Random, Random 2.0

[Suliso]

Oh yes, you're definitely living in the mountains now. In Venezuela you're from Caracas close to the sea level, right?

[dave g]

I have what are called "mountains" near me, but I hesitate to call them mountains because they are not very tall. There is a ski slope about half an hour from me. The main reason that there aren't any closer is that there is not enough population to support more slopes, and that ski slope needs to draw people the Minneapolis area, almost four hours away, to stay in business. I don't know how well they are weathering the COVID crisis.

While I might not have really long slopes, I definitely have snow, about one foot of it.

[ponchi101]

@Suliso. Nope. My home in Caracas was at 950 Mts (I lived in the outskirts, in a hill). Caracas is roughly around 900 Mts. high.
Venezuela's highest mountain, Pico Bolivar, stands at 5,008 Mts high. We even had a cable car in the Pico Espejo (Mirror Peak), which went as high as 4,900. The cable car reached as high as 4,600 Mtrs, but, of course, we let it run down and it no longer works. It was the highest cable car in the world.
The highest mountain in Colombia is Pico Cristobal Colon, at 5,730 Mts. Haven't been there but, although very close to the equator, it is covered in snow. Which is melting, of course, but is still there.

[Suliso]

I checked it too after writing and was surprised that Caracas so high. Somehow in my mind I had it as a seaside city.

[ponchi101]

We are only 10 Kms away from the coast. It is just that there is a mountain in the middle (we have to drive around it).

[mmmm8]

If we are counting the Appalachians and the Catskills as mountains, then technically I live in a mountain. The Appalachians highest point stands at 2.037 Mtrs/OSL. The Catskills stand at 1.027 Mtrs/OSL. My house stands at 2,600 Mtrs/OSL (8,500 ft), and the highest mountain in Bogota stands at almost 2,900.
Caracas stands at 1,000 Mtrs. Our highest mountain, which faces the city, stands at 2,700 Mts (Pico Naiguata). The emblematic mountain that stands right in front of the city, and which basically defines it, is El Avila, which stands at 2,065 Mtrs. We call it CERRO AVILA, or THE AVILA HILL. We don't even call it a mountain.
The first time I went to Colorado my friend stopped us and told us "Remember, you are at altitude here. If you feel a little faint or short of breath, stop, and we will rest". I had to explain that we had come DOWN from where we live
One issue about playing in Bogota. 10 years later and I still at times find myself short of breath. Sure, partially growing old, but also the height. I will never completely adapt to it. It is a city for flat strokes and pressure-less balls: regulars will bounce crazy high.

Going to Montserrate (Wiki says it's actually 3,150 above sea level) was I think the only the second time in my life where I felt affected by the altitude (the other was driving in the Caucasus mountains, and I don't know if that was height or motion sickness). But the rest of time in Bogota I felt my breathing was affected by the pollution (maybe it was both). Because the city is in a valley - but maybe also because the air is "thinner" I felt the car pollution near the main roads made the air really difficult to breathe, it's the only thing I didn't like about Bogota.

[ponchi101]

Oh, the pollution here is sickening. My robot vacuum cleaner picks up so much soot is is unbelievable. So, if you can survive Bogota's pollution and altitude, your lungs are fine.

[JazzNU]

I'm shortchanging the Poconos, Catskills, Adirondacks and Berkshires because they are very accessible to me. I'm not some winter sports fanatic and don't pretend to be. But I've heard several US Winter Olympians talk about training at all of the above, so they are good for winter sports. And yes @ponchi, they are mountains.

As for LA, I wish you luck reaching wherever you are trying to go in 2 hours. You might, and I stress might, be able to make it to Big Bear in under 2 hours if you get the traffic just right.

[JazzNU]

In case you missed seeing the pandas at the DC Zoo enjoying the snow this week

[dryrunguy]

It turns out we needed one more foot of snow. I drove to Orbisonia today and could still see the Trump signs in people's yards.

[Suliso]

[ti-amie]

I'm not sure where this is but that is a very large boulder.

[ponchi101]

Two counties away from my place in Colorado. A gorgeous area, holding Mesa Verde National Monument, which is incredible.

[JazzNU]

I'm not sure where this is but that is a very large boulder.

This was the first thing I thought of when I saw the tweet after seeing the size. But turns out, the sheriff's department is just doing social media very well, the replies of the original and the quote tweet go into the callbacks.

[JazzNU]