Which one has the best mountains?
>>2773566Out of those states, Wyoming. The Tetons and the Wind Rivers are just too good.Washington has the best mountains in the lower 48 though.
>>2773568Where would Colorado rank on your list?
>>2773569Not him but more trafficked and less wild, but far more accessible (highways everywhere) and with a lot more winter sports. If you like skiing and are a bit more casual/dont mind trail walkers as much, it's alright. They're the same mountain range at the end of the day, with minor ecological differences just due to geography.
>>2773568My list for the lower 48 would go Washington > Wyoming > California > Colorado
>>2773571>>2773569meant to reply to this
>>2773566None of those states have as much high elevation land or protected mountain areas as Colorado, and I think co also has the most designated wilderness in mountains there too.But for quality of mountains, it has to be Utah or az or NM, for having the whole range of high alpine to low desert mountains. The northern rocky states are great but there is really only one mountain type; northern rockies.
>>2773570How difficult is it to be alone there?
>>2773580In Colorado? Good luck lmoa
west virginia
>>2773566>bestehhh for doing what exactly?
>>2773566>leaving out the 3 states with the best mountains Cringe
>>2773580Going out on Wednesday for nearly a week, to a fairly trafficked area, then going deep backcountry. Will report back this weekend
whats the grizzly situation like in Montana, alberta says open season, do bears any wander north
>>2773575>protected mountain areas as Colorado, and I think co also has the most designated wilderness in mountains there too.no. WA, ID and AZ (and CA) all have more designated wilderness than CO.
>>2773805Most grizzlies in the lower 48, they stick to the western mountainous part of the state and don't go much into the prairie anymore. Around 1,000 are found in the Northern Continental Divide in northwestern Montana. About 1,000 more live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in the tri-state area of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, they sometimes move bears between the two areas for genetic diversity.
>>2773813Mostly because CO is riddled with massive swathes of ski slopes that are all heavily managed. They're still great /out/ territory, the trails around the slopes are usually just infested with tourists while the unmanaged but not nat'l forest areas nearby are fine. Multiple entire mountains per resort, of which there are damn near a dozen of, results in a fairly impressive acreage of still good but not state land
>>2773822>riddled>massive swathes>heavily managed>infested with tourists>good but not great land- fifysounds awesome.
>>2773825I mean, it absolutely is riddled with slopes that are infested with tourists, but they stick to the trails. You could go to some of the biggest ski slopes in North America in the summer (they usually operate as mountain biking, BMX, and hiking trails during the off-season), walk a half a mile away, and be in completely unmanaged backcountry. It's just not designated wilderness.
>>2773568Big horns are great too. Cloud peak wilderness is for hardy people.
Why do people not like Montana?
>>2773863it sucks and its full. Wyoming and Colorado are much better. go there.
>>2773863Because locals gatekeep the fuck out of it because the population has exploded 20% since the scamdemic. And that's a good thing.
It’s pretty much impossible to beat the Bob or Frank Church Wilderness in the L48. So I guess I’d say MT & ID, though if Colorado had areas like that I’d reckon it would be tough to argue otherwise.
>>2773864>>2773866I'll be coming to Montana regardless so make room.
>>2773566Colorado > Wyoming > Utah > Idaho > Montana > Arizona > New Mexico > Nevada
>>2773864I just got 1.2 million after selling my house in California. I think I'll try to set up in Montana.
>>2773863I don't like most of the Montana people is all. A lot of landowners in Montana are boomers who moved there 30-40 years ago so they could larp as John Wayne then turned around and talked shit about "transplants" as if they didn't do the same thing. Living in Idaho, anytime somebody comes from Montana they usually bring a snotty attitude with them in my experience.
>>2773670thanks have fun
>>2773864Stay out of Wyoming. It’s a barren shithole and there’s nothing there
>>2773930>nothing there>two of the most popular national parks
>>2773880>CaliforniaYou good with -45°F>1.2 millionLol. Try Glendive.
Please do not move to idaho
>>2773813CA and WA were not part of the original discussion states, and it was mountain wilderness, not just any wilderness, so desert ones don't count
>>2773906>Living in Idaho, anytime somebody comes from Montana they usually bring a snotty attitude with them in my experience.I found it's the other way aroundanyone from boise (really meridian) or CDA is insufferable because 75% chance they're a californian transplant. So I don't blame montanans for being snotty, we used to be brother states but the californians ruined our reputation
>>2774042>theres no mountain wilderness in WA or CAOK retard
>>2773566Please stay in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, or Arizona
>>2774059No, but the discussion was only about the mountain west states, not CA or WA. OPs map was very clear
>>2774031wonder if that thread is still going kekI'm gonna check
>>2773566Montana and Nevada are both greatOcean is kinda missing but they're still beautiful places
>>2773566Which is the best for poaching?
>>2774031holy fucking cringe like what goes through these people's minds when they decide to put this out on the internet?
>>2774123None of these guys can focus. Guess that's what 4chan does to your brain.
>>2773929>>2773580It was fun but it's extremely hard to avoid people anywhere. The spiderweb of highways mean that essentially nothing is truly deepwoods and off the beaten path, some bearded IPA drinker has already been there before you. You won't see a ton of people if you go far off the path, and honestly after camping maybe 500ft away from a major trail and nobody finding our camp despite throwing tons of smoke, it's not difficult to *avoid* people, just to be alone completely. The vast, VAST majority of people out in the mountains are there to glamp, yell while strolling along well-maintained trails, and drink beers in the woods, not pitch tent off the beaten path and cook food over a campfire.
>>2775735Try West Virginia. The trails are not well maintained but there's not a lot of people outside the popular tourist stuff (new river gorge, dolly sods, seneca rocks), and there's trails upon trails ranging from "officially a trail" to "abandoned since 1980 you will be climbing over trees in a muddy jungle for hours".
Depends entirely on the objective metrics to be measured, and separately entirely upon your own personal interests. Snowiest (by average and total snowfall in places): All above at least 400" average winter snowfall (above 500-700" for UT)-UT-CO-WYClose ties (all above 250" average winter snowfall)-MT-ID-AZ-NM-NVMost forest (by total area rather than percent land area covered in forest): Rank by percent listed on the right.-MT (~40k sq mi) #5-NM (~39k sq mi) #4-CO (36k sq mi) #3-ID (~34k sq mi) #1-AZ (~30k sq mi) #6-UT (~29k sq mi) #2-WY (~18k sq mi) #7-NV (~17k sq mi) #8Total number of cataloged mountain peaks listed by minimum prominence of 300 ft (91m); US mountaineering standard (subject to change over time)-AZ (7,505)-NV (7,063)-MT (6,062)-ID (5,897)-UT (4,540)-CO (4,384)-NM (3,251)-WY (3,143)Total number of listed geographically/geologically recognized mountain ranges (primary-secondary-tertiary-stand alone), different from total named mountains of which each state has more than 3,000 each.-NV (300 +)-AZ (210 +)-ID (115 +)-NM (110 +)-WY (100 +)-MT (100 +)-UT (80 +)-CO (70 +) [clustering leads to lower counts often]Mean peak elevation with minimum 300 ft (91m) prominence by mean county peak list mean elevations: (not the same as mean peak elevation as a whole).CO - 10,335 ftWY - 9,106 ftNM - 7,458 ftUT - 7,384 ftID - 7,357 ftMT - 7,212 ftNV - 6,919 ftAZ - 4,475 ftBy # peaks above 6k ft (1829m) with 300 ft prominenceNV - 5,201ID - 4,483MT - 4,438CO - 4,332UT - 3,559WY - 2,923NM - 2,603AZ - 1,889Wettest mountains (at least 35-40" + precipitation, 40%+ falling as rain in warm seasons)AZNMUTIDEvery state is at least 30-40% + mountainous or hilly terrain (1k ft + change in 10 NM), every state is over 50% except for CO, WY, NM and MT.
>>2775752Several more stats.Numbers of peaks above 5k ft (1500m) with at least 300 ft (91m) of prominenceNV - 6,216MT - 5,317ID - 5,165CO - 4,378UT - 4,289AZ - 3,216NM - 3,143WY - 3,086Commonly listed state average elevationCO - ~6,800 ftWY - ~6,700 ftUT - ~6,100 ftNM - ~5,700 ftNV - ~5,500 ftID - ~5,000 ftAZ - ~4,100 ftMT - ~3,400 ftState elevation spans (difference between highest and lowest points, every state is over 3000m difference).NV - 12,668 ftAZ - 12,567 ftID - 11,958 ftUT - 11,338 ftCO - 11,123 ftMT - 11,007 ftWY - 10,709 ftNM - 10,325 ftLess important to mountaineering but more important to climate and unique geography. The 3 most forested mountain states below 6,000 ft elevation with the most unusual or unexpected climates/terrain features are;Arizona (hot desert, cold desert, cool/warm wet tall dense forest 30"+ precipitation, interior chaparal at similar or greater density than coastal CA w/15-25" precipitation, and snowy forest 80"+ snowfall, all found at 5,000-5,999 ft elv)Idaho (hot dry grasslands at the same elv and vicinity as forests)Montana (unexpectedly hot dry plains 100F+ in summer, extremely cold plains in winter which is expected, forests in the same vicinity and elv as hot dry grasslands same as ID possibly partially a relic of younger dryas mega floods changing soils and sediments in areas also possibly terrain microclimates)
>>2775752>>2775809Thank you for the thorough infodump. Are you the same guy that lives in Arizona from the Euro-bashing thread?
>>2773932That's basically all Wyoming has. The rest of the state is flat, boring, and windblown.
>>2775910>Euro-bashing threadYou have to be more specific. There are several different Euro-bashing threads. /out/ is a fundamentally anti-Euro board by nature.
>>2775910Yeah. I'm many posters here going back 10+ years, I simply have many interests and experiences and a very large amount of information on many subjects. Sharing knowledge here and there in hopes of helping people open their minds and learning new things myself. It's not good to spend too much time here however, so I leave the site for half a year often. I have nothing against Euros either, IMO it is ignorance that leads to people going out of balance with themselves and their environments (such as monetizing/corporatizing the destruction of beautiful and diverse natural environments). People should start looking at all things more holistically, and I think expanding your knowledge and understanding is a part of that.
>>2775752Adding to this.Number of class 5 summits (only reachable by technical rock climbing): UT- 820CO -493AZ - 278WY -130NM- 71ID -59NV- 15MT -13Having been to and summited several mountains in every single one: Wyoming: Tetons are UNREAL in how tall and sharp they are. Grand Teton was a great climb. Winds are wild, Gannett was a slog. Snow is quite dry. Haven't been to the other ranges or the Bighorns but they are not popular at all. Rock is good and really has that alpine feel. Colorado: Mountains aren't quite as big (base to peak) but has awesome variety and really good access. MTB is great. Climbing is great. Skiing, both skimo and downhill, is only possibly outshined by UT. Tons of desert to alpine environments and several national parks, with a significant amount of wilderness too once you leave the front range. Montana: Feels really alpine in terms of timber country. Summer days last forever. Depends on the range though, has a lot more of the European valley feel with all the crisscrossing ranges. More "mountain" isolation than the southern states. Nevada: Sleeper. Mountains rise massively from the desert floor and seem to be much taller than their counterparts. Huge temperature swings but the desert winds carves the stone in a different way. Great Basin has some very cool stuff.Utah: Nevada but better. Unitas are dreamy alpine. Wasatch offer perhaps the best snow in the world and crazy good access. 5 national parks with desert mountains and spires and arches and monadnocks galore. As well, caves everywhere. Idaho: Mountains are shorter but the Frank is the largest piece of wilderness in the lower 48. I love Idaho. No national parks which helps its case. If you come to Idaho to go to the Frank, you'll be doing it alone. The best in terms of rafting and hunting out of the mountain states.
>>2774066The left cant memecaptcha: HAH4S
>>2776123continued: New Mexico: Sleeper. Isolation in Gila NF. Sangre de Christo fufil all Colorado alpine needs. Jemez makes you feel alone. Sierra Blanca is HUGE. Organ Needles are great rock and just rise from the desert. Huge monadnocks like shiprock.Arizona: Surprising amount of diversity but lacks a lot of sharp peaks that the other states do. My overall ranking in terms of the western states for just their mountains:WY > CO > UT > NM > MT > ID > NV > AZ
>>2774066Keep my state's name out of your mouth, cityboi.
>>2776119That sounds reasonable. I really need to get the hell off this site myself. Did you learn all of this like a hobby or do you take more of a professional approach? A mix of both?
>>2776295>I really need to get the hell off this site myselfGo outside. It's really that simple.
>>2776299I do, just not as often as I would like. I don't really have people to talk with irl so I end up here because I least I share common interests with you all
>>2773566Glacier NP
>>2776312>just not as often as I would likeWhy not anon
>>2776336I work a lot :cAll my PTO went to doctor's visits and recovery and it's hard to take time off until next year. I stop by a pond and hang out with the ducks in the AM while out for a walk before I go to work. Weekends I try and drive out to wildlife reserves if I can. I just had eye surgery and the recovery takes forever so I have to take it easy and not /out/ too hard
>>2776133Gila NF is amazing
>>2773566no need to choose. if you're only going to one, you're a dork.
Americlapistani "mountains" simply do not compare to mountains in countries anyone besides a lobotomy patient would care about
>>2776500You're trying too hard.
>>2776500based. anything that isnt in greater hindustan isnt real mountains
>>2776133delete this
>>2774226>what goes through their minds.found your problem right there.
>>2774066You have it easy. Utah is going to become a toxic wasteland because transplants are draining the gsl and exposing untold amounts of neurotoxic dust to the air
>>2774066The only real pronounciation is bwah-sea so being a shit head about that is almost as gay as caring about sports allegiances lmao
>>2774031I lived in Idaho for about half a year. Loved it, wish I could have stuck around
>>2776135>there was no response Fucking K E K
>>2774066I've done a detailed analysis of Idaho's climate and terrain based on my preferences and it's inferior to Montana and Colorado in this regard. But better than Utah etc. because I don't like desert. You aren't my first choice so calm down with the ego dood.
>>2773566Colorado, Montana and some parts of Idaho
>>2776133You have Montana too low here
>>2776912Montana is an overall better /out/ state than most of these but when specifically talking about the mountains, the other states have it beat in diversity, especially WY. There is nothing that the MT peaks have that WY doesn't. And I personally prefer deserts to alpine vs. just alpine
>>2773566CA, WA, AK and SD. Your list sucks.
>>2774226Low IQ = no self awareness
>>2777799>the other states have it beat in diversity, especially WY.can you explain more? Other than the alpine climbing of the tetons, what do the WY mts have the MT do not? just curious.
>>2774066>" i moved here to be just like you"They say dumb shit like this then proceed to start tweaking things they dont like which attracts more of their lot and then they tweak others things and so on and so forth, until you end up like New YorkSlippery slope
>>2775739Eastern wild places are surprisingly much less crowded than the Western ones despite the higher population density, because Westerners are all outdoors maniacs who go /out/ every chance they get, while rural Easterners are all lazy lardasses whose only outdoor priority is huffing & puffing half a mile to a deer stand for a few days in the fall. Downside is, it can be really tough to find a place along the forest backroads to camp when nobody does it! Locals can get awfully curious about your presence in their backyard as well, while out West nobody will even give you a second glance.
>>2778295Which do you prefer?
>>2777954The Wind Rivers
>>2773876Close enoughUtah can f off though
>>2777799Agree somewhatPlant life in those desert states look really cool, though I might still choose a state like Montana for its sky views and mountains/forest
>>2778345Why do you like desert?
>>2777954That's... it really. They are just a lot larger in terms of rise from the valley floors. Most of MT is 5k rise while the high parts of WY are 6 or even 7k rise from the valley. It is close between the two if I'm being honest. The NW corner of WY and the S part of MT are really similar and both amazing. But the Winds and Bighorns are phenomenal, and the Tetons are out of this world (being the youngest part of the Rockies.) MT, outside of Glacier, doesn't have the mountains to compare in the same way. I'm viewing this pretty wholistically, and I have a big bias towards deserts and diversity within geology, climate, as well as available outdoor recreation.
>>2778676>MT, outside of Glacier, doesn't have the mountains to compare in the same way.The bitteroots? the Crazies? the Pintlers? The Missions? I dunno...some incredible mt ranges in mt. But you like diversity and MT has some incredible mts.
Utah because the capital city is literally right next to the wasatch range. It’s the only real mountain city in the country and the entire salt lake valley has stunning views all around
>>2778900>It’s the only real mountain city in the country Denver?
>>2778900>Denver>Albuquerque>Sante fe>Reno>Fort Collins>Colorado Springs>Flagstaff
>>2778929>>2778983Wrong. They are near mountains, sure. Not like Salt Lake City though. In reality SLC looks the way people expect Denver to look, but in Denver you always feel like you’re really far from the mountains and they’re hardly visible compared to SLC
>>2778929you realize that is a picture of SLC right? Denver is far as shit from the kind of mountains you can see from all over SLC
you guys gotta stop giving the whole world this infoEveryone needs to think they should move to LA, NY, Chicago, Texas and Florida. The mountain west sucks, don't come.
>>2779001newfags gonna new
>>2778900>It’s the only real mountain city in the country You're forgetting about the appalachians
>>2779090The cats already out the bag. I grew up in Utah and playing xbox live got made fun of for living there.. huehue are you mormon hahaha? Now it's growing exponentially. Just be glad most blacks are keeping out of the woods for now.
>>2778900SLC is in the valley retard. Park City is in the mountains.
California
>>2773568The Wind River is a desert.
>>2779218>east coast >mountains LolLmao even
>>2779244Their highest elevation point is 6k ft kek.
>>2779000in Albuquerque the city runs right up into the Sandias and Manzanos
>>2773566I've only ever hiked CO, UT, and NuevoThey were all fine. Each one is different.I live in the mountains. I live in Leadville at 10k plus feet surrounded by 14'ers and 13'ers in every direction.it's not a competition, and the mountains aren't all exactly the same in every part of every state. The Henry's in UT are different from the Uintas and the Wasatch, but they're all good mountains. There's no "best." They're all amazing.what I love most about my mountains is all the mining history. Old cabins and mines everywhere. Gold and silver and good crystals all over. But every state has some great stuff.
>>2773863I like Montana, but the actual climbing is not good compared to e.g. Utah or California. Lots of talus slopes, scrambles up shitty crumbling rock, and approaches that are just long bushwhacks.
>>2773876Colorado > Alaska > Wyoming > Whatever, except for a few volcanic peaks in the cascades.
>>2778295In my long experience, rural Easterners (that is anyone east of the Mississippi from the exurbs on) consider getting outdoors pretty much as one does from a touring car, taking back roads for for fun. I love doing that, but it hardly compares to hiking up Longs Peak, whatever one's standard is when it comes to parks or wilderness areas.
>>2778295>Eastern wild places are surprisingly much less crowded than the Western onesi need a citation on this.
>>2779926Colorado has no glaciers so the mountains all look dry and gross.
>>2779926>except for a few volcanic peaks in the cascades.so Washington, Oregon, and Cali. LMAO
>>2779867The issue with so many former mines is water contamination by arsenic, lead and other heavy metals. They are all over the place. And only one portable water filter removes them - First Need Elite.
>>2780011Is this an ad?
>>2777799Wyoming is too windy
>>2774031Idaho is a shittier and even more boring version of Utah, no thanks.
>>2776119>large amount of information on many subjectsso do many people but fortunately they don't feel the need to let everyone know. nobody wants to look through all your stats. pro tip: get to the fucking point
>>2779090This. But it is already too late.
>>2773566My vote is for Wyoming's Great Tits
>>2780066The point was in the stats. Objectively each mountain state has its own strong points in some areas and its own weak points. And subjectively every individual is free to choose what they value more. My personal preference is AZ, ID, and MT. No one expects to drive through 200 miles of sub-alpine mixed conifer forest in Arizona or to find locations that are naturally snowier than the Austrian alps or to find areas with more then 35 inches of annual precipitation similar to some midwestern locations there, because the stereotype is that the entire region is nothing but desert devoid of forest and water.
>>2778680shhhh. there are no mts in montana. the beavers ate them before they logged all the beaver
>>2780430And before someone questions it. Here's the actual 200-300 mile drive entirely through forest, woodlands, savanna, or subalpine plains in AZ. Lowest elevation on the unpaved route (1-way 284 mi/457 km) is about 5,900 ft (1800m) ASL, highest is about 9,300 ft (2800m). Lowest on the paved route (1-way 297mi/478km) is about 4,600 ft (1400m). As the crow flies it is about 200 miles (322km) exactly between the two selected points.
>>2774031came for the lulz came from the twins
>>2774031cute and funny video
>>2780328
Probably the Alps.
>>2773566British Columbia
>>2780328Been there. It's nice. But I've seen better.
>>2773566Texas
>>2779926Colorado is the most overrated state in the US
>>2782532explain
Montana east of Glacier is so fucking depressing. So is southern Idaho
>>2782693lol
Easily Northern Idaho. Top tier mountains. >>2782677There's some pretty stuff, but it's mostly in the NW corner/North side. The south side is a miserable fuckhole that's just Oklahoma/NM 0.5. Anything lower than like 10k feet is just sagebrush and pine, and less in a comfy cowboy way but more in a shitty high desert way. The mountains are really pretty though and there's some good alpine scenery. I liked the Decalibron loop.>>2782693West MT kicks ass gut yeah the rest is shit. Same for ID.
>>2782706What about Mt Blanca and the Spanish Peaks? I thought they were nice in Colorado and they are in the SE right?
>>2782706>the rest is shitlol. you bet. nothing to see here
>>2782713>t. native
>>2773566All I know is that New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado are fucking shit tier.Wyoming is nice. Montana is full of meth heads.
>>2782718>me tooyou're still wrong
>>2782723It's still mostly shit compared to the western part of Montana. Congrats on living near one of the oasis spots in eastern. The majority of eastern is dogshit and you know it.
>>2782724>easternAre you saying Colorado is in east?
>>2782736I'm talking about Montana alone, what are you on about?
>>2782739ah okay
>>2782739wait.. that doesn't sound like how a Montana native talks. Nigel?
>>2782724>dogshit and you know it.I dont know it. I mean, its flatter and drier for sure but there is still a lot of public land with some very cool stuff. National monuments, wildlife refuges etc..The missouri breaks are fun as hell with some of the best elk hunting in the country. There are several island mt ranges in central mt that are fun as hell like the little belts, bear paw and little rockies or even the pryors in the south. A lot rivers likes the little big horn, tongue, powder that provide a lot of rec...and the Yellowstone flows all the way to ND. Great speed goat and upland bird hunting too. It aint granite peaks and lush alpine valleys but it aint dog shit. And with a population density of 2.9 people per sq mile, it has a lot less retards and cod from the east in their RVs.
>>2782706The San Juans are literally the Swiss Alps of the US, and their area is also larger than all of Switzerland.
>>2782970post some pics
>>2782973From wikimedia commons. And pics don't do them justice. The maximum extent of the San Juans by any geographic definition is about 18,500 sq miles (47.9k sq km), the minimum extent is about 13,000 sq miles (33.67k sq km), the average is about 15-16k sq mi (about the size of Switzerland). SW CO is also the most climatically and biologically diverse region in all of CO (sub 9" annual precipitation desert climates within eyeshot of areas that receive 450" of average winter snowfall).
>>2782979that is very beautiful and yes Colorado has one of the most interesting topographies and ecologies of any area of the country for sure
>>2782970>Swiss Alps of the US>no glacierseh I dunno
>>2782979If I visit in summer will it be this cool or will it be lame?
>>2782988The lower 48 US makes up that for by having literally the snowiest locations on Earth that get snow any month of the year. And there used to be massive glaciers less than 12,000 years ago even in AZ and NM but especially the CO Rockies (one of the hypotheses for the canyonlands in UT and GC in AZ is massive glacier meltwater pulses and inland seas from Canada and mountain glaciers during the YD events, ie the formation are possibly not millions of years old but only thousands). The US is also 2nd or 3rd for having the highest elevation nearly continuous landmass, with the mountain states having no less than about 150,000 sq miles (about the size of Sweden's land area) above 1800m elevation.
>>2783000man I love it here
>>2782988The picture you posted is in neither the Swiss Alps or the US.That is the Athabasca Glacier in the Canadian Rockies.
>>2783000The Swiss Alps are objectively better than any mountain range in the lower 48.Alaska mogs them though.
>>2783044>objectivelythere we go with that word again
