Idaho Springs - Relocation Help Needed (Denver, Boulder: ski resorts, real estate, condo)

[Minx]

Hi there,
I currently live in Australia and thinking of relocating to Idaho Springs. I've done a fair amount of research and currently have a real estate agent looking at properties for me. Then I found this forum so I would greatly appreciate some advice.
I'm looking for a quiet location, mountain environment and a location which has a good snow fall. I love skiing and snowmobiling and would like a home to be surrounded by snow in the winter months. Would Idaho Springs fall in this catagory? It seems to be reasonably close to Denver, but far enough to be quiet and in the mountains. Work is not an issue, as I'm an engineer in the oil, gas & mining industry and will be flying in and out of Denver to get to work, which will be 2 or 3 weeks work on location and back home for my break (10 days). Property prices also seem extremely reasonable. What is everyones opinion, or do you have any other location which could be suitable.
Thank you.

[Minx]

Anyone ????

[kristenfromdenver]

I think Idaho Springs would be nice - its an adorable little town with some nice shops and restaurants and it is pretty close to Denver. My fiance and I go mountain biking just past there on I70 - Buffalo Creek, I think it's called, then we stop for dinner in Idaho Springs on the way back to Denver. One of my best friends is married to an Australian (from Perth) and they live up Coal Creek Canyon, which is between Golden and Boulder.

[Minx]

Thank you for the input. From what I have researched on the net it seems like a nice quiet place. As I work away from my resident location I want to come home and have a quiet break. I'm not into partying all night long, going to bars or anything like that. I still enjoy a good night out for say dinner but thats about it. That's what I liked about Idaho Springs, small, quiet, relaxing, having fun in the snow (love snowmobilling) and a quality life. Can't seem to find that elsewhere, unless I'm missing something ???

PS: Your friend is from Perth ??? I have to fly in / out from Perth every 3 weeks on my way to work.

[tfox]

Idaho Springs is a nice town -- Sadly, I-70 ripped through the town and has left its mark, and the town hasn't really yet recovered. I think the residents are terrified that the next round of I-70 expansion will essentially blow away what ever is left of the town (there's really very little room in the Clear Creek Canyon in which Idaho Springs sits.) That's a pretty justified fear, actually, though CDOT has promised a sensitive highway solution (don't count on that).

Idaho Springs is also not really all that close to skiing, though it's kind of on the way to skiing so you could get an early start before traffic sets in. It does have nice little downtown area and a lot of old mining history that would be fun to learn about, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

Also Idaho Springs would get a bit more snow and cold than Denver, but they never really seem to get lots of snow being down low in the canyon on the leeward side of the Rockies. The real snowy area starts a bit above Georgetown. Even Evergreen would get more snow than Idaho Springs.

Idaho Springs is a lot less expensive than the ski towns or even the Evergreen area, so that's a plus, and it's ALMOST commutable to Denver -- a few people try it every day, though really most commuter types opt for Evergreen instead.

Since you're not commuting and you like the idea of being closer to skiing, you might consider Georgetown. The highway hasn't had as big of an impact on Georgetown, and it is about 15 minutes closer to skiing than Idaho Springs.

Or, you could just choose summit county, but it's really expensive there, as you seem to already know. It's expensive enough that most Americans probably couldn't afford any more than a small condo there at the MOST.

You could also look off of the I-70 corridor too. There's lots and lots of different directions you could go.

[Minx]

When I refer to Idaho Springs, the actual homes I have seen are about 15 min south of I-70, not in the town centre, like Valley View Drive or Old Little Bear Creek Drive. I have looked into Georgetown, might revisit that thought. I'm surprised at Evergreen getting more snow, it looks closer to Denver. Didn't expect to find much snow there.
What would some of the summit location be ???

[tfox]

Minx...

As for snow, it's more the location of how the winds blow. In the mountains, "exposure" to storm paths can actually have a lot more to do with snow levels than simply the elevation -- which is why Steamboat Springs can get pounded with snow all winter and still only be at only 6500 feet. That's why ski resorts are carefully chosen so as to maximize exposure to snow, and note that most are on the western side of the divide. Snow can be notoriously fickle on the eastern side of the divide in the rockies -- some places will get a fair amount, but it is far from uniform and varies a great deal from year to year.

However, things may be different depending on where you are, 15 miles south of Idaho Springs could be much higher and more snowy than the town itself.

As for Summit County, that's over the divide from where you're looking -- Dillon, Silverthorne, Frisco, and of course the ski resort towns of Keystone, Breckenridge, etc.

[Minx]

Originally Posted by tfox

Minx...

As for snow, it's more the location of how the winds blow. In the mountains, "exposure" to storm paths can actually have a lot more to do with snow levels than simply the elevation -- which is why Steamboat Springs can get pounded with snow all winter and still only be at only 6500 feet. That's why ski resorts are carefully chosen so as to maximize exposure to snow, and note that most are on the western side of the divide. Snow can be notoriously fickle on the eastern side of the divide in the rockies -- some places will get a fair amount, but it is far from uniform and varies a great deal from year to year.

However, things may be different depending on where you are, 15 miles south of Idaho Springs could be much higher and more snowy than the town itself.

As for Summit County, that's over the divide from where you're looking -- Dillon, Silverthorne, Frisco, and of course the ski resort towns of Keystone, Breckenridge, etc.

That's some very good information. I'll certainly look into these areas.

[BillRadio]

Minx,
We may not be understand what area you are referring to. If you're looking at Little Bear Creek, you could be very well looking at that part of Clear Creek County that is referred to as "Evergreen". Evergreen is an unincorporated area, so the boundaries are vague. There are areas with no home delivery of mail, so many people who receive mail at the Evergreen PO, do not live in Evergreen, but the area known as Clear Creek County just outside Evergreen.

Those areas do receive more snow than the town of Idaho Springs, but you could easily go through the winter with as much time without snow on the ground as with. Georgetown is certainly colder, as is Empire, but still not that much snow. A little higher, like Silver Plume and above are more likely, but still not a sure thing.

With as much time off as you have available, you would have a better chance of getting your snow and winter activites in Summit or Grand Counties. They are still a reasonable drive from Denver (& DIA), but are almost guaranteed a snowy winter. But that also means prices are higher.

No matter how bad the weather (and remember that's what we like about those areas) traffic still moves, and rare is the day you can't make it to the airport. Getting skiers to the mountains on I-70 is top priority and the road rarely closes, but that's part of the value of 'snow country'.

[High Altitude]

Originally Posted by tfox

Idaho Springs is a nice town -- Sadly, I-70 ripped through the town and has left its mark, and the town hasn't really yet recovered. I think the residents are terrified that the next round of I-70 expansion will essentially blow away what ever is left of the town (there's really very little room in the Clear Creek Canyon in which Idaho Springs sits.) That's a pretty justified fear, actually, though CDOT has promised a sensitive highway solution (don't count on that).

There is no doubt in my mind that eventually another expansion will happen and it won't be good for Idaho Springs.

It's sad but you can't fight development. Especially when it brings in more money and keeps the machine running.