An Ode to the Mountains

On a sunny saturday afternoon, I was absorbing the majestic site of the San Gabriel mountains while playing cricket at the foothills of this mountaineous range. There is something about the mountains which always makes me look at them with awe. They have stood tall for thousands of years, and seen life evolve and develop on this earth. They stand silent, weathering all seasons, good times and bad, but never change. Some times they are engulfed in clouds, sometimes they are covered with snow, sometimes they are green and colorful, and at other times they are barren, nevertheless they never fail to beautify the topography.

Growing up in Bombay, I had never been exposed to the sight of tall beautiful mountains. My only brush with anything resembling mountains were during my travel through the Khandala ghats were train would wind through a hilly terrain looking up at peaks the highest of which wouldn't exceed 2,500 ft.

Naturally, when I moved to Pennsylvania, I was in awe of the mountains that lined the state. Most of the highways would snake through scenic mountain ranges measuring anything between 2500 - 4000 ft. The fall foliage would add further beauty to these hills. One such drive is captured in the snap below.

I-80 in PA

But hearing me rave about these mountains, my labmate remarked,'Dude, move to the west. What you see here are hillocks.' I didnt take him seriously, till I drove to Denver, CO. The front range of Rockies totally dwarfed the skyline of the mile-high city. The Rockies range has more than 40 peaks above 14,000 ft, with the highest peak close to 14,500 ft. We drove to the top of one such 'fourteener' (thats what peaks above 14000 ft in CO are called), Pikes Peak, 14,110 ft. The drive through the Rockies range is surely the most scenic drive I have done to date, with the interstate 70 climbing to an altitude of 10,500 ft at the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Rocky Mountain Natl Park

However, when I moved to Los Angeles, I was not disappointed either. The San Gabriel and the San Bernardino mountains to the north rose above the LA basin and provided a majestic background to the city. Although the highest peak in the San Gabriel mountain range in Pasadena is only about 6000 ft, the San Bernardino has some mountains which rise above 10,000 ft.

LA skyline with the snow clad San Bernardino mountains in the background

After seeing these mountains, I can only imagine the beauty of Himalayas in Kashmir.