Can you tell me what the tallest mountains in the US to climb without special gear are? I really need to find out. Also, is Longs Peak in Colorado one of the tops? Thanks so much in advance!

live in a garden by mot featuring scarecrow fall

best coffee beans available all over the world, roast them to perfection, season with an advanced social conscience and a mission to help change the world, flavor with a very savvy sense of marketing and business and you might end up with one of the most successful specialty coffee businesses in the world. Ask the founders of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the specialty coffee business that started as a small café in Waterbury, Vermont back in 1981 and recorded nearly $350 million in sales in fiscal 2007.

The road to success for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has been a series of excellent business decisions coupled with right-place-right-time social policies. The Green Mountain label stands for excellent coffee combined with a mission to make a difference in the world. That mission imbues everything that the company does, from sourcing their coffees to point of sale and beyond – the company even uses recycled/recyclable packaging materials. Mission and social responsibility aside, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters owes its success to one factor – the amazing flavor.

The Green Mountain brand is built on high quality specialty coffees. The company began as a small café in Vermont, with a commitment to serving specialty coffees roasted on premises. It wasn’t long before restaurants and shops in town started asking to serve Green Mountain’s coffee. When skiers who had tried Green Mountain’s specialty coffees while on vacation started asking if they could order coffee and have it sent to their homes, the company added its mail order business, and things just grew from there. These days, you can buy Green Mountain Roasters specialty coffees in your supermarket or order it online, sign up for Café Express to have Green Mountain coffee delivered to you automatically, drink Green Mountain coffee at many of your favorite restaurants, and buy Green Mountain coffee pre-packed into Keurig K-cups – Green Mountain sells the most varieties of coffees in K-cups of any of the Keurig partners.

The connection with Keurig is not the first strategic market placement decision that’s paid off for Green Mountain. Many avid fans got their first taste of Green Mountain’s specialty roasts at a most unexpected place – local convenience stores like 7-11 and Store 24, Gas-n-Go shops and other on-the-run coffee pickup spots where the last thing you expect is excellent coffee. As the various convenience stores have expanded their repertoire to include self-service coffee bars – and the technology for making good coffee has improved – Green Mountain has often been the coffee served.

Who Is Green Mountain Coffee Roasters?

Why not ask the company themselves? According to their press releases:

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was ranked No. 1 on the list of “100 Best Corporate Citizens” in 2006 and 2007, and has been recognized repeatedly by Forbes, Fortune Small Business, and the Society of Human Resource Management as an innovative, high-growth, socially responsible company.

Is the coffee really as good as all that? With the fastest growing sales in the industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters stands by quality as a watchword. They send coffee sourcers throughout the world to taste and test the crops at coffee plantations in Africa, Asia and South America, bringing back the best that they find. Unlike the biggest chains that must be able to buy in large enough volume to supply hundreds or thousands of stores with any variety they choose, Green Mountain has no issues with selling limited edition coffees, often as single origin coffees.

Green Mountain Coffee Sourcing

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is also popular with “socially conscious” consumers who love the company’s environmentally and community-friendly policies. The company makes every attempt to source directly from growers around the world, and is one of the leading buyers in the Fair Trade coffee market. Green Mountain buyers work directly with coffee growers whenever possible. It is their commitment to high quality coffee and improving the world that has spurred the roasting company’s success.

Favorite Green Mountain Coffee Blends

If you’ve never tried Green Mountain Coffee, one of the best ways to get a real feel for the brand’s variety of flavors is to order one of the company’s variety samplers. If you’d rather pick and choose your own sampler pack, here’s a list of all-time favorite Green Mountain Coffee Blends.

Breakfast Blend – The #1 all time favorite and best seller, lighter roast, rich taste and medium acidity

Nantucket Blend – Exotic blend, full-bodied with a hint of floral and fruit, bright acidity and complex flavor

Dark Magic – An extra bold dark roast specially blended and roasted for espresso

Wild Mountain Blueberry – Seasonal flavored coffee that has become one of Green Mountain’s most popular coffees ever

When planning a Copper Mountain wedding is it important to begin at least a year in advance. Lodging and accommodations in Copper Mountain tend to book up fast. Planning ahead will ensure you get the best rates on condo rentals, hotels and resort facilities. Read more about Copper Mountain wedding information.

It is those moments when you celebrate your Copper Mountain wedding with friends and family that will make all the planning, preparation and organization completely worth it. Planning the ultimate mountain wedding can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Read wedding planning information for Copper Mountain, Colorado.

Firstly, many brides and grooms choose Copper Mountain as their wedding location due to its stunning scenery, casual environment and excellent location to the Denver International Airport. Here you will say “I Do” with the Ten Mile Range and the Colorado mountains as your witness. In the summer, when the sun shines high above this mountain community, the nearby valleys and peaks come alive with wildflowers which only add to the natural color of your special day.

It is important to first sort out what type of Copper Mountain lodging will best suit your wedding party. In this unique village, you will find a plentiful supply of hotels, resorts and condo rentals. Brides who want the wedding party under one roof will feel right at home in any of the full-service hotels dotted throughout the Copper Villages. On the other hand, for those discerning guests who want the comfort of your own space, condo rentals are also a popular option. This allows for wedding guests to relax in the spaciousness of their own accommodation.

In Copper Mountain, Colorado you will find four different wedding locations to host your wedding ceremony. These ceremony sites are only available in conjunction with your reception.

Traditionalists will enjoy the Copper Mountain Chapel as their stage for a mountain wedding. The refined yet casual setting combined with spectacular views of the Ten Mile Range provide both a unique wedding location while adhering to mountain tradition. The chapel accommodates roughly 70 adults. The adjacent Community Center can provide additional seating as well.

Overlooking the Grand Hall with its magnificent views of the Copper Mountain Golf Course, the Mezzanine is a convenient and sophisticated location for your special day. Your wedding party will enjoy the romantic appeal of the Colorado Rockies. The Mezzanine can accommodate up to 200 of your closest friends and family.

Located right at the base of the Super Bee Lift and the golf course, wedding guests will feel the beauty and nature of the Colorado mountains as they gaze upon the Ten Mile Range. Directly in front of Copper Station, your guests will have no problem getting to the reception!

There is something so unique about riding a chairlift to your special day. Not too many brides and grooms can say they were married at the top of a mountain. At the Solitude Station at Copper Mountain Resort, you will be naturally inspired by the views afforded from your wedding ceremony location. Enjoy the ride to the top of the American Eagle chairlift which will take you and your wedding party to an elevation of 11,200 feet above sea level. This is a unique Rocky Mountain wedding experience and a once in a lifetime photo opportunity. The Solitude Station comfortably accommodates 250 guests.

The most important part about planning a Copper Mountain wedding is to relax, take it all in and enjoy your special day beneath a classic Colorado sky.

The business case is that someone has 100 acres of mountain land in the Blue Ridge mountains in MD and VA and is looking for a green business to put in it, even if only for a few years.
Is creating a wind farm or solar energy possible?
Could a farmer farm the land using eco-friendly means and make more profit than the holding cost of the land?
How about something other than energy creation?

Please be versed in such matters before answering and include a link or two with your suggestions.

Thank you!

I have to make a map with schools, hosiptals, malls, and roads according to hills made of hard, resistent limestone and mountains made of soft claystone. If any one can help me or show me a website, that would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

We are planning to visit Smokey Mountains, Tennessee during October/November? What is the best time for this where we can see the most beautifyl autumn falls and different colors over the trees?

Introducing Whisper Mountain, a veritable gem of NC mountain real estate. Located just minutes from the beautiful city of Asheville, Whisper Mountain still possesses the allure of a peaceful mountain environment. This Asheville, North Carolina real estate development is located on Hwy. 63, about 20 miles from downtown Asheville, and a pleasant drive through open meadows and rolling hills. If you’re in the market for NC mountain real estate, come discover why Whisper Mountain should top your list of considerations.

Hundreds of beautiful wooded acres make up this gated mountain community. Homesites start at $90,000 and range from 1-10 acres. Each homesite contains an array of natural features, including long-range views, mature forests, accessible building sites, and privacy. At Whisper Mountain, there is an inherent interest in protecting the abundant natural beauty and diversity found there. The community goal is to revere and protect the natural mountain streams, waterfalls, high mountain meadows, and the tapestry of flora and fauna that has thrived there long before our arrival. Whisper Mountain is one of the few Asheville, North Carolina real estate communities that is committed to maintaining full integrity for the environment during and after the construction process.

The reason people often seek North Carolina Mountain homes is because of the copious natural amenities that are found in the area. Whisper Mountain is certainly no exception. Hiking trails wind through the community, providing easy access to parks, camps, and creeks. With a generous commitment to greenspace and a balance between rustic and modern amenities, like the beautiful reconstructed Sky Valley Lodge, you’re sure to find yourself at once immersed in nature and all the comforts of home. Whisper Mountain’s location in the heart of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains makes the splendor of this community difficult to match.

In addition to all of the wonderful things happening at Whisper Mountain, the masterminds behind the development have been delighted to learn that Southern Living magazine has selected the community as the site to build an Idea House. Southern Living Idea Homes feature the finest in Southern architecture, interior design, and landscaping. Each home reflects the region where it is built and is filled with smart ideas and decorating tips. What’s even more exciting is that Whisper Mountain’s Idea House will be the first “green” Idea Home ever built. EcoBuilders, a local green building team, will be breaking ground on this and another green spec house in October of 2007. If you’re looking for a unique building site for North Carolina mountain homes, make a trip to Whisper Mountain and find out what makes this NC mountain real estate development so special as to receive this honor.

Widely considered to be one of the worlds best, if not the best, coffees, Jamaican Blue Mountain is a rich, smooth roast. This aromatic and flavorful coffee has to be experienced to be believed.

The Beginning of Jamaica’s Coffee Trade

The history of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is just as rich and interesting as the coffee itself. According to one legend, King Louis XV of France sent three coffee plants to French colony Martinique around 1723. Just one of the three plants survived, and this particular coffee plant was given to Sir Nicholas Lawes, a former Jamaican Governor, approximately five years later. Once this coffee plant arrived on Jamaican soil, a coffee crop was quickly established thanks to soil rich in nitrogen, potash, and phosphorous. Less than ten years later, coffee exportation had already begun. More than 600 coffee plantations had been established by the early nineteenth century.

It is believed that all of the coffee plants grown in Jamaica today are descendents of that single plant, of the Arabica typica variety, that arrived in Jamaica from France, via the island of Martinique.

The Blue Mountains Factor-why does that Coffee Taste so Good?

The fantastic Blue Mountain taste is achieved by a combination of three different factors: altitude, a special kind of rich, nutrient-laden soil called volcanic soil, and the treatment processes undergone by the beans once they are harvested.

The hub of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee production is, of course, Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, a magnificent mountain range that rises more than seven thousand feet above sea level. The high altitude, dense cloud cover, and low annual rainfall of the region all serve to slow down the maturation rate of the coffee crop. In this region, crops take up to ten months to mature, whereas in most other parts of the world, the average time taken is five to six months. The longer maturation time produces beans that are larger and have a more concentrated and complex flavor.

Like every other mountain in the islands of the Caribbean, Jamaica’s Blue Mountains are the peaks of extinct volcanoes. Throughout centuries of eruptions, the soil created on the peaks of the Blue Mountains has become extremely nutrient-rich due to the decomposition of plant life, and the deposition of accumulated biomass. This extraordinarily rich soil is an important ingredient in producing the exceptional quality coffee beans that go into every cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.

This is not the entire story, however. There is one more important factor, without which Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee would not be as highly-regarded as it is today. The production and distribution of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is rigorously regulated and protected by the Jamaican government to ensure that every bean roasted and every cup brewed is of the highest quality.

For example, only coffee grown at an altitude of between 3,000 and 5,500 feet is allowed to bear the name Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. If the coffee plants are grown between 1,500 and 3,000 feet, the coffee is known as Jamaica High Mountain Coffee, and plants grown below 1,500 feet are Jamaica Low Mountain or Jamaica Supreme Coffee. These regulations ensure that all Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is grown at the special altitude that delays maturation of the coffee plants and produces that complex and rich flavored coffee. In addition, there are geographical requirements as well as elevation requirements, in that to bear the Jamaican Blue Mountain, the coffee plants must be grown in one of only four parishes in the region.

Another unique aspect of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is that pulped and washed coffee beans are allowed to age for a full six weeks, which is a particularly unusual part of the preparation process. Finally, before export of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is allowed, it is checked for appearance and taste, to ensure that every single batch of coffee is of the highest quality.

How to Best Enjoy Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Once you have made the effort to purchase one of the very best coffees in the world, it would be almost criminal if you did not ensure that your coffee is properly stored and brewed!

Storing your coffee properly requires that it be sealed in an airtight container, away from any foods with strong odors or flavors, such as curry powder and other spices. Refrigeration in an airtight container is the ideal way to store ground beans.

You can keep your coffee tasting great by cleaning your coffee pot immediately following each use. Never use detergent or other cleaners in your coffee pot, this can affect the taste. Simply empty the pot, brush and rinse thoroughly with hot water. Additionally, give the pot a rinse with hot water before making a fresh batch of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, and enjoy.

from the debut album “Fleet Foxes”