NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

September 10-11, 2009 Executive Council In-Person Meeting

When:

September 10-11, 2009

Where:

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
1 Grand Loop, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190‎
(307) 344-5600‎ (Call this number for general info. To make hotel
reservations call the number given below.)

Hotel Information

Meeting participants must call to reserve their room at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel by Monday, June 29. To reserve a room, please call (307) 344-5437, and speak with Karen (or her co-worker). Be sure to give the group name “NASA Astrobiology Conference.” Do not make reservations online or through the phone numbers given on the park’s website.

The accommodations at Yellowstone are rustic! There are no televisions, radios, no air conditioning (probably not needed in Sept. anyway). The types of rooms available are described below; reservations will be on a first come, first-served basis so if having a private bath is important to you, call right away to make your reservation.

Mid-Range Rooms ($130.36/night)
Rooms with bath are simple yet comfortable rooms with a telephone, shower or tub, sink and toilet. Usually two double beds are included.

Rooms without Bath ($96.36/night)
Rooms without bath are similar in decor to rooms with bath. Shared bathrooms with private showers are available down the hall. Telephones, sinks with hot/cold running water in each room. Usually two double beds are included.

Budget Cabins ($85.02/night)
The budget cabins are simple motel-style units without a private bathroom, but include a sink with hot/cold running water. Shared bathrooms with private showers are located nearby. No telephones. Usually two double beds are included.

Transportation

Bozeman is the closest airport to the north entrance of Yellowstone, and is where the NAI Montana State team is based—it is the recommended airport for those who are flying to the meeting. Driving time between the Bozeman airport and Yellowstone Mammoth area is about 2 hours.

Assuming there is enough interest in bus transportation from/to the airport, we will arrange for buses or vans on the 9th from Bozeman to Mammoth, leaving Bozeman at 4pm and 7pm, and on the 12th from Mammoth to Bozeman, leaving Mammoth at 9am. Please indicate in the registration form below whether you will use the bus service or travel by car.

Phone Communication
There is little or no cell phone service in the park, so do not count on using your cell phone during the meeting. Most of the rooms (except the budget cabins) have conventional phones and there are public phones available. You can dial directly from your room which is expensive, or you can use a calling card. We recommend bringing a calling card with you.

Internet Access
There is no internet access at Mammoth: no wireless or wired access in the lodging rooms or in the conference room, and no shared computers for guests’ use. There are internet cafes at the town of Gardiner, which is 9 miles away. It’s a 1,000 foot elevation change and takes between 15-30 minutes to travel to Gardiner depending on road conditions and traffic. Our advice is to plan on being offline while in the park.

Field Trip
Buses will be provided for the field trip on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 11, and we urge everyone to take the buses provided. There will be multiple stops and starts, and parking and keeping track of everyone will be much simpler if everyone is on one of the buses. Box lunches will be provided prior to departure on the field trip and there may be a group dinner en route.

Other Notes
The weather in the park is unpredictable, it will probably be sunny, but there is a chance that the weather will turn cold and rainy. Bring some warm clothing, a waterproof coat, and a pair of sturdy closed-toe shoes.

Agenda

Click here to view the draft agenda.

Please RSVP: