Steve wrote
on a beautiful sunny day I could have an amazing ride
at any of the North American spots I listed.

Yes, I find that at some point my internal "spectacular scenery" meter just
hits it's maximum, and I'm feeling as good about the scenery as I possibly
can in my limited human capacity. And my meter hits that maximum in terrain
significantly less dramatic than the Dolomites. On lots of good days riding
in the mid-Hudson valley, I intellectually know that it's not the Alps or
the west coast of Corsica, but the shortfall just doesn't matter to me,
since I'm happy out riding in a place which is pretty enough for my meter.

Here are some of my favorite North America mountain views
from posted trip reports:
Crater Lake: http://tinyurl.com/benyw
Kings Canyon: http://tinyurl.com/9n8ct and http://tinyurl.com/8unso
Monitor Pass: http://tinyurl.com/c6ag5

Crater Lake does look great -- thanks for the excellent photos. It confirms
my idea that the mountains are most spectacular in the springtime with a
little snow on them to provide contrast against green and blue and brown,
and that I like riding alongside water.

Kings Canyon does looks dramatic (even better with a little snow, I bet) --
and I hadn't thought of it, maybe because it's an out-and-back ride that
doesn't fit into a larger loop route.

Hope I get an excuse to ride and skate in California someday.

Ken