East vs West Coast Mountains?

Hi all,
I thought this might be kind of fun and I'm interested in what you might say. I just got done reading the "where is your ideal place to live" thread from 2007-2008 and I'm curious.
If you have had the opportunity to compare them, which mountains do you prefer? A lot of people who chimed in on that thread said that they really wanted mountains no matter where else they lived. I'm curious about which one's you'd prefer. I've been to Colorado and I have to admit....THOSE are MOUNTAINS! But, I am born and bred in West Virginia so I have a definite fondness for my smaller, more rounded "Hills". I think I would love living in CO, but would undoubtedly miss my mountains.
What is your opinion?
Gray

I have been fortunate enough to live in both types of mountains. I grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, but also lived in Wyoming for a while with a 360 degree view of the Teton Mountains from my cabin. I have hiked and horseback rode in both. The air is thinner in the Tetons, but the air is cleaner (not much in the way of pollution since the factories are much fewer out west). However, if i had to choose, and now that I am more into cycling, I would choose the Blue Ridge. The Tetons had no foothills and required more caution (wildlife, mountain climbing, etc.), whereas the eastern mountains have more accessibility should something go wrong (i.e, emergency help, etc.) Both types are absolutely gorgeous however and I consider both states my “home”. Alas, I now live in Florida and crave a good hill climb every now and then. I plan to retire further north in the Blue Ridge, and I definately want a nice mountain view from my new home and studio! Nice survey - it will be interesting to see what other responses you receive.

I've never lived in mountains, but I've visited the Rockies several times (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico), cycled in Napa-Sonoma once, and we live in the Appalachian foothills and frequently travel south to Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. To me, while the western mountains are definitely awe-inspiring and I love to visit them, I'm a country girl at heart, and for me it's all about the land. I just could not live somewhere so dry and austere. I wrote a poem about it once (it was a love poem actually, using contrasting lands as metaphor for before and after finding love, but anyway) - the line went "life's blood clawed from parched earth, each blade of grass proof of a battle won."

So for me, for a place to live, it's the eastern mountains hands down, the dripping of water off leaves in the morning, the loamy smell of the earth, the deep cover of fallen leaves, daffodils and mushroom hunting in the springtime, the intense smells of honeysuckle, blackberry and rose blossoms in summer, the lush gardens in the lowlands, fireflies in July lighting up the trees as bright as the Las Vegas skyline.

Sorry Gray, you caught me at a homesick moment. :o

You should visit Vancouver, BC now Oak. It's pretty lush where we are..right now it's draped in abit of snow. But the mountains are more stark..than ie. Vermont.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I've never lived in mountains, but I've visited the Rockies several times (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico), cycled in Napa-Sonoma once, and we live in the Appalachian foothills and frequently travel south to Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. To me, while the western mountains are definitely awe-inspiring and I love to visit them, I'm a country girl at heart, and for me it's all about the land. I just could not live somewhere so dry and austere. I wrote a poem about it once (it was a love poem actually, using contrasting lands as metaphor for before and after finding love, but anyway) - the line went "life's blood clawed from parched earth, each blade of grass proof of a battle won."

So for me, for a place to live, it's the eastern mountains hands down, the dripping of water off leaves in the morning, the loamy smell of the earth, the deep cover of fallen leaves, daffodils and mushroom hunting in the springtime, the intense smells of honeysuckle, blackberry and rose blossoms in summer, the lush gardens in the lowlands, fireflies in July lighting up the trees as bright as the Las Vegas skyline.

Sorry Gray, you caught me at a homesick moment. :o

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No need to apologize at all! You just described almost exactly how I feel about living here. I love this area. I love CO as well and want to move there really badly, mainly because of jobs and different attitudes, but this will always be my home. It's funny you mentioned the smell of honeysuckle: the other night at work I was walking down the hallway and said, "I smell honeysuckle". One of the nurses said, "Does honeysuckle even have a smell?" :) I never heard anyone else talk about the smell of the earth and deep cover of leaves like I do. I love that smell! I'd live either place, but I'd always come home here.
Gray

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Originally Posted by GraysonKelly

It's funny you mentioned the smell of honeysuckle: the other night at work I was walking down the hallway and said, "I smell honeysuckle". One of the nurses said, "Does honeysuckle even have a smell?" :)

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Does honeysuckle have a smell?!? Of course it does and its heavenly.... (and quite distinct). Maybe she's never seen or smelled it.... I remember when I was a kid we used to pick the flowers, pull the bottom off, pull the stamen through and eat the "honey".

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Originally Posted by Eden

Does honeysuckle have a smell?!? Of course it does and its heavenly.... (and quite distinct). Maybe she's never seen or smelled it.... I remember when I was a kid we used to pick the flowers, pull the bottom off, pull the stamen through and eat the "honey".

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That's what we did! Actually, I still do. And we chewed on birch bark. I don't think she ever has smelled it. That stuff they sell in bath and body works just isn't "it" you know? and I don't know if there is honeysuckle out west or not, I haven't explored that far yet.
Gray

I don't know if it grows wild out here. I don't think I've ever seen it quite like we had it at home, I grew up in Pittsburgh, - it was more like ivy there. We had a whole hillside covered in it in our backyard. There is a house down the street from me (I live in Seattle now) that has a small bush growing up and over their fence. I love to smell it in the summer.

Funny how smells evoke memories. At this time of the year I miss the smell of pinon burning from fireplaces in the crisp desert air. But that's about all I miss.
I've never lived anywhere with big mountains, although they were not that far away from Phoenix. I visited Boulder once and while I loved the scenery, the altitude did me in, so I don't believe I'd be moving anywhere at altitude. Where I live is very hilly and the further west you go, the steeper they get. This is fine with me.

My best friend lives in CO and teases me all the time about the size of my mountains compared to hers, it's all in fun. But one thing she said did strike me as a bit odd. She told me when she had to spend a week "over here" in TN, she felt claustrophobic and paranoid because of the trees. Anyone else from out West feel that way? She said she felt that way because she couldn't see beyond the trees. Said it made her feel unsafe. It was weird because that's exactly why being out there makes me feel safe. To me, it's open but secure. I feel more crowded in town surrounded by buildings and such than I do out there. Different perspectives, I guess. :)
Gray

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Originally Posted by Eden

I don't know if it grows wild out here. I don't think I've ever seen it quite like we had it at home, I grew up in Pittsburgh, - it was more like ivy there. We had a whole hillside covered in it in our backyard. There is a house down the street from me (I live in Seattle now) that has a small bush growing up and over their fence. I love to smell it in the summer.

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There's a bush-type Asian honeysuckle that's become invasive in the East. :( I wonder if it's the same thing your neighbor has? Our native honeysuckles are vines.

Yeah, we used to drink the "honey" too. :) And snap the snapdragons. (sorry snap ;)) Made whistles out of blades of crabgrass.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

There's a bush-type Asian honeysuckle that's become invasive in the East. :( I wonder if it's the same thing your neighbor has? Our native honeysuckles are vines.

Yeah, we used to drink the "honey" too. :) And snap the snapdragons. (sorry snap ;)) Made whistles out of blades of crabgrass.

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What they have is more of a vine - they have it trained up a wire fence, but its smaller than I remember ours in Pittsburgh, the whole plant, the leaves and the flowers. Like I said, the kind we had in Pittsburgh, was growing all over a hillside, very much like (and probably mixed in with ivy) Also I seem to remember the flowers being more yellow out east - the ones down the street, I think are almost white.

I have lived in California for 15 years now and still miss the plushness of trees and foliage from home. I was raised in Mississippi where we had beautiful trees and bushes - lots of honeysuckle growing in thick vines - just like kudzu.
We would pick the locust shells off the pine trees and throw horse apples in the street. That was back when the bug spray truck would go up and down the streets blowing out that thick white spray and we would run and play in it! sURELY it affected my brain??? I think you always have those fond memories of "home". Having said that, I would never consider moving back to Mississippi. I have moved to many different states and would consider moving back to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I loved the beach and the mountains being so close. I still loved the Southern appeal. Road and mountain biking were great. We would drive to West Virginia to ski - its beautiful there. I think they should have declared WEst Virginia a national park rather than a state - it is beautiful. We have cycled the green and white mountains in the east and the mountains in the west - I like them all.

honeysuckle once established here is like Ivy. I love the smell but it has no enemies here.

I grew up on the east coast and there is nothing there to compare to the majesty of our mountains here. Nothing.

and yes i am very smell oriented. I almost cried when my father took me back to the first home i remembered (in 1990)
and although the building was gone (fire) i dug a little in the dirt and the smell was instantly recognizable, the smell of the dirt of my childhood. funny but true.

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Originally Posted by Biciclista

I grew up on the east coast and there is nothing there to compare to the majesty of our mountains here. Nothing.

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I agree that you all have absolutely breathtaking mountains out there. "Majesty" is a good description. As far as smells go, I can't really describe the difference between CO and here. I think part of it is the lack of humidity out there compared to here. I was there in the summer and in the winter. Winter was way different than here. I liked it.

Vinbek, I've often agreed that WV was a national treasure, but if they had made it a national park instead of a state then I'd have an even harder time describing to people where I'm from! :eek::):D

I have lived around both kinds of mountains too--I grew up in Albany NY, so near the Catskills and Adirondacks, and then moved out here to Seattle in 1983. I like both terrains but the mountains out here make my heart lift every time I see them. They are spectacular and I never get bored by them! I am very fond of the rolling hills of the east but I love the PNW mountains passionately. It is very green out here as well and there's water everywhere, which I also love. I thought about living in Colorado but didn't want to be landlocked. So you might want to come out here and see what you think, because the feel is different than the feel of the Colorado Rockies.

I grew in the Ozark, spent time in Central PA(Alleghenies) and now live in LA.
I agree it's hard to compare east vs west - particular since the San Gabriels and the San Bernardinos tend be very "Stark" as on poster put it until you get higher in elevation due to the arid climate. I do miss the plushness of the eastern mts, plus the stream (vs the flood control channels and Dry washes here)