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By Michael Dapper
VRA Page Webmaster
Voice an opinion and you get spanked. That’s the way things roll sometimes here in the blogosphere.
We recently opined in this space that after a recent trip to the great State of Washington, we ranked the Evergreen States No. 1 in scenic beauty, bumping Colorado (the state with a city named Evergreen) into the second slot. (Victory Blog 8/28)
Well, that was enough to rouse the ire of The Mountain Man, a long-riding, hard-riding Victory aficionado from Colorado. His impassioned rebuttal follows, and the photos to which her refers are seen above in the gallery.
Washington? Colorado? What about you Victory Riders in California? Maine? Michigan? Minnesota? South Dakota? We welcome all nominees for Most Scenic Victory Riding State. Drop us a line after reading the Mountain Man’s screed (which he scratched on tree bark with the charred end of a stick and sent attached to a falcon’s talon).
“I take issue to your most recent Victory Blog where you ranked Colorado in the Number 2 position behind Washington state... I love Washington, but really – Number 1?
“I won't argue on the relative beauty of a state that boasts of passes that are a mere 4,855 feet (see Rainy Pass photo, above), Stevens Pass at only 4,061 feet, and the roads to Mt. Rainier are pretty low, too (see the ‘Rainier Approach’ photo). Anyone can grow trees at those elevations.
“However, you can't take away from Colorado's 20-plus mountain passes over 9,000 feet, and as you can see, Independence Pass at 12,095 feet (see photo) doesn't have those measly trees that populate the low passes of Washington.
“Colorado has three mountains taller than Mt. Rainier (14,410 feet): Mt. Elbert at 14,433, Mt. Massive at 14,421, and Mt. Harvard at 14,420. Colorado has 58 mountain peaks over 14,000 feet (see: 14er Photos)
“You didn't get to see the giant redwoods in Colorado while you were here last year for the Rocky Mountain Victory Freedom Rally. Mighty big trees to rival any tree in the great state of Washington. You can see the giant Colorado Redwoods at: CO Redwoods
“In one of the photos presented here, I am parked next to a nice big Washington tree on the way to Mt. Rainier. Does that look like to you to be as big as a giant Colorado Redwood?
“I think not, good sir.
“Where else would one find dinosaur footprints along massive rock outcroppings? Why, just outside of Denver are hundreds of prints embedded in ancient rock.
“Can one drive to the top of a Washington 14er? You can drive to the top of two here in Colorado: Mt. Evans (almost to the top) and Pikes Peak (to the top).
“And the roads. Oh, the roads in Colorado...
“Yes, Washington is nice. Very nice. But hardly ranked at Number 1. Remember the song, ‘Rocky Mountain High’? There was a reason Johnny picked Aspen instead of Snohomish, although Snohomish sounds cooler...”
Methinks The Mountain Man has a hint of barrister in him, a lawyer-orator who presents a convincing argument – complete with photos and websites as supporting evidence.
However, can we all agree he greatly damages his credibility referencing a John Denver tune? (Co-written with Mike Taylor and recorded in 1972.) Does The Mountain Man still listen to the tune on his 8-track or quad system in the woods?
What state or province gets your vote as the Most Scenic Victory Riding State? Let’s hear from you.
victorymailbag@polarisind.com
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