Maps

I didn't appreciate the Great Plains until I saw it from the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. There's something surreal about looking west to see everything going up forever and east at an endless sea of grass.

edit: Found a panorama photo from a hike called Grey Rock, one of the most prominent "mountains" in the foothills. It's a northern 180 degree view with Wyoming and Nebraska in the distance-

There's about a 2700m/9000' elevation difference between the snow-capped mountains and the plains in that. The ecosystems change drastically with every 300m/1000' gain so there's a profound biological shift occurring with the wildly dramatic geology.