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Reposting a thread from the Pittsburgh board to get some West Virginian thoughts.
I think this is relevant to Morgantown, but the discussion could run broader, and that would be good too.
What are the features that make the Pittsburgh/Morgantown/Alleghenie region most attractive? Is it the hills? The proximity to mountains? The steep ravines with big rivers in them, or just the wooded roll and tumble of it all?
I ask because I am used to basin and range country (Nevada, E. Oregon, E. California) with some great ranges but with largely flat land too. Also, we have a huge mountain to the south, Mount Shasta, that rises like Mt Fuji. So, while I really don't like true plains with no mountains in sight. I am used to being in the flats and looking at distance, cold peaks.
So, how does the topography of your region affect your life and perception of beauty, settlement,etc. there?
What distinguishes a hill from a mountain in your parts?
Rolling hills give you a feeling of security. I'm sure others on here will know what i meant by that. What you see is what you know, and if you can only see a couple hundred yards to the horizon, then that space, is the only concern for you at the time.
Rolling hills give you a feeling of security. I'm sure others on here will know what i meant by that. What you see is what you know, and if you can only see a couple hundred yards to the horizon, then that space, is the only concern for you at the time.
And the weird thing is whenever you go to, say, Texas, and there are no hills. That strange, complete...flatness. It makes me sort of nauseous until I get used to it. A sort of horizontal vertigo.
And the weird thing is whenever you go to, say, Texas, and there are no hills. That strange, complete...flatness. It makes me sort of nauseous until I get used to it. A sort of horizontal vertigo.
Anybody else get that?
Actually, some parts of Texas have hills, but the whole state is so huge. They are a little part of it. When I was in Texas, near Austin in the Hill Country, I was open to seeing some hills. Unfortunately, they seemed tiny compared to our hills and mountains in Oregon, specifically the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon. That said, I don't mind wide open plains, but I agree they have a different feel to them.
Around here, I would say anything over a thousand feet high, foot to top would be a mountain. And some small ones can be quite dramatic. By that definition, I would suspect that West Virginia is mostly hills, but with mountains rising up along the eastern boundary. Agree? The coolest thing I notice about that part of the world are the deep gorges along all the major rivers. Must be very beautiful.
According to Wikipedia, there's a more-or-less agreed to set of definitions for rolling plains, hill, and mountains:
* Flat to 500 feet, base to highest point - Rolling Plain
* Highest point 501 to 999 feet above base - Hill
* Highest point 1000 feet or more above base - Mountain
Without spending a lot of time looking at topographic maps, I'd say the mountainous part of West Virginia is ("roughly") east of a line going from Morgantown to Clarksburg, to Sutton to Beckley, then southwest from Beckley to the Kentucky line.
So I'd say it's more like "the eastern half" of the state, as opposed to "along the eastern border". And you're right, it's very dramatic, visually. If I remember HS science correctly, the Appalachians are much older than the Rockies, for example. So the river gorges (the Cheat and the New come to mind) are quite deep (although not Grand Canyon deep).
Last edited by snorpus; 05-09-2010 at 10:36 AM..
Reason: Added link
According to Wikipedia, there's a more-or-less agreed to set of definitions for rolling plains, hill, and mountains:
* Flat to 500 feet, base to highest point - Rolling Plain
* Highest point 501 to 999 feet above base - Hill
* Highest point 1000 feet or more above base - Mountain
Without spending a lot of time looking at topographic maps, I'd say the mountainous part of West Virginia is ("roughly") east of a line going from Morgantown to Clarksburg, to Sutton to Beckley, then southwest from Beckley to the Kentucky line.
So I'd say it's more like "the eastern half" of the state, as opposed to "along the eastern border". And you're right, it's very dramatic, visually. If I remember HS science correctly, the Appalachians are much older than the Rockies, for example. So the river gorges (the Cheat and the New come to mind) are quite deep (although not Grand Canyon deep).
Cool that I caught the hill/mountain definition by the seat of the pants. Well if the whole eastern half of WV is mountains, that would suite me fine. Hope I get to see it soon!
I moved to Nevada from WV a long time ago. My county plus either one of the two bordering counties are together larger than the state of West Virginia. Our mountains in Nevada reach over 13,000 feet. The highest peak in WV is about 4800. We have miles and miles of miles and miles, but always in the distance we are surrounded by some of the highest mountains in North America. Because that's what I'm now used to, when I go back to West Virgina I feel claustrophobic. My wife complains that they should cut down some of those darn trees so she can see beyond the narrow roads. It's like you are always in a narrow slot canyon of trees. I've been working on writing a book about a kid in West Virginia. Here's a highly condensed excerpt that gets into the state a little bit.
According to Wikipedia, there's a more-or-less agreed to set of definitions for rolling plains, hill, and mountains:
* Flat to 500 feet, base to highest point - Rolling Plain
* Highest point 501 to 999 feet above base - Hill
* Highest point 1000 feet or more above base - Mountain
Without spending a lot of time looking at topographic maps, I'd say the mountainous part of West Virginia is ("roughly") east of a line going from Morgantown to Clarksburg, to Sutton to Beckley, then southwest from Beckley to the Kentucky line.
So I'd say it's more like "the eastern half" of the state, as opposed to "along the eastern border". And you're right, it's very dramatic, visually. If I remember HS science correctly, the Appalachians are much older than the Rockies, for example. So the river gorges (the Cheat and the New come to mind) are quite deep (although not Grand Canyon deep).
You are right about the Appalachians being the oldest. They were formed when Africa and North America collided, and they were higher than the Rockies or the Sierra Nevadas millions of years ago. But they've had longer to get themselves worn down. I would imagine the New River Gorge might have been deeper than the Grand Canyon. The western mountains will someday be as low as the Appalachians are now. The "New" River is actually the oldest in the country. The entire state is comprised of hills with almost no flat land whatsoever. When people in the western half say they are going to the mountains, they mean the part of the Appalachians which comprise the Alleghenies. But in reality every inch of the state is mountains in West Virginia. Because of the height of our western mountains, there has always been the argument that "the mountains" in the east are really just hills. I'd say it has more to do with ruggedness, and how far down you might fall, than altitude. My buddy in Morgantown who has written several books about his experiences homesteading on a rugged mountaintop overlooking the Cheat River Gorge was only at 1700 feet in altitude. My home isn't on a mountain, it's almost flat, and we're over 2400 feet. So which of us is in the mountains? I look out my window at a 12,000 foot peak covered with snow while it's 90º down here in the valley at 2400. But I don't have to worry about any drop offs or cliffs to fall down. I was at Death Valley about a week ago at Bad Water which is 282 feet below sea level. Looking up at the "Sea Level" sign which is only part way up the cliff just across the road, I'd say Bad Water is at the base of a mountain.
My buddy wrote in one of his books that he heard you could find more life species in one sq. mile of Appalachian wilderness than in all of Africa. It's for sure there's more than we have here in Nevada.
I love all the information about the woods and the hills. Makes me want to head over to the mountain state to homestead on my own mountain top and count a few critters. Oh, wait, I need a job!
Well, working that one. We'll see how it all shakes out.
I know what you mean about perspective. Yes, the West has higher mountains and more open, majestic landscapes, but the east has its flavor too, especially that region, and that is what I was asking about. Much appreciated!
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