It’s hard to beat the soaring majesty of mountains. It’s also apparently hard to define exactly what a mountain is. Countries around the globe use factors such as height, elevation, relief and volume in a vain attempt to define them. The Oxford English Dictionary settles for something suitably vague: “a natural elevation of the earth surface rising more or less abruptly from the surrounding level and attaining an altitude which, relatively to the adjacent elevation, is impressive or notable.” Merriam-Webster doesn’t do any better: “a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill.” Look up ‘hill’ in the same dictionary and you will find that it is described, helpfully, as “lower than a mountain.”
However you define them, mountains are some of the best places to look for snow. For the past two years winter has seemed determined to pass me by. Last year, New York was unseasonably warm and disappointingly snow-free; this year Seattle‘s rain and suggestion of frost has been equally underwhelming so I decided that if winter wouldn’t come to me, I would go to winter. Yesterday, my friend Sylvia and I headed north to the mountains near Granite Pass and there, in all its snowy glory, we found winter. Here are some of the snow-capped peaks that greeted us.
“Mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence.” – Nemann Buhl
“No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied – it speaks in silence to the very core of your being.” – Ansel Adams
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” – John Muir
Have you seen any soaring summits or peaked pinnacles recently? If you would like to join in the travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Mountains
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.
Looking forward to your mountainous post.
xxx
Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Pingback: Travel theme: Mountains | denobears
Where did my replay go????? Just posted it. Have to do it again then. If it pops up .. delete it. *laughing.
You have one of the most beautiful mountains on your door step – Mount Rainier. A wonderful gallery again, but I’m such a sucker for white snow … somebody has said that friendship and snow – what ever it falls on .. will be soft.
Ah, it’s caught other people out too, viveka – once there are more than fifty comments on a post, it switches over to a new page. At the top of the comments stream there are links to newer comments and older comments so you can toggle back and forth through the pages. xxx
Great, I thought I had lost my marbles.
Haha, nope, your marbles are all in place! 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains « beyondpaisley
Pingback: Travel Theme: Gaudy | Across the Bored
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | Across the Bored
Didn’t think you’d want to see mountains of laundry (because I’ve done that before!) so I dug into the archives – please have a look at
http://acrossthebored.com/2013/02/16/travel-theme-mountains/
Woah, that is cool with a capital C! I love it, ideflex, the most unique shot I’ve seen of the Great Wall. xxx
Thanks so much!
This one was a bit of a challenge for me, as I am not the mountain-going type. But! I have persevered. http://beyondpaisley.net/2013/02/16/travel-theme-mountains/ As always, thanks for the fun and inspiration!
Ooh, Grand Tetons – I long to see them, they’re supposed to be glorious. I loved your shot of Croagh Patrick, and I’m with you about the barefoot ascent, damn!
just been alerted to the fact I cannot type for toffee. Here, hopefully, is a working link….
http://mrscarmichael.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/travel-theme-mountains/
Haha, haven’t heard that ‘for toffee’ expression for ages, Mrs C 🙂 Beautiful shot, I’m going to guess Ngauruhoe because of the shape, but I really don’t know, having not YET visited NZ. Soon, I hope! xx
OH you must go – I’ll do you an itinerary……. Just happen to be off there next Tuesday 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains « Wander One Day
Your photos reminded me I’m a little tired of snow and cold weather, so I posted photos of some mountains in warmer locations 🙂
http://wanderoneday.com/2013/02/16/travel-theme-mountains/
Ooh, these are gorgeous. I’m feeling all toasty warm right now. Yaay!
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | lyndamichele
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | My Life Afterglow
Hi Ailsa! Here’s my entry for this week’s challenge. Thanks! 🙂
http://mylifeafterglow.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/travel-theme-mountains/
Absolutely gorgeous shots from Darjeeling. That top photo is particularly dramatic, I love it!
Thank you Ailsa! 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Toward the Mountains of Madness | Serendipity 13
I have an ongoing love affair with mountains. I love the beauty, the majesty and the challenge. The rawness of life there… I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2011 and this was br far my favourite mountain trip so far through 5 climatic zones. You can watch my video by searching Kilimanjaro 2011 jessica on you tube 🙂
Just checked it out, Jess, what an adventure! xxx
Pingback: Purple Mountain Majesty | The Retiring Sort
Beautiful photos Ailsa! I love the trees covered in snow. Here are mine: http://theretiringsort.com/2013/02/16/purple-mountain-majesty/
Beautiful, TRS, both your prose and the photos. I loved hearing about you growing up in PA, and those story-filled mountains of the Scottish Highlands are indeed larger than life!
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | No Fixed Plans
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | Wind Against Current
Our Mountains: http://windagainstcurrent.com/2013/02/16/travel-theme-mountains/
Oh boy, mountainous waves would be really scary, happily you haven’t encountered to many of them, Vlad. And I am quite partial to those more manageable mountains too. 🙂
Pingback: Climb — and Photograph — Any Mountain (Travel Theme: Mountains) | Four Deer Oak
Pingback: Climb — and Photograph — Any Mountain (Travel Theme: Mountains) | Four Deer Oak
I like this theme! But, as much as I like mountains, I don’t have many pictures of them, mostly because I haven’t been near any since I started taking photos a few years ago.
Oops! Here’s my link: http://wp.me/p1tzBV-1Yi
Hurray for Photoshop, I adore that top photo, so beautiful. Now I’m waiting for you to go hang gliding. And you have to blog about it too. 🙂
That might be a long time. Living in the flat lands right now, so not much opportunity. I’ll probably skydive before hang glide, but you can be assured that I would blog about both of them!
Pingback: Cool Mountains | heartfelt images
i think we all love mountains … beautiful quotes and photo ailsa! http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/cool-mountains/
Wow, wow, wow, Christine, these are amazing. I have to ask, is there anywhere you haven’t been? These are the most stunning locations. Love it! xxx
I’m enjoying your pics and quotes of the mountains…all good. And, I’m armchair exploring the posts and photos in this week’s challenge. It’s the climb. 🙂
Excellent stuff, c & c, sometimes armchair travelling is a refreshing alternative! xxx
Pingback: In the mountains | Thirdeyemom
Wonderful Ailsa! I opened this post as we were driving up to the mountains in Colorado! Very timely! Here’s my post
http://thirdeyemom.com/2013/02/16/in-the-mountains/
Oh how wonderful, Nicole, those pristine slopes sparkle. I haven’t made it to Colorado yet, but I hear it’s one of the most beautiful states in the US.
Thanks Ailsa! You would love Colorado. It is indeed gorgeous!
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains « Under a poplar
Pingback: Weekly Travel Theme: Mountains « Lagottocattleya
So many beautiful mountains there are in the world! Here’s my entry from South to North:
http://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/weekly-travel-theme-mountains/
Wow, Ann-Christine, really amazing shots. those photos of Tibet make my heart race, they’re glorious.
I’m glad you liked them!
Pingback: Travel theme: Mountains « The Eclectic Eccentric Shopaholic
i love the whiteness in your mountain photos.. very beautiful. 🙂
my entry for this week http://theeclecticeccentricshopaholic.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/travel-theme-mountains/
Beautiful snow-capped mountains, kz, and that lake is so blue – is that Lake Tahoe? xxx
Found your blog travel challenge here via another blogger. Here is my contribution. http://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/travel-theme-mountains-from-wheres-my-backpack/ Thanks for the great idea! Love your blog!!
Wonderful post, so glad you joined in the Mountain theme – Mordor! How cool is that? And I love the name The Remarkables 🙂
Thanks so much!
Pingback: Mountains – Ailsa’s WTT… | Ouch!! My back hurts!!
Pingback: Mountains – Photo « Reading and Writing
Pingback: Travel Theme: Magnificent Mountains « Canadiantravelbugs's Blog
Lovely snowy mountain pics … and that is the best snow – untouched and pristine 🙂
I have 3 examples of Canadian Mountains… from small, to big to the biggest we have to offer 🙂
http://canadiantravelbugs.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/travel-theme-magnificent-mountains/
Really enjoyed your post, CTB, loved hearing about your hometown ‘mountain’ and your summer excursions to the Cabot Trail. 🙂
Thanks 🙂 I really enjoyed doing that post. It brought back a lot of happy memories. Just wish I had my own pics to share for a few of the shots.
Thanks for the feedback.
Hi Ailsa, here are a few of my mountain shots from the Swiss Alps to Australia’s Blue Mountains.
Regards Peet
http://pdjpix.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/mountains-travel-theme-photo-challenge/
Wonderful photos, Peet, that one of the Alps near Aosta is stunning! 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | GuenBt
Here’s mine: http://guenbt.com/2013/02/17/travel-theme-mountains/
Goegeous, that third one, the view from the roof deck, looks like a little slice of heaven! 🙂
It is. 🙂
Great site!
Thanks, farmbha, glad you enjoyed your visit 🙂 I’d love you to join in the weekly travel theme if you feel like it!
Hello, Done!
Peter
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains | thephotoseye
In the Unwritten mountains of Greece (Agrafa) you can leave free of occupation, you can breathe better and you are closer to yourself.
I miss mountains every day of the week. They are peaks of consciousness. I miss their percussive thunderstorms and starwoven thought blankets.
Thank you for your post
Hi LIa, glad you enjoyed this post, I love the name Unwritten Mountains, it’s utterly romantic and filled wtih possibility. xxx
Pingback: En route: Swiss mountain travel | OFRADIX
http://emmahicks76.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/weekly-photo-challenge-mountain/
Fabulous, Emma, loved you having serious flashbacks during your post too! 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Mountains « cocoaupnorth
Absolutely gorgeous mountains you have in your area. The snow blankets them so beautifully. Thank you for theme and here’s my contribution.
http://cocoaupnorth.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/travel-theme-mountains/
Oh I love your Drakensberge, they’re so dramatic. Beautiful post. 🙂
Pingback: Travel theme: Mountains « Sasieology
Mountains – my favourite! http://sasieology.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/travel-theme-mountains/
Wow, Sas, that shot of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is gorgeous. And I’ve got to get one of those piste bashers.
I know, they look so much fun to drive don’t they? Some of the ski shows have ‘piste basher ballets’ where they ‘dance’ the bashers in formation. I’ve always wanted to know when they practice for those things 🙂