Yes—what you noticed is real. In the mountains, nearby terrain can hide the sun earlier at sunset and later at sunrise, so your local “sunset” often happens while the sun is still relatively high above the true horizon. That means its light may pass through less atmosphere than it would on flat land, so it can look less red/orange and more direct.

In general, more atmosphere between you and the sun increases scattering and diffusion, which is why very low sun tends to look warmer and softer. At higher elevations there is also somewhat less atmosphere overhead, which can contribute to clearer, less diffused light.

That said, mountains do not eliminate the golden hour. They often shift and compress it. In practice, some of the richest warm color may appear after the sun has dropped behind the mountains, as the sky continues to glow and illuminate clouds and peaks. So for landscape photography, don’t pack up as soon as the sun disappears behind a ridge—wait for the post-sunset color, which can be especially strong in mountain scenes.