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I think that most people seem to choose the Rockys because they seem like they get more publicity. The rockies seem like there more marketed towards vacationers. I know the Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park, but I don't think that the Appalachians get much credit.
Hmm, kind of an old topic, but I'll throw in m 2 cents.
It's all in what you like best. I like tall granite spires, large waterfalls, and Aspens, so I pick the Rockies (Although my first choice would be the Sierra Nevada).
It would be more appropriate to include "Pacific Ranges" in the comparison. Just as the Rockies have many sub ranges, the Pacific Ranges also have many, including the Sierra, the Cascades, the Coast Ranges, etc (although the Sierra can also be considered a part of the Basin and Range province).
The Rockies by far. Much more rugged, bigger, pristine, wilderness. Just the Western experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vision-Quest
these are both beautiful mountain ranges in our country. which one is your favorite and why?
ive been to the Rocky mountains, ive climbed up to the top of mt. evans before, which is 14,264 ft. (also has the highest road in the U.S.). but i loved the view on top of the mountain, even though im scared of hieghts.
and i love Denver, maybe its the steep hills through out the metro area. i like the zoo also, and that whole area seems cool to me.
I voted for the Rockies. Simply the size, scale and the scenic grandeur of the Rockies and the other western mountains beats what we have further east. The Grand Tetons in Wyoming are an excellent example.
Having said that I can understand why Billiam, Josh, North Carolina and others feel the way they do about the Appalachians. For me being a history buff there is nothing like the Shenadoah valley and visiting where Stonewall Jackson outwitted his opponents.
Or walking the same paths in old vacation areas like the Catskills & the Berkshires where people have been going for 50,100, or 150 years. I sometimes feel a connection to them and to a simpler & more innocent time.
the base to summit arguement is crap. sorry but the apps are not 5000+ from ground level. I too have a college background in geologyand that is false, link would be nice to prove please.
Rockies i think blow them out.. Apps are too boring and not as majestic as the rocks
the base to summit arguement is crap. sorry but the apps are not 5000+ from ground level. I too have a college background in geologyand that is false, link would be nice to prove please.
Rockies i think blow them out.. Apps are too boring and not as majestic as the rocks
Ok Coco, the diff in elev btw Colorado Springs and Pike's Peak is roughly in the 8000' range so you win. Since i unforturately haven't been able to work in the field for 24 years, I am a bit rusty. The Apps (specifically the Blue Ridge) do offer majestic scenery and some interesting rock formations as well. Nothing bad about either range, one must learn to appreciate each ranges strengths and weaknesses.
This whole mountain range comparison is just like the city and state comparisons. All it amounts to is who has the biggest ^^^^!
The Rockies. It's the whole reason I live where I do - they are practically at my door. I adore mountains, and love nothing more than hiking and backpacking and true isolated wilderness experiences. I absolutely love alpine ruggedness, cragginess and vertical relief. I love feeling insignificant sitting in an alpine cirque just below a vertical wall of a looming peak.
Did the OP really say, "He loves the Steep hills in the Denver Metro?" The Denver Metro is flat as a pancake. OK, maybe the far western part like Golden isn't, and the places out by Morrison, but other than that, what steep hills???????
I would go with the rockies. The Appalachians are beautiful in the fall. I love hiking the rockies a lot better. HOwever, the forest are cooler in the Appalachians. They are much more diverse, and peaceful, as where the Rockies just have Aspen trees and Pine trees pretty much. The Appalachians have a variety of hardwoods and streams. Hiking in the Appalachians is quiet and peaceful, as the Rockies are intensly Amazing and beautiful. I like both places to get away. I wish the Appalachains where more preserved. I mentioned there was a ton of hardwoods, while their use to be many, many more for variety. The early settlers cut down the forest from Maine to Florida in the 1800s. What grew back only doesn't even make up 25% of what use to grow there. It is a shame.
Lets just not do the same to our Rockies, but after looking at the Front Range, they will be just another mess of Highways.
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