I remember, back around 2000 or so, I drove out west from Cleveland, Ohio, to Moab, Utah. On day 2 of the drive, I ws crossing into Colorado on I-76 (It veers southwest off I-80 into Denver), and it was fairly flat. but there were what I thought were clouds in the distance as I approached Denver. Well, after many miles, I came to the realization that those were the Rocky Mountains. Denver sits right on the edge.
What a sight!
I had the same reaction when I drove from Fort Gordon to Fort Lewis in 1971 and first saw the Rockies at Albuquerque.
I grew up at the foot of those. I often wondered what people coming from the east back in the day thought when they got there and saw what you saw and how massive they are.
What a sight indeed. I love the Appalachians. They are old but peaceful. The Rockies were beautiful, harsh, and intimidating but they were mountains and relaxed me. I loved the Continental Divide. The high altitude made my husband sick but didn’t bother me at all.