If man was meant to go to places like that, he'd have hoofs instead of feet.
I live so close to the mountains on clear days it's like they're in my back yard. But, I think it's been ten years, or more since I've been above the 8000' level. They're pretty, from a distance but I'm as close to them as I need to be. Originally from Florida, south Florida to be exact, mountains aren't really my cup of tea. I mean, after all, what can you really do up there? No hotels with warm beds. No restrooms, no resturants, no beaches, no place to get a margarita. Just trees and rocks and for most of the year, snow. They look good on post cards and calendars and from my back porch, but mountains are for goats, not flat landers like me.
Seriously, they do provide me with some indications of what the weather is going to be like. I always look up at them and gauge what's coming. The bad stuff always hits them first and gives me a day or two to prepare. And right now I'm preparing. Snow is in the forcast for Denver and the hills are already white on top. Rats! My snow blower is in the basement so I have lugging it upstairs to look forward to.
Tom