Shape Memory, and Home!

I'd like to share with you a theory that I formulated some years back. I kept wondering why Aspen, (despite some of the things that I've mentioned in previous posts), is a place where I love spending time. Well, I've shown you (here and here) some photos of things I've seen on excellent hikes in the area, and that would be enough evidence for most people. The fact that the physics atmosphere at the Aspen Center for Physics is fantastic, and that I get a lot of good work done there every year, (facts I've mentioned before) and that the administrative staff there are so welcoming, friendly and helpful, all adds to one's feeling of warmth to the place. However, I recall feeling rapidly comfortable in Aspen, immediately I first arrived several years ago. After a bit of thought, it struck me back then that it was because of this view, which dominates the town, roughly from the North: