| Author | Message | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 894 Registered: 9-2010 |
At home, my mental compass always points south, though the snowy peak seems to always be north. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 895 Registered: 9-2010 |
Why should my mental map be so turned around, and what is the significance of these peaks? (sorry if anything sounded unclear) | ||
| La_sparky (La_sparky)
New member Username: La_sparky Post Number: 206 Registered: 10-2008 |
Are the snowy peaks to the north? Specific mountains? By mental compass pointing south, you mean you assume one direction is north, but it is really south? does this happen at places other than your home? other than your town? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 899 Registered: 9-2010 |
Are the snowy peaks to the north? One "snowy" peak in particular, though it and the ones around it sometimes get snow. Specific mountains? Yes, very. By mental compass pointing south, you mean you assume one direction is north, but it is really south? Where most people would look for north to find their direction, the most conspicuous mountain in my area is directly south. does this happen at places other than your home? Just in my local area. other than your town? Maybe in a few nearby places, but it can't be too far. | ||
| La_sparky (La_sparky)
New member Username: La_sparky Post Number: 209 Registered: 10-2008 |
so one specific mountain...is the name of it relevant? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 902 Registered: 9-2010 |
so one specific mountain...is the name of it relevant? Two specific mountains with two specific names: North/Snowy Mountain, and South/Compass Mountain (no those are not their names LOL) It would help if you figured out the mountain range, probably. If you've read recent puzzles of mine and remember where I live, that might help | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 2222 Registered: 3-2006 |
Let's hazard a guess at the Santa Cruz Mountains? I just took a quick Google Earth tour of northern California, and it has amazing mountains and deserts. It's hard to adjust to that kind of scale. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 903 Registered: 9-2010 |
Let's hazard a guess at the Santa Cruz Mountains? What do you know, all that blood pudding and lack of peanut butter hasn't ruined your brain after all. *teasing look* Yes, indeed, the Santa Cruz Mountains. I just took a quick Google Earth tour of northern California, and it has amazing mountains and deserts. It's hard to adjust to that kind of scale. They are beautiful, aren't they? :-) | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1152 Registered: 6-2008 |
I just took a quick Google Earth tour of northern California, and it has amazing mountains and deserts. It's hard to adjust to that kind of scale. But most of the "mountains" are mere hills by European standards. Though they sometimes look more impressive when shrouded in fog, particularly the kind that is summoned whenever a fan is turned on :-) So something about the appearance of the mountain to the south would suggest "north" to most people? Is the type of vegetation growing on it relevant? The way the sun shines on it? | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 761 Registered: 9-2009 |
Just to make sure I understood correctly: you tend to believe the south is actually the north, even though the snowy mountain is in north? Is it really in the north, or (according to the puzzle phrase) just seems to be there? Is it something in the south mountain that makes you think about north? Some childhood memories? Santa Claus is traditionally coming from that mountain? Did you think a star appearing above that mountain was the Pole star? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 904 Registered: 9-2010 |
But most of the "mountains" are mere hills by European standards. Though they sometimes look more impressive when shrouded in fog, particularly the kind that is summoned whenever a fan is turned on :-) Yes, yes...all right, so your mountains are taller. :-p Fine. *grin* Luckily the fog doesn't settle down in the valley so very much. Sometimes, but not a lot. So something about the appearance of the mountain to the south would suggest "north" to most people? Is the type of vegetation growing on it relevant? The way the sun shines on it? No, sorry to be misleading. It's just that it's got something on it which makes it obvious which mountain it is, so I look for it first when determining direction to find true south, instead of north. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 905 Registered: 9-2010 |
Just to make sure I understood correctly: you tend to believe the south is actually the north, even though the snowy mountain is in north? Is it really in the north, or (according to the puzzle phrase) just seems to be there? Oh no, I know which is north and which is south. It's just that while most people look to find north to determine direction, the south mountain is the first one I look for. Is it something in the south mountain that makes you think about north? Some childhood memories? Santa Claus is traditionally coming from that mountain? Did you think a star appearing above that mountain was the Pole star?None of these. All fun ideas, though. | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 762 Registered: 9-2009 |
The think the south mountain has: a man-made structure? A rock shaped by nature? A cross? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7140 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the tree line relevant? Is there something man-made on it? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 907 Registered: 9-2010 |
The think the south mountain has: a man-made structure?This. The north mountain does too, but as it's white, and further away, it's harder to see in the daylight. A rock shaped by nature? A cross? Is the tree line relevant?No. Is there something man-made on it?Yes. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1153 Registered: 6-2008 |
My mountains? I live in Nor-Cal too, I'm just surprised that anyone elsewhere in the world would look to our mountains and be impressed. There is a lot to be absolutely amazed by, whether it's the coastline, the redwood forests, or the temperate weather. So I don't know if I understand what's left to figure out. We know you know which direction is which, and we know that one of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south acts as a landmark, because of something on it, to determine the directions, and this is why "south" is the most significant direction in your mental map. I don't know if I get why this has anything to do with north. Does this mountain to the south resemble another mountain to the north of where you are? Maybe Mount Tamalpais? Does it also have a ranger station at the top? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7145 Registered: 4-2010 |
A house? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 909 Registered: 9-2010 |
My mountains? I live in Nor-Cal too, I'm just surprised that anyone elsewhere in the world would look to our mountains and be impressed. There is a lot to be absolutely amazed by, whether it's the coastline, the redwood forests, or the temperate weather. *waves to neighbor* :-D So I don't know if I understand what's left to figure out. We know you know which direction is which, and we know that one of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south acts as a landmark, because of something on it, to determine the directions, and this is why "south" is the most significant direction in your mental map. We are playing "Name those Mountains!" I don't know if I get why this has anything to do with north. Does this mountain to the south resemble another mountain to the north of where you are? Maybe Mount Tamalpais? Does it also have a ranger station at the top? Both mountains have something on top. The North Mountain has something very famous on top. The South Mountain has some kind of military base on top, I can't remember what. It's an excellent landmark, anyway. But the name of South Mountain is very unusual. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 910 Registered: 9-2010 |
A house? Nope, although there's a very famous house in the mountains on the way to San Francisco that I like to look at. We call it "the Flinstone House". It was, for a while, painted orange, and my family considered this nothing short of sacrilege. But that's nothing to do with this. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7150 Registered: 4-2010 |
Wikipedia-based guess... Mt. Umunhum? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 911 Registered: 9-2010 |
Mt. Umunhum? Very good...this is our South Mountain, with a radar tower on top. And ***BLOOPER*** about North Mountain, or more like a scrund...it's in the Diablo Range, not the Santa Cruz Mountains. It still overlooks Silicon Valley, so I hope you'll pardon the honest error. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 912 Registered: 9-2010 |
Mount Umunhum is also the site of the former Almaden Air Force Station, the military thing I was talking about. Not sure whether the base or the tower are the big rectangle-shaped thing on top. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7157 Registered: 4-2010 |
Hmmm...Google and Wikipedia not being as cooperative right now. Will keep looking. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 913 Registered: 9-2010 |
You know what, forget the North bit and just focus on the Diablo Range bit, Balin. And remember that it's a big mountain with something on it. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7165 Registered: 4-2010 |
Just a guess - Mt. Diablo? Black Mountain? I'm hoping someone with a bit more knowledge of these mountains comes along - I haven't a clue. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 916 Registered: 9-2010 |
Just a guess - Mt. Diablo? Black Mountain? No and no. I'm hoping someone with a bit more knowledge of these mountains comes along - I haven't a clue.Aww, poor Balin. How about really big mountains in the Santa Clara Valley? Is that better? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 7169 Registered: 4-2010 |
Let's try another approach.... Is the elevation of the mountain less than 2,000 feet? 3,000? 4,000? 5,000? 10,000? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 917 Registered: 9-2010 |
Let's try another approach.... Is the elevation of the mountain less than 2,000 feet? 3,000? 4,000? 5,000? 10,000? From Wikipedia: Elevation 4360+ feet (1329+ m); Prominence 3,080 ft (939 m) | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 769 Registered: 9-2009 |
Mount Hamilton with the Lick Observatory? (Courtesy: Wikipedia) | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 920 Registered: 9-2010 |
Mount Hamilton with the Lick Observatory? (Courtesy: Wikipedia) Well done, Rbruma! I can't believe Balin didn't get it, lol... ***SPOILER*** Mount Umunhum is the "South Mountain" in my mind...home of the old Almaden Air Force Base, and a radar tower. It's VERY obvious to any resident of Silicon Valley which it is; it's got a big rectangular shape on top that no other mountain has, and so it's very easy to calculate direction...if you're facing the mountain, you're going south. If it's behind you, north. And so on. Mount Hamilton is the highest peak overlooking Silicon Valley, and Lick Observatory is known for being the first permanent mountain-top observatory...I'd say that makes it a "mountain of wonder" for us San Jose residents. Mount Umunhum is known in local lore (or so my elementary school teachers taught me) as the way to find south. It's a perfect choice. Being such a tall mountain, Mount Hamilton is also one of our few peaks to actually get snow, although the presence of blindingly white Lick Observatory makes it look like it has a dab of snow on top even when no real snow is present. Hence the snow-capped mountain bit. Well done Balin and Rbruma for finding the answer, and Sparky, Woodworm and Biograd for chiming in! |
