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Denver? Or Montucky??

Original Post
SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

Im moving and I seriously cannot decide between Denver and Billings, Montana.
If I could decide, I wouldn't be on here asking random people their opinion. Hence, this post.

They both have drawbacks, so it's like choosing which child to leave at the rest stop.

If any one has any input about living in either locale, please hook me up with your wisdom or comments.

Thanks a bunch!

Mark

Monomaniac · · Morrison, CO · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 17,295

If you haven't already, check out Kyle Vasillopoulis's guidebook. I've never climbed in MT but I was blown away by the potential detailed in the book.

Plus you would be located "near" a lot of sweet crags, like Ten Sleep, Spearfish, and all of the Lander Crags. If you're more into the trad/alpine stuff, its hard to beat the Tetons, Wind River Range, Black Hills, and Canadian Rockies.

SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

@David: Hahahhaha!!! I live in Wyoming right now, so i'm comfortable with hicksville. Montana hickness is definitely different than Wyoming hickness, though.

@admin: thanks a lot! I will check it out. Hearing that makes Montana sound a lot better.

sqwirll · · Las Vegas · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,360
Monomaniac wrote:If you haven't already, check out Kyle Vasillopoulis's guidebook.
Just be aware that everything in that book is 1-1/2 to 3 hours from Billings.

Billings would probably be the last place I'd live in Montana. It does have the Beartooths in it's backyard, which could make up for it.
Jeff Chrisler · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 145

If you can't decide between two vastly different areas, then simply ask yourself...

1. Do you want a good job? If not, move to MT
2. Do you want a nightlife? If not, move to MT
3. Do you need/want a g/f? If not, move to MT

Both areas are great for climbing, but obviously one is busier

Evan S · · Denver, Co · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 510

Billings is like if you took just Commerce City and the bad parts of Arvada and put them farther away from climbing. Denver is cosmopolitan and has the ability to be mildly sophisticated, have you ever been to Montana?

MountainManny · · Idaho Springs · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 820

I work in downtown and don't live in Denver....a bad day is a 45minute one way commute....how close am I to tons of sick spots? Hella close!

Great jobs abound in Colorado.....a little pricey living in the Metro at the moment (the renting market is saturated with renters)...your buck goes a little farther if you stay out of the city (and resort towns).

shotgunnelson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2009 · Points: 5

Billings suuuuucccckkkssss

SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10
Jeff Chrisler wrote:If you can't decide between two vastly different areas, then simply ask yourself... 1. Do you want a good job? If not, move to MT 2. Do you want a nightlife? If not, move to MT 3. Do you need/want a g/f? If not, move to MT Both areas are great for climbing, but obviously one is busier
Shit made my day!
SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

And poontang is the last thing on my list of desired amenities. Proximity to uncrowded trad and alpine rock is high on the list. As is the ability to make skrillah. Denver just seems like such a shitshow some times. Billings means being poor, though.

Maybe I need some one to engage in some augury for me... if you know where to get goat entrails, let me know.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425
Mark Vincent wrote:And poontang is the last thing on my list of desired amenities.
haha LAST??? You might suprise yourself. I have buddies that moved from Boulder to the mountains and then started regularly driving back to Boulder just for women. ANY women.
David A · · Gardnerville, NV · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 405

After living in Denver/Boulder metro area for almost 4 years, it's gotten way too big and crowded for me. The traffic, crowds, and general built-up-ness has really put me off. If I had your decision, I'd take Billings in a heartbeat. At least there you don't have to drive very far in order to really be in some nice rural country.

MountainManny · · Idaho Springs · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 820

If you like rural....hit up the Western Slope of Colorado....

Rifle is super epic...
It is less than 30minutes from Glenwood (more great locales)
Glenwood is about an hour from Aspen and Snowmass...
About an hour to Grand Junction, there is an airport in G.J., an REI and again super close to lots of routes....

For those who sound so "trapped" in Denver and the Metro....have you ventured out of the Front Range Canyons ever???? There is a shit ton more to Colorado than the Front Range....

SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10
Scott McMahon wrote: haha LAST??? You might suprise yourself. I have buddies that moved from Boulder to the mountains and then started regularly driving back to Boulder just for women. ANY women.
haha!!

I would probably end up doing that regardless of where I lived, so that's not really something I'm worried about.
SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

I think I'm making this shit way harder than it needs to be. Time for a coin toss!

SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

Not to digress, but does any one know what the backcountry skiing potential looks like in the Beartooths? And I know there's ice in Cody, so that would cover the cold months if I couldn't find a winter squaw with whom to winter-over.

sqwirll · · Las Vegas · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,360
Mark Vincent wrote:Not to digress, but does any one know what the backcountry skiing potential looks like in the Beartooths? And I know there's ice in Cody, so that would cover the cold months if I couldn't find a winter squaw with whom to winter-over.
I've skied in the Beartooths a bit. The Billing's side doesn't get as much snow as the Cooke City side. It seems that the peaks down by Cooke suck most of the moisture out. It's a long drive to Cooke in the winter. You can snowmobile over from the east, which I think is 9 miles or so.

Beartooth Pass offers awesome spring skiing once the pass opens. I'm not sure what the access or conditions are like in the winter though.

I've skied Whitetail Peak and Mount Wood, which are accessed from the Billings side of the range. The approaches tend to be quite lengthy though. The Whitetail Couloir is probably the sweetest line I've ever skied.

Whitetail Peak.

Whitetail Couloir.

The Crazy Mountains also have a lot of options for spring skiing.

View from Crazy Peak.
SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

Wowza! Looks pretty good to me... we can get sleds if need be, so some approaches can be cut down, time -wise. Unless it's in a wilderness area, I suppose.

SauceBoss · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 10

That couloir looks gangster as all get out!

Josh Kornish · · Whitefish, MT · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 800

Montana as a whole has an incredible amount of potential. Especially in the Beartooths.

That said, I have never lived in Billings but I've been there quite a bit and it pretty much blows. Possibly consider Missoula or Bozeman?

There is actually a lot of climbing close to Billings but it's pretty hard to get info out of people.

todd w · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2008 · Points: 0

Montana is not Kentucky.

Now apologize.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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