Exploratory Overview of University Mountain Campus in the Front Range of Colorado for Possible Future Atmospheric Research

J. ALEX HUFFMAN, Maxwell Freeman, Paola Gascot, Alyssa Knaus, Aleksandra Volkova, Olivia Wuttke, University of Denver

     Abstract Number: 772
     Working Group: Remote and Regional Atmospheric Aerosol

Abstract
The University of Denver recently purchased the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC), a former Girl Scouts camp in the Roosevelt National Forest, near the Red Feather Lakes in northern Colorado. The KMC is a 720 acre campus in the northern Front Range region, with year-round road access as well as ample power, water, internet, and logistical infrastructure such as dining and accommodation facilities. The campus is 36 miles from Fort Collins, 83 miles from Boulder, 61 miles from Laramie, WY, and 105 miles from downtown Denver. Because of the proximity of the KMC to a number of Front Range universities and national research institutions, the new facility may offer opportunities to develop a research station in the rural mountains for collaborative use. Several particulate matter (PM) sensors (Purple Air and MODULAIR-PM from QuantAQ) were deployed in late summer 2023 as a first effort to begin understanding the PM properties of the campus. The poster will provide a basic overview of the new campus, including infrastructural resources, historical meteorological trends, and newly acquired PM data. The purpose of the poster is to help begin a conversation towards whether a more permanent atmospheric research station could provide collaborative benefit to the community.