Moving - Analyzing the options.

I have a job that allows me to work anywhere. I lived in SLC from 2002-07, and in Boulder from 2008-2015, and then spent the last 6 months in Grand junction CO. I also spent much of 2010 in KY at the Red. I left Boulder due to crowds, and cost of living in general. Plus I needed a change of scenery. I have found that I don't like GJ as much as was expected. I miss a decent local sport crag. I probably do sport 65%, boulder 32% and trad 3.

So here are the cities I am considering: Durango, Ogden, Salt Lake and Flagstaff.

I snowboard a fair amount but it is not a deal breaker. I know the Wasatch has the best snow, and Flagstaff the worst. I also am a little worried that Durango could feel small giving I enjoy at least a little city life.

Here is a list of things that are fairly important.
Close proximity to year round climbing, sport, bouldering, then trad.
Good indoor training facility
Decent restaurant scene
Climbing community that is inclusive (but not lines at the crag on a Wednesday like front rage)
Access to good food, farmers markets, etc
Road trip distance (2-4 hours) to decent places

Would love some feedback from people in these locations. SLC has probably changed a bunch since I was there, and I am definitely a more well rounded and better climber since then as well. The other three cities I have never climbed in, and have only been to passing through.

All these views and no comments? Surprising given some of the topics that get commented on so often. I suppose I should have mentioned bolts near cracks, tick marks and crag music and babies to get a stronger response.

Having lived in SLC, Boulder, and Denver myself, it would seem from your description that SLC would be the obvious choice with your parameters.

Looked at Flagstaff several years ago, and really nice place. Smaller college town with reasonable amenities. Does have nearby bouldering and sport, although limited with respect to what is available in SLC. Was not super impressed with gym.

Have driven through Durango, and general consensus is that people who live there seem to like it. Query whether it would have the amenities you are looking for.

Interesting to hear about GJ, as had pondered that as well.

You have lived in SLC, so should have some feel for how things change culturally, the further you get away from SLC proper. Not sure if I could swing Ogden, but different strokes.

If you have the ability, why don't you just take a few long weekends in places of interest and actually visit crags, gyms, etc? Would be safest way, as you are going to get lots of bias asking this online.

Look into Vegas? Hits everything you listed, snowboarding is always a road trip, but it's only 4hrs to MM and 6ish to SLC. You do have closer sb options(BH, eaglepoint, Lee) than that but those are the big resorts.

Paul, Thanks for the insight, and that is my plan...to visit each again for a few days in my van. I do know that Flagstaff now has 3 gyms, so that is a plus. My fear of SLC is the inversion just wears on my during the winter, so almost all of the climbing is driving south. Ogden has the benefit of lowest cost of living but potentially lowest quality of life also. Then again, it is consistently ranked as a great outdoor town. Never really spent time there when I was in SLC.

Quality of living in O-town is pretty good if I do say so myself, everywhere is a comprimise depending on what you're looking for. I've moved around and traveled the west quite a bit and ended up hanging my hat here. Partly because I was ready to not move every 6 months any more but mostly because it's rad...

Eric Carlos wrote:Ogden has the benefit of lowest cost of living but potentially lowest quality of life also. Then again, it is consistently ranked as a great outdoor town. Never really spent time there when I was in SLC.

Why would you, or anyone? SLC has changed quite a bit - in a positive way - even in just the last 5 years. Ogden is still, well, Ogden. Frankly, I don't understand the great outdoor town ranking of Ogden, esp. as compared to SLC. Since you said you also wanted city amenities, then it's SLC over Ogden by a long shot.

P.S. - SLC is much cooler than Ogden

I couldn't do Vegas, too hot in the summer. Love Red Rocks, but not the city, having spent a decent amount of time there.

I like the smaller feel of Ogden over SLC. Plus it would be new, since I haven't lived there before. I know SLC is awesome in so many ways, but part of me wants to experience change.

Carlos, what was your opinion on Grand Junction? It seems ideally located for lots of non-crowded climbing. Did it not have the easy access to snow that you were looking for? It seems low-key and under the radar for a lot of good outdoor stuff.

Also, have you considered Reno or other Nevada cities on the back side of the Sierra's and closer to lovers leap/Tahoe?

The snow has been good at Powderhorn this year so far. Negatives of GJ are as follows:

Decent cragging is solidly over an hour away - Rifle, Ouray - and not winter options.
Bouldering is good but snow and inversion limits that

Local food and restaurant scene is sorely lacking

The local gym is new and has potential.

As much as I love the Moab area which is so close, I am not a huge crack climber. Prefer sport 12's over gear 10's

Not a lot of climbers in town, so even trying to find people to boulder with can be tricky

With my work schedule I can do a lot of half days of climbing during the week but that limits me to stuff within 20-30 minutes, and that is where GJ is lacking most.

It's probably smaller than what you're looking for, but otherwise Big Bear might work for you. Lots of year-round recreational opportunities.

My girlfriend lives in Ogden and I've been there several times. The town itself is really not my favorite place in the world, but your mileage may vary. I spent several years in Provo and Salt Lake and climbed a lot in the central and southern Wasatch, and the greatest thing about Ogden from an outdoors standpoint is that I never went there, so it's all still virgin (to me) rock.

If you're considering smaller Utah cities, I'd vote for St. George over Ogden.

Bend?

Prescott? Sedona?

Tristan Higbee wrote:It's probably smaller than what you're looking for, but otherwise Big Bear might work for you. Lots of year-round recreational opportunities. My girlfriend lives in Ogden and I've been there several times. The town itself is really not my favorite place in the world, but your mileage may vary. I spent several years in Provo and Salt Lake and climbed a lot in the central and southern Wasatch, and the greatest thing about Ogden from an outdoors standpoint is that I never went there, so it's all still virgin (to me) rock. If you're considering smaller Utah cities, I'd vote for St. George over Ogden. Bend? Prescott? Sedona?

I like the idea of Ogden being virgin rock and territory. I have climbed in St. George and don't think I would like the summers there.

Bend is cool, having spent some time there, but there aren't as many rock type varieties around there. Smith is great but it's the primary player.

Why Prescott or Sedona over Flagstaff?

Eric Carlos wrote: Why Prescott or Sedona over Flagstaff?

For you, I guess no particular reason. For me because they're warmer and less snowy than Flagstaff.

Bryan Manning wrote:Look into Vegas? Hits everything you listed, snowboarding is always a road trip, but it's only 4hrs to MM and 6ish to SLC. You do have closer sb options(BH, eaglepoint, Lee) than that but those are the big resorts.

I do like that Red Rocks is only 6 hrs from SLC and 4.5 hrs from Flagstaff.

elko

christoph benells wrote:elko

Yikes.

Durango - I love it, but it is small town and everything that means. Feels isolated, and kind of a long way from anything else (city/culture wise).

SLC might feel like Boulder with the propensity to crowding at the crags, but there are so many routes and areas it might not matter (it's been 15 years since I spent significant time climbing there). For me, in SLC/Ogden, the deal breaker is Utah/mormon politics. Tried it, couldn't deal, moved. But I was also facing rampant discrimination in employment due to not having that "did my mission in xxx" line on my resume. For you, employment not an issue, might be ok. Excellent training facilities, endless bolt clipping on many kinds of stone, amazing access within weekend road tripping distance. Traffic can be gnarly, air quality can be horrendous in winter inversions.

Flagstaff. - Cool scene, good people, but I barely slept due to the endless #@%$^ trains. Climbing itself is ok, but nothing to rave about IMO. No idea on gyms.

I don't ski much, so my take doesn't look at that. I did like GJ for access and being big enough town to have what I need but small enough to still feel like a town rather than city. But the culture does leave something to be desired.

Have you considered Vegas or St. George? Different animals for sure, but for sport climbing pretty good places to base from.

Have you considered Chattanooga? It def. meets all the criteria with the added benefit of having little to no snow so climbing would be the sole year round focus. It's a rad city full of good eats, amazing farmers markets, and yet it's not too big of a city like SLC, Boulder, or Denver. And there are way fewer homeless people than GJ.

turd furgeson wrote:Have you considered Chattanooga?

Humidity, bugs, southeastern weather,..... no contest when compared to cities in the west and the OP's short list.

I do agree there are negatives. I moved out here four years ago after living high in the Rockies for a decade. It has been awesome here, I've been in Birmingham and Huntsville more than Chattanooga but I've done my fair share of drives up to Tennessee and North Carolina and there is some truly amazing rock out here. I've climbed in every major area in Colorado, a good number of places in NM, AZ, WY, UT. But there is something special about the climbing down here. And since it sounds like you're up for a new experience, and have climbed at the red a fair amount, I think chatt deserves some consideration. beyond the pure climbing logistics, it's one of the coolest, underpopulated corniest I've been. To me it feels like Boulder minus the college, stoners, and trustafarians, which I'm sure you are tired of by now!!