Agenda Overview – September 14-18, 2026

Optional Early Arrival – Sunday, September 13th

Primary Arrival Day/Conference Commencement- Monday, September 14th

Departure Day/Conference Adjourns- Friday, September 18th

Detailed Printable Agenda

Last Updated 9/4/2026

Monday, September 14th

3:00 PM – 6:30 PM Registration Desk Open

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Student Meet & Greet ? – (later word on this)

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner

7:15 PM – 8:15 PM Redmond Lecture – Jim Kirchner (Keynote)

Tuesday, September 15th

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Breakfast & Registration Desk Open

8:00 AM – 8:15 AM MtnClim Welcome & Logistics

8:15 AM – 9:15 AM Snow and Ice Part 1

Anna Bergstrom (Invited)
Tal Shutkin
Juliana Ruef
Scott Hotaling

9:15 AM – 9: 30 AM Break

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Snow and Ice Part 1 continued

Megan Mason (Invited)
Katie Gannon
Anna Shampain
Daniel Feldman

10:30 AM -11: 00AM Networking Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Hydrology Part 1

Sydney Carr (Invited)
David Inouye
Rachel Corrigan
Emma Golub

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Fire Snow Hydrology Part 1

Arielle Koshkin (Early Career Awardee)
Ryan Crumley
Kylie Mosher

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM Break & Poster Setup

2:15 PM – 6:00 PM Posters

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner

Wednesday, September 16th

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Breakfast

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Fire Snow Hydrology Part 2

Lauren Magliozzi [presented by Jill Baron]
Kelly Loria
Kelsey Warren
Gabrielle Boisrame
Kabir Rasouli
Charles Luce

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM Networking Break

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM People and Mountains

Maddie Smith (Early Career Awardee)
John Hausdoerffer (Invited)
Treston Chee (Invited)

11:15 AM – 2:30 PM Lunch and Adventures or Local Field Conversations

2:30 PM-3:15 PM Snow and Ice Part 2

Matthew Olson
Joel Biederman
William Rudisill

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM Break

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Fire and Ecology Part 1

Jonathan Coop
Anna Spiers
Nick Link (Early Career Awardee)

4:30 PM – 4:45 PM Break

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM Fire and Ecology Part 1 continued

Johan Eckdahl
Marissa Ng
Libby Pansing (Invited)
Panel Discussion

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner

7:15 PM -8:30 PM Open Mic and Happy Hour

Thursday, September 17th

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Breakfast

8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Weather and Climate Part 1

Bea Gordon (invited)
Jehren Boehm
Christine Albano
Anne Heggli
James Thorne

9:15 AM – 9:30 AM Break

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Weather and Climate Part 1 continued

Elizabeth (Liz) Burakowski
Jeremy Littell
Adam Csank
Keith Musselman

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Break

10:45 AM – 12:00 AM Alpine Plants

Kaleb Goff
Katya Jay
Jennie DeMarco
Claire Parsons
Carlisle Segal

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Snow and Ice Part 3

Justin Pflug (Invited)
Adrienne Marshall
Dan McEvoy
Joe Ammatelli

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Networking Break

3:00 PM – 4:15 PM Hydro Part 2

Mari Webb (Invited)
Tanya Petach
Rosemary Carroll
Ashley DeFrates
Julia Longmate

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM Break

4:30 PM – 5:55 PM Flash Session (2 slides, 3 minutes – sign up early)

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Mount Lemmon Lecture – Lara Kueppers (Keynote)

8:30 PM – 8:45 PM MtnClim Closing

Friday, September 18th

Departure Day

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Breakfast

Morning Workshops

GLORIA (Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments)
Forest Innovation Platform (American Forests Climate and Carbon Services)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch

Optional Workshops

MtnClim FIP Workshop

• Day: Monday, September 14
• Time: 2pm to 5pm
• Workshop Description:
  • American Forests will host an informal workshop during registration on Monday focused on climate-informed forestry and the newly released Forest Innovation Platform. The session will introduce managers and scientists to the platform through a series of interactive use cases spanning whitebark pine and redwood conservation in western U.S. national parks, sustainable timber harvest planning in Superior National Forest, and private-public forest management challenges in Appalachia.
  • Stop by to explore how the Forest Innovation Platform can support climate-informed decision-making across landscapes and ownerships, and connect with the growing Forest Innovation Network of managers and scientists working at the science–management interface bonded through open-source forest science!
  • Please feel free to bring your laptop, as the Forest Innovation Platform is an online platform that can be accessed from any computer.

Synthesis of North America GLORIA Peaks Workshop

• Sign-Up at Registration
• Day: Friday, September 18th
• Time: 8am to 11:50 am
• Estimated size: 10-15
• Cost: $0
• Leads: GLORIA North American Synthesis Team (Meagan Oldfather, Kaleb Goff)
• Workshop Description: The GLORIA North American Synthesis Project, funded in part by the US National Park Service, seeks to synthesize data from GLORIA sites across North America. The goals of the GLORIA North America Synthesis Project are twofold: 1) conduct research and analyses of data collected across GLORIA sites to improve our overall understanding of the vulnerabilities of alpine ecosystems to current and future climate and other stressors, and 2) build a stronger network of GLORIA researchers on the North American continent. Researchers, managers, and anyone interested in long-term mountain vegetation monitoring are welcome! No previous work or familiarity with GLORIA required.

Planning & Deploying Wireless Technologies for Field Science Workshop

• Sign-Up at Registration
• Day: Friday, September 18th
• Time: 8am to 11:50 am
• Estimated Size: 10-20
• Cost: $0
• Leads: NSF-SCIPE-WildWEST project team (Scotty Strachan, Renée Brown, Keane Flynn, Jehren Boehm)
• Workshop Description: Modern field research and science impacts can be transformed with well-designed applications of sensing systems, particularly those which are connected to real-time data networks. This workshop will: (1) demystify the challenges of incorporating technology into field study designs; and (2) provide a case-study walkthrough of cutting-edge solutions using the LoRaWAN framework. Participants will engage not only technical deployment design, but also the digital data workflow and considerations for long-term reliability, scale, and quality. Join the rapidly-expanding community of practice around realtime, field-to-public, environmental science networks! Technology know-how is not required – this workshop is designed for the interested student or student-at-heart 😉

Organized Sessions

This year, organized sessions will address 8 themes: 

Mountain Ecology – Reforestation

Reforestation in the Rocky Mountains has historically been limited and has generally declined alongside reduced timber harvest over the past several decades. High-severity wildfire is now creating extensive areas with insufficient natural regeneration, exposing critical gaps across the reforestation pipeline from seed collection to nursery capacity and an experienced planting and monitoring workforce. This session highlights efforts to scale climate-informed reforestation in post-fire landscapes through science–management partnerships that address growing challenges in capacity, planning, and implementation.

Aquatic Ecology & Biogeochemistry:

Physical and atmospheric conditions heavily influence mountain waters, affecting their biodiversity and geochemical makeup. In this session, we will explore aquatic ecology and biogeochemistry in mountain streams and lakes with an emphasis on western North America.

Fire

Wildfire both regulates and negatively impacts Earth system processes in the mountains, and is driven by complex interactions of climate, ecology, and humans. Alternative management strategies, including novel applications of intentional fire use, and adaptation strategies aimed at reducing impacts on communities and ecosystem services thus require ever more integrated scientific inquiry. We welcome abstracts addressing all aspects of fire in mountain systems, from the changing nature of climatically driven fire regimes to the transdisciplinary approaches reimagining the role of fire in the coupled human-environment system.

Snow and Ice

Frozen water is common in winter in many North American mountain ranges, and provides some of their most iconic imagery.  It plays a crucial role in the hydrology, ecology, sociology, and geomorphology of these landscapes. Snow and ice are changing rapidly with many consequences. Understanding snow and ice, their role, and sensitivities are crucial to any planning in mountains. We welcome abstracts on any aspect of snow, glaciers, and other iceforms in the mountains.

Mountain Hydrology:

Mountain regions play a critical role in global and regional water supplies and are highly sensitive to climate variability and change. This session focuses on advancing process-based understanding to improve prediction in mountainous watersheds under changing conditions. We invite contributions that investigate mechanisms governing water movement and storage in complex terrain, including precipitation phase transitions, snow processes, energy balance, soil–vegetation–atmosphere interactions, subsurface flow, and streamflow generation. Studies integrating observations and modeling, as well as those leveraging emerging measurement technologies and novel modeling approaches, are especially encouraged.

Mountain Weather and Climate

Mountain weather and climate are notably variable in space and time, sustaining and disrupting natural systems and human activities. Science to improve monitoring and forecasting of mountain weather and climate has the potential to reduce the impacts of weather-related hazards, enhance the effectiveness of resource management activities, and assist communities in short and long-term planning efforts. We welcome abstracts addressing all aspects of mountain weather and climate from monitoring and forecasting to the effective communication and integration of weather and climate information in research, management, and planning.

Mountain paleoecology and paleoclimatology

Climate has varied over time scales of centuries, and some of those variations have been recorded in the rocks and trees that have grown there. Using the range of clues stored in trees and rocks to elucidate past climatic and vegetation dynamics is critical to understanding the diversity of potential future ecological pathways. We welcome abstracts explaining ecosystems of the deep past through the lens of the clues left in tree rings, geomorphic features, ice, or rocks.

Recreation

The mountains are a place of refuge, restoration, and fun. Recreation is arguably one of the primary reasons that many people travel into the mountains or choose to live there. In a warming world, the nature of that recreational experience is changing. Melting snow, increasing wildfires, lower river flows, and declining native fish populations are examples of trends that impact how we recreate in the mountains. We solicit abstracts that describe recreational opportunities or describe how they are changing in the mountains

Registration

Click the blue “How to Register” button for step-by-step instructions.

After creating your portal account, log in to the RMBL Community Portal and click the red “Register for Your Event” button

Important

• The early-bird registration deadline has been extended to July 22. After that date, the registration fee will increase by $75. We recognize that federal employees may not be able to register this far in advance, and the registration timeline for federal employees can be extended upon request. Please register as soon as you’re able to help us with planning!
• Conference Registration: The 2026 MtnClim conference cost will be $532.00 until the July 22 early bird registration deadline, and $607 after. This cost includes all events and presentations, 3 meals per day, parking, snacks, and coffee breaks at the RMBL Dining Hall. RMBL housing is available and rates depend on the level of housing selected.
• Conference registration and housing are separate costs.
• Conference Registration: The 2026 MtnClim conference cost will be $532.00, which will include all events and presentations, 3 meals per day, parking, snacks, and coffee breaks at the RMBL Dining Hall. RMBL housing is available and rates depend on the level of housing selected.
• Housing & Conference Location: All conference programming and meals will take place at the Gothic Campus. Guests wanting to stay in RMBL housing may stay at either the Gothic Campus (Main Campus) or the RMBL 365 Building in Crested Butte. Housing rates vary based on the accommodation type requested (see the Housing tab). Attendees who prefer to arrange their own accommodations in Crested Butte or Mt. CB should select “Base Registration – No Lodging” when registering.
• Cancellation Policy: Participant cancellations made seven (7) or more days prior to arrival are eligible for a full refund minus $75. Cancellations within seven (7) days of arrival, shortened stays, or no-shows are non-refundable.
• Phones & Wi-Fi: The campus does not have cell reception but does have excellent wi-fi. It is recommended that you set up wi-fi calling on your phone before your visit.

Policies

• Conference Code of Conduct: All attendees are expected to adhere to the RMBL Code of Conduct Policy
• Pets: Are not allowed on the RMBL campus.
• Smoking: RMBL is a smoke-free campus, smoking is allowed on the county road running through Gothic.

Student Scholarships:

Any student presenting at the 2026 MtnClim meeting can request a scholarship covering registration, meals, and basic lodging. Support for travel costs may also be available. If you would like to be considered for a student scholarship, please indicate your interest by emailing mtnclim@gmail.com by June 15, 2026. In your email please describe your motivation for attending MtnClim and a statement of financial need.

Meeting organizers will let students know if they have been selected to receive a scholarship by June 30 and provide information about how to register using a scholarship and claim travel reimbursement if awarded.

RMBL Housing

The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) offers housing for confrance guests at two locations: Gothic Campus (Main Campus) and RMBL 365 Building (Approximately 25–30 minutes from Gothic; car required) in the town of Crested Butte.

All conference programming for the MtnClim Conference and meals will take place at Gothic Campus, but guests may choose to stay at either Gothic or RMBL 365.

Gothic Campus Housing

8000 County Road 317, Crested Butte, CO 81224

Gothic Campus is RMBL’s historic field station, primary research site, and the main location for the MtnClim Conference. Facilities include the dining hall (where all meals are served) and community spaces.

For more information about the cabins at RMBL, please visit this page: Event Housing 

Please Note:

• Staying at Gothic Campus is like staying at a summer camp.
• Most cabins are rustic, and amenities vary depending on the selected housing option. Some cabins are more rustic and may not have indoor plumbing, with outhouses nearby, while others offer indoor plumbing. A brand-new shower house with flush toilets will be available to all guests staying at Gothic, including those in cabins without indoor plumbing.
• Accommodations are shared and roommates should be expected.
• Guests will need to bring their own bedding, towels, and toiletries. A recommended packing list can be found Here.
• Cabins levels are assigned on a first requested basis.
• Pets are not allowed anywhere on the RMBL campus.

RMBL 365 Building Housing

615 Teocalli Avenue, Crested Butte, CO 81224 (~25–30 min from Gothic; car required)

RMBL 365 provides modern, hostel-style lodging with shared kitchens and bathrooms. It is ideal for families or guests seeking more amenities. Guests staying here must have a personal vehicle. Meals for all participants are served at Gothic Campus.

Non-RMBL Housing — No Lodging

Attendees who prefer to arrange accommodations in Crested Butte or Mt. Crested Butte should select “Base Registration – No Lodging” when completing their registration.

If you choose to stay in non-RMBL housing, Mt. Crested Butte is approximately a 10-minute drive from RMBL, and the town of Crested Butte is about 20 minutes away. For lodging options, please visit the Crested Butte Lodging Guide (travelcrestedbutte.com).

Designated U.S. Forest Service (USFS) campgrounds are also located up-valley from Gothic. These campsites operate on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved in advance.

Meals at Gothic Campus

Your registration includes all meals from dinner on Monday, September 14 through lunch on Friday, September 18. Event attendees will receive three meals per day, along with snacks and coffee breaks.

A to-go bagged lunch will be available on the final day to accommodate varying departure times. You may prepare your lunch during breakfast before you depart.

Travel to Gothic & CB

Carpooling

Sign up to join or create a carpool here: https://groupcarpool.com/t/0eib3g

Driving

Gothic Campus Physical Address:
8000 County Road 317
Crested Butte, CO 81224

RMBL 365 Building Physical Address:
615 Teocalli Avenue
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(~25–30 minutes from Gothic main Campus, car required)

Car Rentals
Denver – Car Rentals | Denver International Airport (flydenver.com)
The Gunnison Airport has three rental companies, Hertz, Avis, and Budget.

Flying

The closest airport is Gunnison, CO (GUC) – 34 miles/50 minutes from Gothic

Shuttles from the Gunnison Airport to Gothic:

• Alpine Express
• Black Canyon Limo
• Dolly’s Mountain Shuttle
• Rocky Rides

Other Airports:

• Montrose, CO (MTJ) – 70 miles/2 hours*
• Grand Junction, CO – (GJT) – 163 miles/3 hours
• Denver, CO – (DIA) – 251 miles/ 4.5 hours

Bus from Denver

By Bus
There is now bus service between Crested Butte and Denver, CO. The service is operated by Bustang. Tickets can be purchased on the Bustang Outrider m-Tix mobile App. The trip takes 5 hr 35 minutes. The bus arrives/departs from Union Station (1701 Wynkoop St. Denver, CO) and arrives/departs the Crested Butte 4-Way Stop (North of 6th and Elk Avenue, Crested Butte, CO 81224)

Traveling between Denver Union Station and Denver International Airport (DIA): Every 15 minutes the University of Colorado A-line bus travels between Denver International Airport (DIA) and Denver Union Station.  The trip takes 37 minutes. Go to the Denver RTD for more information. Tickets can be purchased on the RTD MyRide mobile app. Please plan accordingly.

RMBL Shuttle

The cost to book shuttle transportation through RMBL is $25 per person, each way. Shuttle service is available to and from Gunnison Airport and the Bustang bus stop in Crested Butte.

Gothic Campus Map

Printable Gothic Map

Housing Locations

The drive from RMBL 365 to Gothic campus (main RMBL campus) is approximately 25–30 minutes.

Abstract Due July 8! Submit your abstract here. 

You may request a poster only; otherwise, the program committee will assign posters or talks.

For the Poster Session: 36 x 48” corrugated sheets on easels will be provided that can be set up vertically or horizontally and posters will be attached with binder clips.

Co-chair: Adrienne Marshall, Colorado School of Mines

Co-chair: Steph McAfee, U.S. Geological Survey

Program chair: Charlie Luce, U.S. Forest Service