Growing up in a small town on the southern edge of where "Wisconsin Vacationland" begins I had no idea what real mountains were. Ask me about lakes or rivers and I could tell you where the best spots to sunbath were (the beach at Council Grounds State Park), have a family picnic (toss up between Tug Lake and Stange's Kitchenette Park), or go midnight skinny dipping (Ott's Park - but don't tell anyone!) We water skied on the Wisconsin River (okay, my friends water skied while I rode in the boat - never could get the hang of that sport, no matter how many times I tried), swam in the Prairie River as a child (watch out for blood suckers!) and headed up to Minocqua or Tomahawk to watch the water ski shows. Recreational activities generally revolved around water.
Not to say we had no exposure to elevation...I did sled down Wilson's Hill located a few blocks from my house. It was so high, we needed a tow rope to get up if you were skiing. I never skied down the hill, but I rode up the tow rope a few times sitting on a piece of cardboard (when it was not busy and my brother's friend was the operator). For those of you who have not figured it out yet, Wilson's hill was just that - a hill. To a kid who could move pretty fast going down it on a toboggan full of people it was gigantic - but in reality, I am pretty sure it was probably quite a bit less than a hundred feet from top to bottom.
While my hometown could not boast of anything larger than a few sledding hills - we only had to drive about fifteen miles south to encounter Rib Mountain. Now that was something! It had a ski slope with actual chair lifts. Rib Mountain Recreational Area is 1924 feet above sea level at its highest point (or approximately 700 feet in elevation above the local terrain). In recent years, the ski area has changed its name from Rib Mountain to Granite Peak (which is ironic since the "mountain" is actually a large block of quartzite - no granite in sight). Legend has it that Rib Mountain split the last glacial flow over Wisconsin and in turn formed the rocky area just to the south known as the Wisconsin Dells. Unfortunately, this is just a fun myth. According to an article on Rib Mountain by Keith Montgomery, Ph.D. at the UW-Marathon County, it was most likely the Great Lakes basins that shaped the ice flow and caused the split - not Rib Mountain. Oh well...
It took our move to Colorado for me to discover what real mountains are. In fact, I can see an entire mountain range on my drive into work, the drive to church, our drive to visit Kaitlyn in Boulder, or just about anywhere else we go. Looking out the large picture window on the west side of our house, I can see Mount Evans (14,265 feet above sea level). I can also point out Pike's Peak (14,115 feet) and Long's Peak (14,259 feet) when looking at the full mountain range. Not bad for a flatlander! I now know what it means to climb a fourteener (any one of the 14,000 foot or higher elevation mountains in Colorado) and learned that some people have a goal to climb all of them. In answer your unspoken question, no, I probably will not be climbing one in the near future!
Living near a mountain range is an interesting experience for a Midwest girl. For one thing, who knew that while the mountains can get snow almost year round - Denver, where I live, is a high plains desert? Temperatures by my house will be in the 90's most of the summer - but we can drive less than an hour into the foothills, explore a small mountain town or go on a hiking trail and enjoy temperatures in the mid to upper 70's. Amazing. Another interesting fact, cities don't post the population under their name on sign markers - oh no - they boast the elevation of the town. I still have not figured that one out - other than it helps you to know why you are so winded and thirsty!
My husband's favorite tour for our guests is the drive them to the top of Pike's Peak. Most of our visitors have no idea what to expect despite our warnings of "bring a jacket", "the best view is on the drivers side", and "we'll stop for a drink at a nice little wine restaurant we know when we get back down to the bottom." The drive up can be nerve-wracking for some (I have actually gotten used to it), exciting for others (in addition to the awesome views, we once saw a herd of mountain goats), and always worth it when we get out at the top. The views are amazing!
The longer I live in Colorado, the more I have discovered the wonders of living near the mountains. The are always beautiful to view from a distance - looking like a backdrop in an old western movie. They are exciting to drive through - as long as someone else is driving, please. They are a place of peaceful contemplation, exhilarating adventures, and a glorious part of my new life. Welcome to the mountains!
I wrote this before my apendix burst.
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