Central texas/hill country vs East texas/piney woods (Fort Worth: bonnets, painter)

[soletaire]

Originally Posted by homeinatx

Quite simply, you are flat out wrong. The highest point in East Texas is in Young County at 1522 feet. The highest point in the Hill country is nearly 1000 feet higher. There are 30 plus peaks higher in the hill country than the highest peak in East Texas. Plus the elevation changes in the hill country are much more extreme than in East Texas, which is mostly flat with some rolling hills. Mt. Bonnell in Austin is only 785 feet in altitude, but the drop to to Lake Austin below is close to 90 degrees in gradient. Where in East Texas do you find that kind of dramatic change in elevation: tell me, I have never seen it and would love to. You are right that the hill country is not mountainous - it is called the hill country for a reason, but it is significantly hillier than anywhere in East Texas that I have seen.

You are right that here are no mountains in either the hill country or East Texas. To see mountains in Texas you need to go west of the Pecos, but parts of the hill country have high hills juxtaposed with deep canyons and river valleys, and the Colorado river valley is WAY more dramatic in its elevation changes than the Brazos, so it can feel almost mountainous. East Texas occasionally rises to hilly, but mostly it just looks like Bastrop with taller pine trees.

Really, all im doing is relaying my own personal experiences from driving through all of east texas and the 2 brief trips ive taken to the hill country when i was a child.

Although personally, I dont consider Young County, or anywhere in the fort worth region to be east texas proper...and quite frankly thats not the area i was talking about...but I know driving along 155 between tyler and palestine, hills can have very steep drop offs from the side of the road. These changes in elevation cease and then rejoin somewhere around cities like buffalo, and centerville...

As a separate issue the colorado and brazos river were once the same river....meaning that the troughs that are present today lead to higher elevations to either side of them...which you seem aware of.

However where I diverge from you is that typically we dont calculate elevation differences between 2 regions ( even if we were to use your young county example, which I personally consider to be in north texas.) solely based on the altitudes of their highest elevations...rather we calculate them based on their deviation from sea level or prominence...so if we were to calculate it as we're actually supposed to, we'd see that the lowest elevation in the hill country from sea level is about 980 feet, with the highest elevation being somewhere around that 2450 figure you alluded to. This is a difference of about 1470 ft...if we were to take the lowest point from sea level in my version of east texas (which wouldnt include Young County) of about 100 ft above sea level and subtract it from its highest point above sea level at roughly 1200ft, we're left with an 1100 ft difference in its elevation changes...so we'd see that the actual disparity between elevations (which we view as hills in either region) in the hill country and east texas are a far cry from the 1000 ft higher claim you have issued here in the post above...much closer to around a 500 ft difference at the very most (actually around 370ft difference)..

but anywho, once again, Im just relaying the perception ive gathered of the 2 regions through my travels...if your experiences differ so be it..I repsect your opinion

[mrfoe]

Originally Posted by soletaire

Really, all im doing is relaying my own personal experiences from driving through all of east texas and the 2 brief trips ive taken to the hill country when i was a child.

Although personally, I dont consider Young County, or anywhere in the fort worth region to be east texas proper...and quite frankly thats not the area i was talking about...but I know driving along 155 between tyler and palestine, hills can have very steep drop offs from the side of the road. These changes in elevation cease and then rejoin somewhere around cities like buffalo, and centerville...

As a separate issue the colorado and brazos river were once the same river....meaning that the troughs that are present today lead to higher elevations to either side of them...which you seem aware of.

However where I diverge from you is that typically we dont calculate elevation differences between 2 regions ( even if we were to use your young county example, which I personally consider to be in north texas.) solely based on the altitudes of their highest elevations...rather we calculate them based on their deviation from sea level or prominence...so if we were to calculate it as we're actually supposed to, we'd see that the lowest elevation in the hill country from sea level is about 980 feet, with the highest elevation being somewhere around that 2450 figure you alluded to. This is a difference of about 1470 ft...if we were to take the lowest point from sea level in my version of east texas (which wouldnt include Young County) of about 100 ft above sea level and subtract it from its highest point above sea level at roughly 1200ft, we're left with an 1100 ft difference in its elevation changes...so we'd see that the actual disparity between elevations (which we view as hills in either region) in the hill country and east texas are a far cry from the 1000 ft higher claim you have issued here in the post above...much closer to around a 500 ft difference at the very most (actually around 370ft difference)..

but anywho, once again, Im just relaying the perception ive gathered of the 2 regions through my travels...if your experiences differ so be it..I repsect your opinion

Can you post some pictures of the hills in east texas that could rival hill country.

[soletaire]

Originally Posted by mrfoe

Can you post some pictures of the hills in east texas that could rival hill country.

I will try to get some pics of the ones im talking about the next time im in east texas.

[mrfoe]

Originally Posted by soletaire

I will try to get some pics of the ones im talking about the next time im in east texas.

Ok

[Mdlx]

Originally Posted by soletaire

Really, all im doing is relaying my own personal experiences from driving through all of east texas and the 2 brief trips ive taken to the hill country when i was a child.

Although personally, I dont consider Young County, or anywhere in the fort worth region to be east texas proper...and quite frankly thats not the area i was talking about...but I know driving along 155 between tyler and palestine, hills can have very steep drop offs from the side of the road. These changes in elevation cease and then rejoin somewhere around cities like buffalo, and centerville...

As a separate issue the colorado and brazos river were once the same river....meaning that the troughs that are present today lead to higher elevations to either side of them...which you seem aware of.

However where I diverge from you is that typically we dont calculate elevation differences between 2 regions ( even if we were to use your young county example, which I personally consider to be in north texas.) solely based on the altitudes of their highest elevations...rather we calculate them based on their deviation from sea level or prominence...so if we were to calculate it as we're actually supposed to, we'd see that the lowest elevation in the hill country from sea level is about 980 feet, with the highest elevation being somewhere around that 2450 figure you alluded to. This is a difference of about 1470 ft...if we were to take the lowest point from sea level in my version of east texas (which wouldnt include Young County) of about 100 ft above sea level and subtract it from its highest point above sea level at roughly 1200ft, we're left with an 1100 ft difference in its elevation changes...so we'd see that the actual disparity between elevations (which we view as hills in either region) in the hill country and east texas are a far cry from the 1000 ft higher claim you have issued here in the post above...much closer to around a 500 ft difference at the very most (actually around 370ft difference)..

but anywho, once again, Im just relaying the perception ive gathered of the 2 regions through my travels...if your experiences differ so be it..I repsect your opinion

Have you ever compared a topographic map of the two regions? Pretty stark contrast between the two when it comes to hills. One area has gently rolling land, with few steep inclines. The other, has quite steep hills and drop offs.

Elevation does not make a mountain or hill obviously, it is the rate of change in the elevation over a given area that makes the hill or mountain. You seem to understand this, but I'm not sure you have compared a topographic map of the two regions. Yes, there are areas of the hill country with a few small hills and flat land that is comparable to east texas and the piney woods, but it also has many areas that have extreme elevation changes you cannot find further east. Check out the areas northwest of San Antonio.

Also, I have never heard the Colorado and Brazos were once the same river. I know at one time they joined in delta forming near the gulf, but was there some other way they were once "the same river"?

[soletaire]

Originally Posted by Mdlx

Have you ever compared a topographic map of the two regions? Pretty stark contrast between the two when it comes to hills. One area has gently rolling land, with few steep inclines. The other, has quite steep hills and drop offs.

Elevation does not make a mountain or hill obviously, it is the rate of change in the elevation over a given area that makes the hill or mountain. You seem to understand this, but I'm not sure you have compared a topographic map of the two regions. Yes, there are areas of the hill country with a few small hills and flat land that is comparable to east texas and the piney woods, but it also has many areas that have extreme elevation changes you cannot find further east. Check out the areas northwest of San Antonio.

Also, I have never heard the Colorado and Brazos were once the same river. I know at one time they joined in delta forming near the gulf, but was there some other way they were once "the same river"?

Yeah...they were once combined, fused, the same river, formed a delta, basin or whatever other term youd like to put quotation marks around...particularly during the times in which they would flood..

But anywho...Lol...believe it or not, ive seen elevation maps AND topography maps before...I know, shock and awe all around right?..but yeah, the difference between the hills ive seen in each region isnt very stark...to you it is...i thank you for your suggestions and maybe someday ill get to see some of the same vistas you have and study some of the same maps you have been privied to. But for now, im not sure what else you want to hear at this point.. the op asked the question regarding which region we find more scenic and thats my final answer, simply put...it may not be yours and thats fine..but i will probably follow whats his faces lead and agree to disagree as im noticing this seems to be getting a little redundant here.

[TXEX06]

I think we need to look at renaming the hill country, since it's apparently in east Texas.

[mrfoe]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

I think we need to look at renaming the hill country, since it's apparently in east Texas.

Hill country is in central texas not east Texas. Hill country is west of i35 and i35 is hours west of east texas.

[mrfoe]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

I think we need to look at renaming the hill country, since it's apparently in east Texas.

Not to mention the topography of hill country is totally different than east texas.

[TXEX06]

Originally Posted by mrfoe

Hill country is in central texas not east Texas. Hill country is west of i35 and i35 is hours west of east texas.