Randee

Actually it is my son and my sister who have the Grand Canyon/Yosemite
arguments. They are both biologists and my son does field work in the
Grand Canyon and my sister in Yosemite.
--
wf.

Doug McDonald wrote:
    >
    > randee wrote:
    > >
    > > Similarly, after the Grand Canyon, not much else in the US can compare,
    >
    > Well, yes, as a desert canyon it is unique. But there are plenty
    > of other natural places that are uniquely great: Yosemite, the
    > various
    > great tree places in California, and Yellowstone.
    >
    > And then there is Alaska. For mountains the only place that beats
    > it is the Himalayas (though much of the best part is right
    > on the Canadian border.)
    >
    > Doug McDonald

Randee

That was written 'tongue in cheek' as they say; but in fact a very good
friend of my wife's on the next block is from Scotland (and most of her
family is still there) and she says exactly the same thing about the
west coast of Scotland. BTW, our peaks here in NM top out at 9000-12000
ft., none of the 14000 ft peaks like in Colorado. Although it is a
strenuous climb (and occasionally somebody is badly injured in a fall)
the 9000 foot peaks locally are regularly climbed by folks, in fact most
every Scout troop does it.

The Reid wrote:
    >
    > Following up to randee
    >
    > >IF you are going to the Alps, arguably there isn't much else to compare
    > >in the rest of Europe................ After the Alps the next stop
    > >would be the Canadian Rockies I would think.
    > >
    > >Similarly, after the Grand Canyon, not much else in the US can compare,
    > >except perhaps the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area of Colorado.
    >
    > Its wrong to judge just by size, the west coast of Scotland is
    > very beautiful although the peaks are only 3-4000 feet.
    > --
    > Mike Reid
    > "Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
    > Walking, Wasdale, Thames path, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
    > Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

--
wf.
Wayne Flowers
Randee Greenwald
[email protected]

The Reid

Following up to Judith Umbria

    >> what would the speed limit be and is it enforced strictly?
    >> --
    >> Mike Reid
    >My not so recent experience was there really was no limit and everybody
    >drove like a bat out of hell. I worried a good bit about all those bovines
    >with thoughts of having a closer look. You could literally see miles and
    >miles ahead down the straight, flat roads, interrupted only by tiny towns
    >that had a church and a bar.

Ah, that sounds alright. I get reports of people getting stopped
for minor infringements, is it a rural v town situation? ie drive
at limit in town?
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking, Wasdale, Thames path, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reid

Following up to randee

    >Although it is a
    >strenuous climb (and occasionally somebody is badly injured in a fall)
    >the 9000 foot peaks locally are regularly climbed by folks, in fact most
    >every Scout troop does it.

the key thing is often actual ascent, what is the difference
between start-finish altitudes?
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking, Wasdale, Thames path, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reid

Following up to Jim Ley

    >>There's more to girls than looking
    >There's the getting slapped after looking at the wrong ones?

I find its discouraging all the ones who get the wrong idea.
OK, OK, in my dreams :-(
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking, Wasdale, Thames path, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reid

Following up to Jesper Lauridsen

    >> Perhaps this is where so many Germans got the idea they can see the US
    >> (New York, Disney World, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Hollywood)
    >> in two weeks.
    >What's the problem in that? 3 of the destinations are best seen from
    >10000 feet, leaving plenty of time for NY and the Grand Canyon.

I must say Disney is about last on my list of places to go, just
after the open day at the local sewage works :-)
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking, Wasdale, Thames path, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Tim Challenger

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 07:52:14 +0000, The Reid wrote:

    > Following up to Jesper Lauridsen
    >
    >>> Perhaps this is where so many Germans got the idea they can see the US
    >>> (New York, Disney World, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Hollywood)
    >>> in two weeks.
    >>What's the problem in that? 3 of the destinations are best seen from
    >>10000 feet, leaving plenty of time for NY and the Grand Canyon.
    >
    > I must say Disney is about last on my list of places to go, just
    > after the open day .....

    >....at the local sewage works.
That would be New York, then.


--
Tim.

If the human brain were simple enough that we could understand it, we would
be so simple that we couldn't.

Judith Umbria

"The Reid" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Following up to Judith Umbria
    > >> what would the speed limit be and is it enforced strictly?
    > >> --
    > >> Mike Reid
    > >
    > >My not so recent experience was there really was no limit and everybody
    > >drove like a bat out of hell.

    > Ah, that sounds alright. I get reports of people getting stopped
    > for minor infringements, is it a rural v town situation? ie drive
    > at limit in town?
    > --
    > Mike Reid

Well of course. Don't want to kill someone and spend 30 years in Kansas, do
you?

Randee

Good point, out here you are starting at about 5000 ft or more to go to
9000, so you only have 4000 ft to go. I don't know about the Alps, the
same? In many areas of the Colorado Rockies there are decent, fairly
smooth, although steep, hiking trails that typically take you from say
5000 feet to perhaps 12000 feet to the pass between a couple 14000+
peaks. In some cases old mining railroad grades are now hiking trails.
--
wf.

The Reid wrote:
    >
    > Following up to randee
    >
    > >Although it is a
    > >strenuous climb (and occasionally somebody is badly injured in a fall)
    > >the 9000 foot peaks locally are regularly climbed by folks, in fact most
    > >every Scout troop does it.
    >
    > the key thing is often actual ascent, what is the difference
    > between start-finish altitudes?
    > --
    >[email protected]

The Reid

Following up to randee

    >Good point, out here you are starting at about 5000 ft or more to go to
    >9000, so you only have 4000 ft to go. I don't know about the Alps, the
    >same? In many areas of the Colorado Rockies there are decent, fairly
    >smooth, although steep, hiking trails that typically take you from say
    >5000 feet to perhaps 12000 feet to the pass between a couple 14000+
    >peaks. In some cases old mining railroad grades are now hiking trails.
    >--

Yes, the highest mountains in UK are in the low 4000's, but they
start pretty much from sea level.
The highest mountain in Spain is 12000 but is 4600ft start to
summit IIRC.
Many people are surprised by the "mountainness" of Scottish hills
as they often rise directly from the coast.
These hills are sub 4000 which would be rounded grassy mounds in
the alps.
"http://www.fellwalk.co.uk/skyepics.htm"

while in Scotland (in this case) they are jagged peaks requiring
much handling of rock.

The difference is that 4000 of ascent at 12000 ft means climbing
in thin air, which makes a big difference.
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Walking, Wasdale, Thames path, London etc "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap