Where to live in CO

First, don't get so bent out of shape.

Second, my comment isn't total BS.

Boulder may have plenty of climbing areas within a 30 min drive (without traffic) but with traffic and the huge number of climbers at the popular areas and it's going to be 90 minutes before you're at the base ready to climb.

Sure if you live in Boulder you may get that down to 45 minutes but someone that can afford to live in Boulder probably has enough money to travel to way better climbing areas. ;)

Chad Miller wrote: it's going to be 90 minutes before you're at the base ready to climb.

I can get to the base of almost any Eldo route in 60 mins and I don't even live in Boulder. I also don't hike that fast. If it takes 90 mins you should stop driving like a grandma and/or get in better shape.

But seriously, I hear GJ is great for a climber (but probably not great for my profession). You don't need to have buyer's remorse.

Depends if you want to drive a bit. Frederick/Firestone/Decono... East of the Boulder Bubble 20 min and easy access to I-25. So about the same to ski as anywhere.
About 1/2 the price (or less) as the Boulder/Denver model & you can get land if you want it... but that's flat land, not range.

Colorado sucks... There's nothing fun to do. You're probably better off somewhere else... I'd listen to the Utah people.

Chad Miller wrote: Second, my comment isn't total BS. Boulder may have plenty of climbing areas within a 30 min drive (without traffic) but with traffic and the huge number of climbers at the popular areas and it's going to be 90 minutes before you're at the base ready to climb.

It's total BS.

That being said, the climbing and skiing probably is better in SLC. Which has it's own unique shortcomings, just like Boulder and Denver have theirs.

But reasonably good climbing is easy to reach from Boulder (or Golden) in less than 30-45 minutes.

Again you seem to be making this personal for no reason that I can ascertain. Well other than bravado brought out by online anonimity.

You like Boulder, I get it. It's a great town, very crowded and expensive but great. Could it be possible that our definitions of 'good' climbing are different and thus the time it takes to reach them are also different?

Naw that couldn't be it.

Chad Miller wrote:Again you seem to be making this personal for no reason that I can ascertain. Well other than bravado brought out by online anonimity. You like Boulder, I get it. It's a great town, very crowded and expensive but great. Could it be possible that our definitions of 'good' climbing are different and thus the time it takes to reach them are also different? Naw that couldn't be it.

I think you are just blowing smoke, and really don't care one way or the other.

Danomcq asked a question and you are giving what seems to me to be an uninformed answer. Since he has contributed to MP in the past I feel like clarifying things for him.

The last post wasn't directed at you but the post above you

As for my comments, I'm basing them on my personal experienes last summer durring weekends. I'm sure that durring weekdays or even after work the time to climbs are much shorter but I didn't expect that much diffrence. I'm not trying to' blow smoke' so if my experiences aren't the norm I aplologize.

Chad Miller wrote:The last post wasn't directed at you but the post above you As for my comments, I'm basing them on my personal experienes last summer durring weekends. I'm sure that durring weekdays or even after work the time to climbs are much shorter but I didn't expect that much diffrence. I'm not trying to' blow smoke' so if my experiences aren't the norm I aplologize.

Crowds are an issue on weekends, depending on where you climb.

Boulder is a nice town, but I'm pretty sure there are places with better local climbing.

Didn't know you spent the summer in Boulder?

Ah! I was talking about just Boulder! Sorry for the miscommunication.

I just got back from a conference in Denver and I'm thankful for not having to put up with the cf that is the front range. It took almost two hours to travel 15 miles on I-25. I figured there was an accident somewhere and once I passed it, we'd start moving.... There was no accident. So sure, I suppose there is plenty of great climbing close as the crow flies, but climbers don't have wings, they have subarus which I'm sure crowd any and all crags in the vicinity on the weekends if they can get past the traffic.

Two weekends ago I did some lazy Sunday climbing at X rock here in Durango. The weather was absolutely perfect, the crag is minutes from downtown and the approach is roughly 5 minutes. We only saw two other people all day. If this was anywhere near the front range, it would be a mess. I'll stick with this area, you Greater Denver Metro area folks are much more patient than me.

Agreed on Durango, I love it there. Only problem is you can't really be a frequent traveler because of proximity to airports......of course that's what keep it off people's radars though too!

Eric Carlos wrote: No offense to GJ, but where are these good local crags? Rifle and Moab are NOT local crags. Where are these good restaurants?

It's all relative. I consider Unaweep a good local crag, and the Bistro and No Coast Sushi solid places to eat.

But then, I'm now headed to Buckhannon, WV in a month, so my memories of GJ will be of sunny skies, good climbing, and plentiful cultural opportunities.

Durango does have a lot of upside if you want isolated small town with tons of access. Like others have stated, it is hard to travel from there...but with so much within a few hours drive, maybe you don't need to. Prices are pretty high though in town, but our of town isn't bad.

Steven Groetken wrote:I just got back from a conference in Denver and I'm thankful for not having to put up with the cf that is the front range. It took almost two hours to travel 15 miles on I-25. I figured there was an accident somewhere and once I passed it, we'd start moving....

Yep, I would say the I-25 stretch between Thornton and Centennial is one of the worst in the country. That's after spending time in Silicon Valley, Seattle, and even Boston. The thing people on the east coast don't realize is Denver is so spread out that it takes a lot of driving to get anywhere, and with pathetic public transportation options. I'm so glad I don't work in Denver anymore. On the other hand, your options for a skilled white collar job is way better than GJ or the small towns in CO so there is that.

reboot wrote: Yep, I would say the I-25 stretch between Thornton and Centennial is one of the worst in the country. That's after spending time in Silicon Valley, Seattle, and even Boston. The thing people on the east coast don't realize is Denver is so spread out that it takes a lot of driving to get anywhere, and with pathetic public transportation options. I'm so glad I don't work in Denver anymore. On the other hand, your options for a skilled white collar job is way better than GJ or the small towns in CO so there is that.

It's a toss up for sure. I live in the bubble and most days I only go west or when i do go to Dtown it's in the off hours. Probably in two years I'll be down to a loveland pass, then all backcountry after that. Even boulder is mobbed. Need to buy toilet paper? See you in an hour. haha

What do you expect when 200k people move here a year? I'm glad I got here a decade ago so I can remember what it was like to drive with less traffic.

Should have came out after high school in 92.

This is very true. While the white collar jobs are way more prevail any in the Denver metro are it's important to look at the cost of living between areas and take into account the going rate for your profession in each area.

For example I'm an architect originally from Duluth Minnesota. I interviewed at firms in the Denver area and Grand Junction. Below is what I found.

Duluth to Denver Arsa , pay the same, cost of living increase + 22%

Grand Junction to Denver Area, pay increase 9%, cost of living increase +15%

In my case there are a lot mor job opperatunites in the Denver area but the pay isn't sufficient to justify the move. I actually have more discresdionaty income working in GJ than Denver and thus more money to travel and play.

Of course this is only for my profession of architecture.

Seth Jones wrote: I live in Chicago and commute during rush hour every day. The top 10 worst traffic days I have ever sat in has been on I70 when trying to get in or out of the mountains.

yes, when you leave denver at 7:30 and expect to be at keystone in an hour.

Chad Miller wrote:This is very true. While the white collar jobs are way more prevail any in the Denver metro are it's important to look at the cost of living between areas and take into account the going rate for your profession in each area. For example I'm an architect originally from Duluth Minnesota. I interviewed at firms in the Denver area and Grand Junction. Below is what I found. Duluth to Denver Arsa , pay the same, cost of living increase + 22% Grand Junction to Denver Area, pay increase 9%, cost of living increase +15% In my case there are a lot mor job opperatunites in the Denver area but the pay isn't sufficient to justify the move. I actually have more discresdionaty income working in GJ than Denver and thus more money to travel and play. Of course this is only for my profession of architecture.

I'm a lazy federal worker, and have found essentially the same thing to be true within the federal (GS) system. While there is a cost of living adjustment between metro areas, it is not nearly enough to cover the real cost of living difference. This is especially true if you want to buy a house. In Seattle, the COLA means that I get paid around 10% more than I would in a place like GJ, but a house costs three times as much here. Same idea in Denver also- you do make more, but the cost of living eats that pay adjustment (and then some). Overall, you do vastly better financially as a government employee in low cost of living areas. A GS-11 in Seattle trying to raise kids would barely scrape by, but in rural Montana would be one of the better paid people in town (even with the lower COLA).

On the other hand, the issue in a place like GJ isn't the pay, it is finding a job in your field at all. If you had some foresight when you were in college, you chose a field (nursing) that has jobs in the climbing towns you wish to live in. This is why I went into water resources; all the areas I want to live in (for climbing) have big-time water issues. But if you decided to become an aerospace engineer, you might have hosed yourself for living in a cool mountain town, since all the jobs are in the big cities, unless you change fields. It is even worse for two-career couples. While any one individual might find a good job in their field in a small mountain town, having two people try to both find career-type jobs in the same small town is difficult. I think that this issue is why many people end up stuck in the city.

You're right about less jobs on the Western Slope. Things are changing though. For example several major airspace firms are looking to locate drone R&D facilitirs to Grand Junction

Who knows if or when it could happen though.