I am a mathematics professor at the University of Montana in Missoula. I like mathematics and where it takes me, from the student-filled classroom, to the far-off and interesting places of both the earth and the mind. I also like the freedom my job allows, giving room for the adventures written about here.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the Math Geek Adventures blog archive.
I flew in to Missoula late on Friday night, September 8, from a conference in Minneapolis. The smoke in Missoula was terrible, so after taking care of business on Saturday, including finding a renter for our downstairs apartment, we decided to get out of town Saturday evening and Sunday. We drove over to Helena, had some dinner, and continued on to the Big Belts east of Townsend. We camped at 7250 feet Saturday night, in blessedly clean air, and then climbed Edith and Baldy Peaks on Sunday. The climb to Edith is pretty easy as peaks go, while the walk over to Baldy is significantly more challenging, but is spectacular and well-worth the extra effort. There was still a bit of smoke over there, but it was better than what Missoula had been on Saturday. However, we learned upon our return to Missoula that it had been clear as a bell all day Sunday. Oh well, we had a great 24 hour mini-vacation, and we can thank the smoke for that.
