What About Ouray? (Denver, Pueblo, Boulder: real estate, rentals, motels)

[3PreciousBabies]

I have searched the forum and haven't found much information about the Ouray/Ridgway area. I understand that it gets a lot of snow and real estate can be a bit pricey, but does anyone have any information about the public schools? Also, what is the tourism like in the different seasons? Jobs are not an issue, we work from home. I would just like to find out as much information as possible about this area as we are considering a move. Are there a lot of families here? What are the pros and cons of living here? Thanks so much!

[winglady]

Ouray & Ridgway both get more snow (especially Ouray) and are much colder (Ridgway gets the award for cold) in the winter than lower parts of the Uncompahgre Valley such as Montrose and Delta.

Tourism: Ouray is extremely busy during the summer with tourists, with jeep rentals and tours being especially popular. During the winter, the focus changes mostly to ice climbing. Ouray used to be "dead" in the winter, but the Ouray Ice Park radically changed that. You won't see the mobs of tourists in the winter like you see in the summer, but you will now see many restaurants, businesses, and motels open during the winter months.

Ridgway isn't extremely "touristy", but does deal with a lot of traffic heading to and from Telluride, especially during ski season. Other than the traffic on Hwy 62, this doesn't seem to have much of an effect on getting around.

I don't know anything about the schools.

[jazzlover]

The schools in Ridgway and Ouray used to be pretty good. The only recent comment I heard about them was from a teacher in the neighboring Montrose district who complained about the schools in Ridgway being increasingly full of "spoiled rich brats." This from seeing Ridgway kids in interdistrict sports and academic events. From what I've heard from some Ouray residents I know, drugs are also a general problem up in Ridgway and Ouray. Part-time residents, non-working trust-funders, and old hippies seem to breed that.

On the positive side, Ouray County has actually tried to protect some of its irrigated bottomlands from development--at least preserving some of the viewsheds in the area. Real estate is way overpriced for any hope of making a local income.

The San Juans around Ouray are some of the most beautiful mountains anywhere. Unfortunately, they have been "discovered"--and, as Winglady pointed out, they can be plenty crowded in the summer. A few years ago I got caught in a mile-long weekend traffic jam on top of Engineer Pass--a jeep trail, for God's sake. 30 years ago you would had the trail pretty much to yourself most of the time, except for a few jeep tours each day, and some locals up there on weekends. Another Colorado paradise overrun.

[brightdoglover]

Ouray/Ridgway is the most beautiful place I've ever seen.
I visited there in August, and a lifetime resident told me there is a lot of dissention in Ridgway regarding the schools with a lot of fundamentalist Christians moving into the area.

There are only about 4,000 people in the whole county as full-time residents, I think.
My lifetime friend there also points out that the sun sets very early in the winter due to the mountains- says it's about 1p in Ouray itself.

The nearest real health care is in Montrose. A 9-5-type clinic opened recently in Ridgway.

Real estate is extremely expensive in both areas, and I say that as 1) someone who lives near Boston and 2) someone who has bought and sold modestly priced real estate in Ridgway twice- the subdivision of Elk Meadows.

Gorgeous area.

[3PreciousBabies]

Thank you to everyone for the replies. It's nice to hear there is a 9-5 clinic in Ridgway, but I wonder if that should be a cause for concern for families with children, though. Surely there is 24 hour on-call medical help within the county? Jazzlover, have you heard that there is a problem with drugs specifically within the schools, or just with the community in general? Thanks again, and I'm eager for any more information!

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by 3PreciousBabies

Thank you to everyone for the replies. It's nice to hear there is a 9-5 clinic in Ridgway, but I wonder if that should be a cause for concern for families with children, though. Surely there is 24 hour on-call medical help within the county? Jazzlover, have you heard that there is a problem with drugs specifically within the schools, or just with the community in general? Thanks again, and I'm eager for any more information!

I don't know specifically about the schools as to drug problems. That said, when there are parents around who think drugs are OK, well . . .

[HappyMontrose]

The Whole Ouray County is..

I have lived here for over 25 years and still look at the mountains and say WOW!

HM

[Toucan Sam]

Originally Posted by 3PreciousBabies

I have searched the forum and haven't found much information about the Ouray/Ridgway area. I understand that it gets a lot of snow and real estate can be a bit pricey, but does anyone have any information about the public schools? Also, what is the tourism like in the different seasons? Jobs are not an issue, we work from home. I would just like to find out as much information as possible about this area as we are considering a move. Are there a lot of families here? What are the pros and cons of living here? Thanks so much!

Ouray is absolutely gorgeous and sits about 7,700' in a box canyon. The "million dollar highway" runs close by and Red Mountain is magnificent at sunset. I'm a frequent visitor but I'm not a resident of Ouray, so I don't know about the schools.

In the summer months, my wife and I enjoy hiking the trails around Mt. Sneffels (14,000'+) and the old cliff pathways above town. There are a lot of 4X4 jeeping trails (google Engineers Pass) and there are several mining ghost towns (google Animas Forks) to explore.

The wild flowers seem to peak in late July or early August, depending on the snow melt and run-off. The downtown hot springs, waterfalls, and the Ridgway boating/fishing/swimming/hiking reservoirs are special places too.

The famous "481 steam engine" runs between Durango, CO and Silverton, CO (Silverton is about 30 minutes south of Ouray). That's an "old west" experience you won't want to miss!

From my perspective, Ouray would be a great place to visit VERY OFTEN, but would become "old hat" and "tiresome" while living there on a daily basis. If you are content with periodic isolation (winter months) and with frequenting the same restaurants, shops, and landmarks on a consistent basis, this may be the place for you!

[brightdoglover]

My lifetime friend in Ridgway's mother retired to Montrose. She said, like so many Western and rural areas, meth is a huge problem- not specifically in schools, just in general. Of course, anything really expensive could seep in from Telluride. There's a reason Glenn Frey mentioned Telluride in the song "Smuggler's Blues."
There is virtually no rehab/detox services on the Western Slope. I'm amazed at the lack of services in the state except for the large hospitals (VA and state) in Pueblo. I guess living near "medical mecca Boston" has confused me.
People can be medevac'd to Montrose and/or on to Grand Junction. From there, it'd have to be Denver. I'd say it's a chance you take if you live in such a gorgeous area that has lots of opportunities for injury! My friend in Montrose had to go round-trip, every day for eight weeks, to Grand Junction for a cancer treatment she couldn't get in Montrose. Because of the large number of older people there, a new cancer center has opened. But services are nothing like a developed metro area; they couldn't be.

[3PreciousBabies]

Thanks again to all, we are beginning to think that perhaps this area is not for us. Sometimes the beauty of a place can overwhelm you, but when it gets down to the every day living it's a different story. We love Colorado, lived in Boulder for a year but definitely do not want to settle down there. We are looking for a small town (preferably under 20,000 population) that is very family friendly and somewhat affordable (our budget for a 3+ bedroom is $400k max). We really don't want to be too close to Denver, such as Evergreen. As I said, work isn't a factor, but we want either excellent public schools or an affordable private school option. We would love to be in the mountains, but I think that the Ouray/Ridgway area might be too isolated and we don't want to move anywhere that has a reputation for drug problems. I know no place is absolutely perfect, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!