Cody or Jackson Hole??

I would love to have a vacation/ retirement spot in the Yellowstone region one day.

For climbers, which is the better place to live, Jackson Hole or Cody?

Please comment as to types of climbing:

Mountaineering
Single pitch
Multi-pitch
Bouldering

The real estate is super expensive in Jackson Hole, and I want a climbers perspective on living/ vacationing in Cody.

Plus, are there more climber/ mtn biker friendly communities in either town?

For work, I basically used to live in Cody for months out of the year. I can say that the bouldering there is awesome(AWESOME), and there is an exceptional guidebook put together to compliment it. I haven't done any mountaineering up there, but as for other types of climbing - ice, sport, etc - it is really a fantastic destination, and a great place. Once you get past the "windy as all hell" part, you'll be fine. The wind blows like crazy until May, and then it starts up again in May.

I really have no opinion on Jackson Hole, as I've never climbed there. But, I've heard the locals around Cody say their beloved community is quickly becoming the next Jackson. So to speak, housing prices are probably on the incline. I have some good friends up there in Cody, but have to say, the community is still pretty old-fashioned if you haven't already experienced it.

If you have any questions on the climbing in Cody - call up "The Beta Coffee Shop" downtown in Cody. The owner, Mike, was instrumental in putting the guidebook together, is an extremely nice dude, and knows all about the climbing. Not to mention, the shop makes a mean cup of jitter juice. He's got a good group of guys that climb all the time, too. They were nothing but nice to me.

Another good thing about Cody - it's closer to Ten Sleep, Lander, and Fremont Canyon than Jackson. There's tons of great mountain biking trails that you never see anybody on. Even though I say this, there's a pretty good group of guys that ride up there, and it would be worthwhile to get in touch with them. Awesome hunting and fishing, too. The Sunlight Basin is nearby to the north, it is absolutely beautiful, and there is much climbing to be done there, too (though I'm pretty sure it's mostly undocumented). I'd go hiking up there for hours, and found some really good bouldering - and no bears!

Only bad things I can report, besides the wind - the place is a mad house all summer long, being that it's the gateway to Yellowstone Nat'l Park. That being said, if you're not afraid to get out of town, you won't have to worry about seeing people. Oh, yeah, and bears, too - don't forget your pepper spray and bells. My .45 kept me pretty safe feeling when I went at it alone.

Feel free to PM me if you want more information.

For climbing, I would agree with Yagi on this one. Jackson certainly has some prime mountaineering, but the regulation of the NPS gets to be a hassel. Seems you can't just go out in the wild anymore. And as Yagi mentioned, you are much closer to the rest of wyoming climbing in Cody. Jackson is also mega expensive.

Thanks guys...i am looking for some land west of town in Wapati...how is that?

By the way will, I saw ur profile..ankes away and great arch are both great climbs...loved stone mtn

What about lander/pinedale? easy access to the winds, way laid back, and BREWERIES!

Jackson is way expensive, but it's got a social scene, which may be a plus, if you're trying to meet people or just have a good time at night

Great points for Cody listed above,,,,BUT you sure can't beat the overall beauty of the mountains, peaks and rock of the Tetons.

Honestly, I thought the single pitch climbing near Cody was terrible. Good ice climbing, good bouldering, but really unpleasant sport and trad climbing.

Yagi wrote:If you have any questions on the climbing in Cody - call up "The Beta Coffee Shop" downtown in Cody. The owner, Mike, was instrumental in putting the guidebook together, is an extremely nice dude, and knows all about the climbing. Not to mention, the shop makes a mean cup of jitter juice. He's got a good group of guys that climb all the time, too. They were nothing but nice to me.

Mike and Meg are friends, and I agree with everything you said about the Beta, but I think they just sold the place... I'll bet the same group of climbers can be found there, though.

BJ Null wrote:Thanks guys...i am looking for some land west of town in Wapati...how is that?

Personally, I really like Wapiti, but it's windier than Cody (It is the stereotypical high-country of Wyoming.), and it's right on the path to Yellowstone. Tons of traffic in the summer (so the main roads are in great condition), but there are some really cool places out there - especially along the north fork of the Shoshoni River. Great fishing and hunting, if you're into that stuff. Endless hiking, too, and most tourists never get more than 200 yards off the road.

Now, I don't mind having to drive a little ways to work and play, but Wapiti (which is Native American for "elk," I think) is a little bit of a drive from Cody (or anywhere, for that matter) in inclement weather. The road between Cody and Wapiti (HWYs 16/20) follows the entire north side of Buffalo Bill reservoir, and albeit quite beautiful, it's damn windy on most days. Being that the wind is usually from the southwest, it can be a hairy drive.

I don't know why I feel I can't stress this enough - the wind. Obviously, before you make any decisions to buy property, go up and stay for a bit, preferably in the winter and spring seasons. If you can stand the wind and possible entrapment in Wapiti due to extreme weather, the place may very well be for you. Just keep a lot of booze around to cope if you can't. There are several good liquor stores and bars in Cody - another reason to live there.

On the plus, there are some awesome cabins for sale in that area, some are on Forest Service leases that are/were, like, 99 or 100 years, or something. Ultimately, though, you have no say in when they would want it back, even though I haven't heard any bad stories yet. They just had a huge fire up there a few years ago (the Gunbarrel Fire), and I don't know if that's affected property value at all. That being said, the Absaroka (pronounced "Absorka") Wilderness is still awe-inspiring, and worth hiking all over with a few bottles of wine, in search of new climbing destinations.

As far as mountain biking in Wapiti, I think there's a few trails for hiking that allow bikes, but not a huge network. If you've got a 'cross bike, though, you can go damn near forever on the Forest Service roads. Take some wine for a really good time.

All this writing about Cody has me wanting to head back up for another adult libation-laden bouldering/climbing trip. BJ - if you, or anybody else wants to head up for a weekend - shoot me a message. I'll show you around. I boulder a mean V0, and drink much harder, because it's really easy to.

They used to have a hostel in town, but it has since closed down, I heard. Does anybody else know? It's called "Bison Willy's Base Camp." Not a big deal, with all the Forest Service/BLM land, it's easy to find free, dispersed camping.

Later, and good luck.

Peter Stokes wrote: Mike and Meg are friends, and I agree with everything you said about the Beta, but I think they just sold the place... I'll bet the same group of climbers can be found there, though.

Thanks for the info, Peter. I'll keep that in mind when ordering coffee next time - have to bring some Baileys in case the java ain't as great.

BJ Null wrote:Thanks guys...i am looking for some land west of town in Wapati...how is that?

Of course this is just my opinion, but if I was looking for a place to have in my arsenal of retirement homes, I'd look up in the Crandall/Clark area, too. They're way up on the northern side of the Sunlight Basin, which is phenomenal, and I'm sure there is some good, untouched climbing up there. Good mountaineering in the Beartooth Mountains. There's also a good, albeit small community up in Crandall - at least in the summer. There is a great little family store that sells Coors, too. And gas, I think... can't remember - beer was more important on that trip.

For biking, the Morrison Jeep Trail's up there - it's about 18 miles long, I think. Great for biking, motos, and obviously Jeepin'.

Only thing about the area is - how do you feel about being a grizzly turd? I've never been harrassed up there (Crandall), but I guess it's one the areas where they drop off the "nuisance" bears. The other place is somewhere down the south fork of the Shoshone River. Grizzly bears are big, and they don't take well to being startled by drunk boulderers. That shit's dangerous, man.

Hey BJ!
PM Sent- my parents live in Wapiti and we have climbed in Cody, It's awesome there!
Angela

Thanks everybody... great stuff!

Depends on the kinds of people you like too. Personally I can't stand the yuppies, snobs, hipsters, and ski bums and the like in Jackson. The people of Cody seem like alot more down home country folk, way more rugged, but also relaxed. Cody has good access to great mountaineering in the Absorkas and Beartooths, not too far from Tensleep for world class sport climbing, and of course world class AMAZING ice climbing all over the area. Also good bouldering right there too.

One of the biggest negatives is the climbing scene in cody is pretty small. Not going to find a ton of partners. The climbing shops there are pretty poor too.