Husband visiting Climax mine for interview (Denver, Boulder: home, transfer, schools)

[Crazymomof3]

My husband is flying out next week to interview at the Climax mine outside of Leadville. I won't be able to go with him, but I'm sending him with a camera. I have read a lot of the threads on here about Leadville. He's staying in Silverthorne while he's there....lucky.

Are there good towns around the Climax mine that are within commuting (decent) distance? Concerns would be about schools, overall amenities, i.e proximity to shopping, etc, and affordability.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

We've done quite a bit of homework on this, and are continuing to do so. Both of us have lived at 7200 feet before and handled the altitude fine. I know Leadville, for example, is at 10000 ft. We've both traveled to that altitude but never lived in it.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

If you've been reading the threads on here about Leadville, then you probably already know the answers to your questions. Schools are not very good in Leadville, and not much in the way of shopping. You should look at a Colorado map to see what towns are “within commuting distance”. I think the closest town for decent housing choices and decent schools is Buena Vista, which is 30 miles south of Leadville (which is south of the mine) on a two lane road that's not too bad for commuting. You asked about shopping -- I know there's a market in Leadville where you can get groceries, but not sure what's there beyond that.

I suggest you look at the city-data information on Leadville, which will give you demographics, pictures, maps, etc.

[Dogmama50]

Frisco to Climax is only about a 30 minute drive, Climax to Buena Vista is just over a hour. BV will be less expensive, but the commute would be the trade off. The Frisco area has more shopping and amenities than BV and easier access to Denver, it also has more tourism in the winter, but BV gets pretty busy in the summer with rafting. Since your husband is staying in Silverthorne he will see what the drive is like from the Frisco area, if he gets a chance a drive down to BV would be helpful too. You can also look at cotrip.org to see the road conditions, they have a camera at Climax.

[CTC]

Originally Posted by Crazymomof3

My husband is flying out next week to interview at the Climax mine outside of Leadville. I won't be able to go with him, but I'm sending him with a camera. I have read a lot of the threads on here about Leadville. He's staying in Silverthorne while he's there....lucky.

Are there good towns around the Climax mine that are within commuting (decent) distance? Concerns would be about schools, overall amenities, i.e proximity to shopping, etc, and affordability.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

We've done quite a bit of homework on this, and are continuing to do so. Both of us have lived at 7200 feet before and handled the altitude fine. I know Leadville, for example, is at 10000 ft. We've both traveled to that altitude but never lived in it.

Leadville is cheap, but not for everyone. Summit County is very nice but expensive and very touristy. I lived in Leadville for several years and really enjoyed it-it is a one of a kind place.

[wanneroo]

To me anyways it's a noticeable difference from 7200 feet to 10000 feet. To me around 8000 feet was my happy medium, more than that I don't like it. 10000 would be way too much.

I'll always believe that in most cases in life you get what you pay for. Leadville is cheaper, but it's a town that saw it's glory days 120 years ago and has been on the decline ever since. It is rough, rustic and dusty. Not a whole lot going on there.

Summit County is more expensive, but it's a tourist area so there is plenty of activities, restaurants and big box shopping going on. Tons of stuff to do, but you pay the price for those amenities at your fingertips.

Buena Vista to me is too far. In my experience it's more like a 45 minute drive from Leadville alone. If you cane it and go a bit over the speed limit you might be able to get there in 30 minutes. Some parts of that road are wide open, some are narrow and twisty and then you have to factor in weather as well in winter.

Some people don't agree with me, but when living in high country in Colorado, I think living more than 30 minutes or so from work just adds a lot of extra stress and cost.

So Summit County or Leadville, 2 very different places, all depends what suits you and what you want.

[Crazymomof3]

Thank you everyone for the replies. My husband is staying in Silverthorne for his trip, and I've heard only good things about it. However, the cost of living seems a bit higher. Luckily we have friends "near", i.e. Boulder, Longmont, and Nederland. Their input has been helpful, too.

I guess we have to really see for ourselves...we don't want a big commute-we do that here in Houston and it's stressful and costly. But we also don't want to settle for a place just because it's close to work. Hopefully we will know when we know!

[Idunn]

I recently talked with a young woman who had lived in Leadville, liked it, but said a bit liberal for her taste. Which was news to me, but in having more usually only driven through it I can only otherwise report that this old town seems somewhat more upscale of late. She mentioned the influence of young students from Colorado Mountain College, but working outcasts from Summit County who find Leadville less expensive probably another factor.

It is a somewhat shorter and easier drive from Leadville to the Climax Mine than from Summit County proper. But not much, so your final decision more likely based on which of several communities you prefer most -- and can afford.

Strictly from a commuting standpoint, I wouldn't bother driving past Leadville for a residence in Buena Vista. However Summit County is compact enough to offer several similar but still different options all within close proximity. Breckenridge is lovely, but as just that much more of a drive, and expensive, probably not viable. Dillon, Silverthorne and Frisco are all more or less dotted around the same reservoir, and close to one another. Whereas Frisco is similar to Breckenridge in having an actual downtown, and a nice one at that, Dillon and Silverthorne kind of have no 'there' there. However either offers plenty of services, and any number of good housing choices as well, at a price.

As such things go probably a fairly nice commute to Climax from Summit County, although I've not seen that road in absolutely all times and conditions. But compared to I-25 in a traffic jam, uh, yes. You'll have lots of scenery anywhere around there, and more than enough services in Summit County. Securing a home you like and can afford may remain the bigger issue.

[whirnot]

Altitude probably won't be an issue, climate might. I have lived from 4800 to 10800. Leadville is coooooold and snowy. Summit county has traffic and tourists. If you like quiet quaint towns you might do OK in Leadville. It has it own charm, especially in the summer.

[AZGOLFER]

Thanks everyone for the info about the Climax area....I might be transferring up there from AZ in a few weeks and you answered several questions I had.

[Crazymomof3]

He's leaving Houston in about an hour, flying to Denver, then driving to Silverthorne. The weather looks nice there right now.

He's interviewing at the Climax mine in Climax...it looks as if Freeport McMoran is going to be good and running at the first of the year. He has a ton of questions to ask...this is a huge move for us. I wish I could've gone with him, but maybe another time.

Summit County seems far out of reach in terms of housing, so we're looking at Lake County (Leadville, mostly). I have heard the schools aren't so great, so that's a concern. It's one of those things where we have to see.

Anyway, I have received some great tips/advice from the CDers...thank you! Keep them coming!