Tag Archives: mountains

Scaling peaks of stone despite achy bones: A memoir and and an aspiration

I wish I had discovered my passion for peak hiking earlier in life. Not realizing it until my early 60s has left me with less time to explore summits than I would have preferred. Despite the delay, the rewards often … Continue reading

Posted in art, book reviews, books, culture, deserts, ecosystems, entertainment, environment, family, fun, geography, Geology, health, hiking, history, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Love, Maps, Mining, mountains, natural history, nature, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, pollution, psychology, reading, recreation, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, Statistics, sustainability, topography, toponymy, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, visual pollution, walking, water, Wilderness, Wildlife, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Highest mountain passes, gaps, cuts, notches, and saddles on the Interstate Highway System

Below is a list of the highest elevation mountain passes, gaps, cuts, notches, and saddles in the United States on the Interstate Highway System. This blog author has traveled through the ones that are shown in italics. The list represents … Continue reading

Posted in Cars, environment, fun, geography, Geology, infrastructure, land use, mountains, natural history, nature, place names, recreation, scenic byways, spatial design, States, Statistics, topography, toponymy, tourism, transportation, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tallest American peaks named for Indigenous peoples

The following list identifies the tallest mountain peaks in the Unites States that are named for indigenous peoples, nations, and individuals. The fourteen that are named for specific individuals are shown in italics. The list includes, mountains, hills, peaks, towers, … Continue reading

Posted in branding, culture, diversity, environment, geography, Geology, hiking, historic preservation, history, inclusiveness, Native Americans, nature, place names, politics, Statistics, topography, toponymy, tourism, Travel, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Calderas – the supervolcanoes of the USA and beyond

While there are calderas (supervolcanoes) all over the planet, this post will concentrate on those found in the United States. These enormous volcanoes are formed in one of two (2) manners: after an explosive eruption; or when the inside of … Continue reading

Posted in environment, geography, Geology, history, land use, Maps, nature, place names, Statistics, topography, toponymy, tourism, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hiking New Mexico’s 4th of July Canyon/Cerro Blanco Loop

We spent a lovely autumn Sunday afternoon trekking 4.7 miles at elevation in Cibola National Forest, southeast of Albuquerque. Our hike began at approximately 7,500 foot elevation and included 936 feet of change over the entire trail route. The loop … Continue reading

Posted in entertainment, Environment, fun, geography, health, hiking, Maps, Nature, recreation, spatial design, Statistics, topography, tourism, trails, Travel, Uncategorized, walking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ten planning lessons from Colorado’s Front Range

Below is my list of ten planning lessons learned from multiple visits to Colorado’s Front Range in the past 18 months. Some are positive, some are not. They are presented in no particular order of preference. Cheers! A large, auto-centric city … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, air travel, airport planning, airports, Alternative transportation, architecture, aviation, bicycling, Cars, cities, commerce, downtown, economic development, entertainment, environment, geography, historic preservation, history, Housing, infrastructure, land use, nature, new urbanism, Passenger rail, placemaking, planning, Railroads, revitalization, spatial design, sprawl, States, sustainability, tourism, transit, transportation, Travel, urban planning, visual pollution, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Day-hiking Boulder’s gorgeous Flatiron Trail

Below are a series of photos from this afternoon’s (Saturday) amazing day hike on the Flatiron Trail #1 at the Colorado Chautauqua National Historic Landmark in Boulder, Colorado. The gorgeous October weather and CU’s homecoming had many day hikers joining … Continue reading

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My favorite North American mountain ranges – UPDATED

A minimum of 2,000 foot elevation was required for consideration. Some of these listed below are part of larger mountain ranges. Enjoy! Sangre de Cristo (Colorado and New Mexico) Cascade Range (California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia) Jemez Mountains (New … Continue reading

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An inspirational city and setting – Cumberland, Maryland

Each time I return to the western half of Maryland, where I resided in Hagerstown two decades ago, I try to plan my trip to include a visit to one of the most picturesque, historic, and unique cities in the entire United States – Cumberland, Maryland.  … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, bicycling, cities, culture, density, environment, history, land use, placemaking, rail, skylines, tourism, trails, transportation, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments