Summer is more than half over and I hope everyone is enjoying all our mountains have to offer.
In June of this year, my wife and I traveled to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. This is not the first time I have traveled in these states, but now living permanently in the mountains of NC, I found myself comparing the mountain ranges. There are definite pros and cons found in comparing the Rockies to the Blue Ridge/Smokies, but it is mostly down to a personal preference.
There is no doubt that the Rocky Mountains have much more impressive elevations, with more than 100 mountain tops that are above 10,000 feet, with the highest being Mount Elbert, coming in at 14,433 feet. In comparison, the tallest range in our North Carolina Mountains is Mount Mitchell at 6,684, with only sixteen mountain peaks exceeding 6,000 feet in elevation in the Blue Ridge/Smokies.
The Blue Ridge/Smoky mountains are more than 6 times older than the Rockies. The Rockies are estimated to be around 70 million years old, while the Smoky Mountains are estimated to be 480 million years old.
Out west the humidity is very low with little rail fall, high temperatures and intense sunshine, compared to our typically, sometimes welcomed cloud cover with very humid and wet rainforest like conditions.
The roads and highways out west tend to go around the mountains and through the available passes, whereas our roads go up and down over the hills and mountains.
The Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains and the Rockies have one thing in common; the beauty and wonderment that high elevations can provide. Upon returning from our trip, I have a renewed appreciation for our mountains. It was nice returning to the beauty in our lush green trees, streams, rivers, and waterfalls. I encourage you all to explore our trails here in Creston, and enjoy the mountains, towns, State and National Parks in our area. We are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful location.
Best Regards,
Kevin Zimmer
Creston POA Board President