioritize long-term residents (see the section below), scientists with approved research plans, families, research teams associated with priority research projects (e.g., projects with NSF funding which is administered through RMBL or projects prioritized by RMBL’s Research Committee), and individuals with clearly defined special needs. In 2016 we updated the Prioritizing Housing Criteria where we identify our process for assigning housing. Requests that come in after April 1 are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Housing assignments are subject to change at any time based on needs and availability. If arrival/departure dates need to be updated, please email admin@rmbl.org. The Administration Office reserves the right to make the best fit between needs and availability.

In the event that your requested housing is not available in Gothic, we will try to make an assignment at a similar billing and amenity level to the options requested. This is not always possible. RMBL will charge the Gothic housing rate of the cabin ultimately assigned by us, unless the cabin assigned is at a higher rate than all of your indicated preferences. In this case, you may receive a discount adjusting the final cost to equal the highest rate cabin indicated in your requests. (This adjustment policy applies to Gothic housing only.)

If you are new to RMBL, please include your housing preferences when submitting your application in the RMBL Community Portal. For Gothic, this might include amenities like hot water or an indoor toilet. For RMBL 365, you can specify preferences such as a private or shared room, private bathroom, or apartment/hostel-style accommodations. The majority of housing is shared housing, meaning that most residents will have cabinmates and/or roommates. If you have questions about the differences between living in Gothic (main campus) and at RMBL 365, please visit the Housing: Gothic + RMBL 365 page.

Each year we set aside 40 housing spots for people participating in our education program. This includes students doing undergraduate research and teachers and scientists who have received funding to train with senior scientists. The housing of research teams flows from the lead scientist after they submit or renew a research plan. Once that is approved, we house the research team onsite if requested. We also have visiting scientists, alumni, and general visitors that we accommodate as we can.

RMBL operates under a permit issued by Gunnison County. That permit grants us the right to house 180 people on site at one time. We can’t house more, even if we have an open bed somewhere. If you have a visitor who wants to stay on-site, please submit an Alumni/Guest Registration Form in advance. Keep in mind that they or you will be charged for their stay.  If we discover unregistered visitors, you can be fined and/or asked to leave. Go to www.rmbl.org/guests for more information and to fill out the alumni/guest application form.

Under the appropriate circumstances, we allow long-term scientists and residents to stay in the same cabin every year. One way this happens is de facto; if a scientist has an approved research plan, has been consistently using a cabin every year, and will be out for at least 8 weeks, chances are they will get that cabin again. Because space is limited, we are careful to avoid using large cabins capable of housing a family for a single person. But as long as space is being used appropriately, we like to leave people in the same place. In the absence of a written agreement, however, there is no guarantee of a particular housing situation, regardless of how long someone has been in a cabin. Housing assignments are ultimately a judgment call by staff and require consideration of a wide range of factors.

Contact Brett Biebuyck, the Director of Administration (brett@rmbl.org) for information on long-term housing agreements.

If you are interested in signing up for meals at Gothic please see our Dining at RMBL-Gothic page. Reminder meals are only available on Gothic Campus. Meal sign-ups are available through the RMBL Community Portal and must be completed at least 24 hours in advance. You are not automatically signed up for meals.

• Between April 1^st and May 1^st, researchers or their assistants who change their length of stay for a total of more than 7 days (e.g., if you planned to be in Gothic for 65 days but change that to 57) will incur a one- time fee of $103.
• Any date changes after May 1^st that result in a total reduction in length of stay of more than 7 days during the period of June 1^st and August 24^th will result in a charge of 100% of the lost revenue associated with station fees, laboratory fees, and housing to RMBL (after the 7 days have been subtracted).
• Dates may be changed once at no charge. After one change has been made (either reduction or extension of stay), RMBL will charge a $25.75 processing fee for each additional change of dates affecting the period between June 1^st and August 24^th. The processing fee does not apply to date changes affecting early season arrivals or late season departures.
• Fee waivers will only be granted in cases of personal illness (with doctor’s documentation) or family emergencies such as death or illness in the family.
• Researchers who decide after May 1^st that they wish to extend the length of their stay, should understand that housing and lab accommodations may not be available. There is no financial penalty for extending a stay. If a researcher decides to extend their stay, they will need to let the Administration office know as soon as possible. A researcher may not be able to stay in the same cabin if the stay is extended.

Living at RMBL, whether at Gothic or RMBL 365, requires a commitment to community cleanliness. We ask that you maintain your living space throughout your stay and leave it in as good (or better) condition than you found it.

Gothic

RMBL Gothic is a rustic, high-altitude field station. Although living onsite may be the most convenient, there are certain trade-offs associated with that, including the lack of toilets in most of our buildings. We are making efforts to standardize the level of cleanliness in cabins when residents arrive two weeks after the road opens or later. We will open each cabin and clean surfaces in preparation for arrival. If you have concerns about the state of cleanliness of your cabin when you arrive, please get in touch with the Administrative Office (admin@rmbl.org).

We also ask that you keep your cabin clean throughout the summer. Each cabin has been provided with basic cleaning supplies. Additional cleaning supplies are available for you to borrow from the cleaning shed on the west side of the Johnson Laboratory. When you move out, we ask that you clean your cabin prior to inspection and leave it in as good (or better) condition as you found it.

RMBL 365

RMBL 365 is a shared living environment, and we ask all guests to follow the RMBL 365 House Rules (posted at RMBL 365) and RMBL policies. These guidelines help ensure a safe, respectful, and comfortable experience for everyone.

Cleaning Penalties:

Gothic Cabins: Residents are responsible for working with their roommates to ensure their assigned cabin is left clean at the end of the season. Failure to return a cabin in a clean manner will result in all roommates being charged a $55/hour cleaning charge with a minimum of one hour.

RMBL 365: Residents are collectively responsible for working together and keeping their assigned rooms and all shared common areas (including kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms) clean throughout their stay and upon departure. If rooms or common spaces are not left in a clean and orderly condition at checkout, all residents sharing the space will be charged a cleaning fee of $250 per hour, with a one-hour minimum.

Non-Scientists (Guests, Alumni, and Visitors): Read here about having Guests visit.

Unregistered Guest: Anyone who has an unregistered guest will pay a $55 penalty, and the guest may be asked to leave. You are responsible for your guests’ fees, as well as making certain they leave a clean-living space. If a surprise guest arrives, email or leave a note in the Admin Office as soon as possible.

Groups: RMBL has special rates for visiting groups. Please go here for details.

RMBL provides a 25% discount on station fees and housing paid by grants or subcontracts run through RMBL.

Pets, such as dogs or cats, are not allowed at RMBL Gothic any time of the year. Pets should not be inside the RMBL fence line, even within vehicles. Please park vehicles with pets at the Visitor Center parking lot or on the county road. People violating these restrictions will be warned once, and then fined $50/incident.

Parking permits in Gothic are mandatory and need to be purchased per vehicle. Anyone operating a vehicle in Gothic for research, education, or work, including those commuting daily from RMBL 365, must have a valid Gothic parking permit. Detailed information on Parking can be found here.

RMBL does not guarantee that all features of a cabin or housing (e.g., toilet, shower, hot water) are fully functional; cabins are rustic and there will be critters in cabins, such as insects, mice and bats. Reductions in fees will not be granted except under exceptional circumstances, and only by written request to the RMBL Director of Operations who will have the final say on whether exceptional circumstances merit a reduction in fees.

Responsibility to Pay Fees: Once accepted, researchers, research assistants, students and others are obligated to pay all fees that apply to the facilities and services they have requested. Principal Investigators are responsible for the financial obligations of all team members they employ. Bills outstanding for more than 60 days will incur an interest charge of 5% per annum. Persons delinquent in payment of fees may not return to RMBL until all outstanding bills for themselves and their research teams have been paid. All individuals are responsible for any collection fees above and beyond interest charges for accounts delinquent more than one year. It is RMBL’s policy to take payment of incurred fees with either check or cash. We make exceptions to this policy for international scientists only. U.S. scientists can apply in writing to the Director of Operations for an exception which will be granted only under extreme circumstances.

Exceptions: Any exceptions to these rates and policies must be granted in advance in writing from the Director of Administration.

Interpretation: The pdf rate sheet found at the top of this page supersedes any other information on the website or that is given orally. In case of a contradiction, we go by information on the rate sheet. Interpretation of this rate sheet is by the Chief Operating Officer and can be appealed to the Executive Director.