North of I70 vs. South of I70

[12ersRule]

We need more .vs threads. So, I'll do my part.

What is better, north of I70 or south of I70?

Here's what I see as the best features of the North and South:

North - Dinosaur NM, Zirkels, Rawahs, RMNP, Byers Wilderness, Gores, IPW, Ft Collins, Steamboat, Winter Park, Flatirons, Fruita rides.

South - San Juans, Elks, Sangres, Telluride, Aspen Highlands, Crested Butte, LCW, Kokopelli, Lunch Loops, Black Canyon of the Gunnison.


I vote for the North!

Discuss!

[aholle88]

Scrambling/hiking season? North gets the vote. Gores and IPW. Endless connecting ridges of fun with approaches that require research and maps instead of websites and apps.

Ski season? South gets the vote. San Juans and Elks have bigger bang for your buck backcountry lines (that I wish I lived closer to explore) I'd also throw the 10 mile and Sawatch in there for spring skiing. Torreys peak is technically South as well. The North side just doesn't compare (for the most part) in terms of vertical ft for each run. It has some great spring lines, but in the end it usually feels like more suffering than fun.

Scenery? It comes down to another potential "Vs" topic, Wemi vs Gore. I haven't been to the Wemi yet, so my vote is North for the Gore. The Sangres, Elks, and much of the San Juans are all beautiful zones, and south wins statistically in terms of acreage of beauty, but I'd put the Gore over anything in those ranges that I've seen thus far.

[bichito]

ABasin, L-Pass are borderline, too close the boundary but cheap and steep into the summer...

[Scott P]

Tough choice. Both are nice. I may lean south due to the Four Corners region and the San Juans, but I still like both.

An easier choice is West of I-25 vs East of I-25. I choose west.

North - Dinosaur NM, Zirkels, Rawahs, RMNP, Byers Wilderness, Gores, IPW, Ft Collins, Steamboat, Winter Park, Flatirons, Fruita rides.

Aren't most Fruita rides south of I-70?

[d_baker]

N of I-70 is only good if you don't have to deal with I-70 from E of the tunnel.
S of I-70 is only good if you don't have to bother with I-70.

Gore is good.
Wemi is good.
Not equal and one is not better than the other.
Just different good.

[PaliKona]

Elk, Sangres and San Juans are south. For the win.

[XrunclimbskiX]

The North holds consistency, fun and proximity but the South is somehow exotic. It's just a little wilder and more beautiful.

[Tony1]

I sure love the Gore, IPW, Steamboat, and Boulder, but south of I-70 has Beaver Creek, the San Juans, all the wonderful towns in and surrounding the San Juans, northern Sawatch, Sangres, Aspen, the Elks, Bonfire and Crazy Mountain Brewing Co's... I gotta give it to SOUTH.

[dr_j]

I've spent much more time in the south, since it's closer to NM. I'm impressed by the variety of small mountain towns, they're all scenic and interesting in their own way.

Telluride and Ouray get my vote for best setting. Aspen's got the casual luxury, Salida for mellowness, and Leadville for its extensive collection of Victorian buildings. Silverton and Lake City for their isolation, Crested Butte for the wildflowers and fall colors. Hey, I like them all, which is why I keep driving up from NM on the weekends. I dig the breweries and distilleries, too.

I'll have to explore the "north" more often, it's just too far a drive, and I'm relegated to aging weekend warrior status.

[patternmike]

I vote for south of I-70. You have Red River Gorge, Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow. I may be biased living in Cincinnati! In the interest of being fair and balanced north of I70 does have The Ohio State University.

[Voshkm]

is this still 14ers.com? isn't there only longs peak north of I70? while Longs is special 1 vs 57? isn't very fair. Besides the south has the Great Sand Dunes, how can the north compete?

[kwhit24]

I vote for south of I-70. You have Red River Gorge, Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow. I may be biased living in Cincinnati! In the interest of being fair and balanced north of I70 does have The Ohio State University.

Well if that's the case then I guess I'm all about north of I-70. Just not too far north where TTUN is from GO Bucks!