>>2637346been to both extensively, and the actual vertical rise from the base can be fairly similar between NH/Vermont and Colorado. Tetons, Cascade Volcanos, and Sierras absolutely mog anything on the East Coast though. The Dacks are pretty impressive and Mount Washington is a beast though. Washington's weather has killed several skilled mountaineers, there isn't anything quite like it on the West Coast. while I would rather be out west, I just came back from a long hike in NC that shows why the East has some advantages from a mountain perspective:
1) Fall Foliage. it's just something else to see colors like that, almost like the entire forest becomes a sunset.
2) Despite being shorter the trails tend to be filled with small talus that many sandstone trails out west lack. trails are often not as smooth and straight having to wiggle though the terrain instead of just switchbacks
3) Going off trail out west (with the huge exception of big sur) is super easy; on the east coast, there have been stories of people getting lost 150ft from the trail and dying because of how thick the brush is.
also, there just isn't anything else out there otherwise. might as well enjoy the mountains you've got; I do agree that the 'hard' hikes on the EC tend to be equal to the medium hikes in CO. Take a look at the NEU8 challenge; I like to combine tons of 'hard' hikes together in a day and just bag.
