Thursday, September 13, 2007

Oldest Mountains on planet Earth


This photo was taken up on the mountain that I see from my front porch. On this stretch of the trail, the ground is sand.

Once upon a time, perhaps many years ago, seems like I was reading a website of The Mountain Institute that said (I'm paraphrasing here) that The Mountain Institute was initially established as an "elite" (that's my word, not theirs) global club of the "Top Three" (again, my terminology) mountain ranges on planet Earth. Basically they said that the initial members were the OLDEST mountains on Earth,
the TALLEST mountains on Earth, and
the LONGEST mountains on Earth.

The Appalachian Mountains are the OLDEST mountains on planet Earth. So we got to be a member. (As a "native Appalachian," I took great pride in our elite Top Three membership.) And I recall, the Himilayas are the tallest and the Andes are the longest.

Anyway -- So, do ya reckon there's some connection between being the OLDEST MOUNTAINS ON EARTH and the fact that there's sand up on top of that mountain? hmmm. Where's a geologist when you need one? hehe!
Joan

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know that our mountain is part of "The Cumberland Mountains" but does the part where The Sand Cave and Hensley's Settlement have a particular name?

Anonymous said...

I may not be of any help but since nobody else has chimed in I'll give my two cents.

Most people around here and on the KY side that ride ATVs in that area call it Stone Mtn. When I was younger we always called it Cumberland Mtn. which is part of the Appalachian Mountains but for the last several years all I've ever heard it called is "Stone". Which by the way is a VERY good name for it considering how rough it is to navigate. Actual Stone Mountain is up the road from around the Dryden, VA area to almost Norton.

Anonymous said...

I just checked out my GPS maps and actually in the Hensley Settlement area you're probably in what is called Brush Mountain. For some reason that's what they call that part of the mountain I guess because it balloons out alot wider there. It kind of gets confusing in that area.

Joan said...

Thank ya'll for the posts. I like the "Stone Mountain" name, cuz I like to think that's where Earl Taylor picked up his name for his band "Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys".
Joan

Anonymous said...

Well, there's one thing about it...whatever it's actual name...It DEFINITELY is a "Stoney Mountain"!!

Anonymous said...
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