So I'm on a ski lift today, beautiful March day, blue sky, about 50 degrees, okay snow, and I'm talking to the couple next to me. We had locations in common, had some chit-chat 'bout movies and all. We got 'round to the topic of work, and found we were all geologists. So I started talking Mars and it turns out the guy next to me prepared some of the martian geologic maps. Told me he wasn't surprised at all by the sulfates, and that he believed the white unit to be very thick. (he said you can see the thick layers in regional views.) We discussed a basaltic precurser rock (prior to proposed ground water sulfate alteration) and the apparent cross-beds. He didn't think he saw converging beds in a single face but I said I believe we have. He felt the soil outside the crater would not be all that thick. Sadly, we began this conversation 'bout Mars geology just before the end of our ride up the mountain, and did not get a chance to exchange names or anything else before we all headed down the mountain. Small world, eh? Never know who you'll meet on a ski lift.

I didn't get a chance to find out how, but I sure would like a copy of his geologic map.

Just thought I'd share this with y'all...