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The fam and I were considering a move to this area, and I have been very intrigued.
What can anyone tell me about Mancos?
Weather, people, stores, vibe, all that good stuff?
Even if you've only visited it before I'd love to hear your impressions of it.
Thanks!
Weather hot in summer, cold in winter, dry. Mancos sits on the forest/desert interface. The San Juans are to the north and are awesome, the desert is to the west and south. Durango is to the east.
Stores? I think there is a convenience store on the outskirts. THere is a small downtown area, but there is very little in the way of an economy. It is support for ranching and recreation.
Vibe? No, to get one of those you'd probably have to go to Durango.
I lived in Mancos for about 3 years before moving 12 miles up the road to Cortez, and I still pass through Mancos all the time when I'm on my way to Durango.
Mancos is a nice little town with a slightly higher elevation that Cortez. This gives Mancos a little more snow in the winter (hardly ever anything that drastic, though) and slightly cooler summers. Since few jobs are available in Mancos itself, many of the people who live there commute to jobs in Durango about 20 miles away. So far Mancos has escaped turning overly chic the way Durango has become, and unlike in Durango, local housing costs remain accessible to those in most income brackets. Folks who live in Mancos tend to hip but not snobs and they're as friendly as any other people you might meet in a small town.
In the town itself, you'll find a mixture of older homes and newer ones (plus a trailor park or two), but there's no "bad" neighborhood in Mancos. The area outside of Mancos is often inhabited by horsey types who have built their homes on parcels starting at 5 acres and then going up from there. For the most part, that McMansion look has not become a blight on the landscape - yet.
The "downtown" in Mancos is working hard to be artsy and boasts several good eateries, including the local bakery for great breakfasts and Millwood Junction which serves decent food and usually manages to bring in a couple of nationally known acts each year for after dinner entertainment. If you want to spend time at a local watering hole, the Columbine Bar fits the bill with a cold one and a good game of pool for any who want to walk thru the door. Unless you count a well stocked health food store, there's only one small grocery store - the P and D. It will supply your most basic needs, but it's certainly no supermarket. You'll have to drive the 12 miles into Cortez for amenities like a City Market or a Walmart. Drive to Durango 20 miles east on 160 for greater shopping variety, but stay away from downtown Durango with its tourist shops and tourist prices.
So keep in mind that if you live in Mancos, you will be doing a lot of driving even if you're not commuting to Durango or elsewhere. That means being prepared to share the road with daffy tourists in the summer and fighting ice and snow on 160 between Mancos and Durango in the winter. If you're a regular commuter, this can get old. Also, Mancos lies just over the county line in Montezuma County. MC's schools are adequate at best. If you want a better education for your children, you may need to seek out what alternatives are available in the area - Durango has some good private and charter schools if you and junior want to make the 40 - 50 mile round trip each day.
The bad news is that early last summer a rogue company on the outskirts of Mancos was discovered to be using mercury to remove gold from ore at “an under-the-radar, unlicensed mill.” The operation was completely illegal and resulted in some of the worst pollution from gold mining that has been discovered in the state of Colorado. It’s “one of the uglier cases of using hazardous chemicals and illegal milling” that state mining regulators have seen, said Julie Murphy, a lawyer for the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety…
Coyote Gulch has gathered together a compilation of reports on the mercury problem in Mancos from news sources across the state. Well worth a read so that you can make an informed opinion for yourself before coming out here. A couple of paragraphs from many more:
Quote:
While the town of Mancos worries over what a rogue gold mill might have put into its air, water and soil, Colorado mining authorities have called on the federal government to deal with what is being described as one of the most serious cases of pollution from illegal gold milling in the state.
The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine just how bad contamination is from a mill that had been using mercury to remove gold from ore at an under-the-radar, unlicensed mill on the edge of the southwestern Colorado town.
By November 16th of last year, local papers were reporting that “The state excavated and isolated soil at the mill, and it isn’t currently presenting a hazard, said Loretta Pineda, director of the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety.”
So maybe the problem has been resolved. I don’t know because I haven’t been following the story as closely as I should have. But if I’d just written about how nice Mancos mostly is and never mentioned the mercury problem, I wouldn’t have felt right. I can’t advise you to come or stay away. I can only suggest that you may wish to inquire further before committing to Mancos – at least for now. And if you decide to come out anyway, then welcome!
Last edited by Colorado Rambler; 01-15-2014 at 11:48 PM..
A consideration with Mancos is that it is a relatively flat and easy drive into Cortez—and not as much so into Durango.
If thinking of, or finding oneself in Durango often, do consider the drive. There is a pass, more a divide, that begins running uphill from the edge of Durango, with this mountainous section extending until near Mancos. Nothing on the order of Red Mountain Pass, but a pass of sorts nevertheless with attendant mountain driving with shaded areas in places.
Just something to know. Or that just hopping over to Durango any old time, particularly in winter, will not prove to be that.
I've known several people in the Mancos/Hesperus area (old-line natives) who had to commute to Farmington, NM to work. Durango likes to fancy itself as the "big dog" in the area economically, but Farmington is really where the economic action is. For reference, Farmington is bigger than Grand Junction--Grand Junction being the biggest town on the Western Slope of Colorado. Farmington is also the hub for the economic activity associated with one the largest natural gas fields in the United States--it has been for over 50 years. Far better prospects for it hanging in there economically compared to Durango's foo-foo tourist/retirement economy.
Thanks for all of the really interesting info, guys. Please keep it coming?
How long is the drive from Mancos to Cortez and Durango? How about in the winter?
I live in Northern Maine and see 120 inches or so of snow a year, and ridiculously cold temps. I've got a nice 4WD beast, so I'm not worried about winter cold, snow or driving. Mancos should be a paradise compared to here.
I LOVE the outdoors and exploring and hiking, backpacking and biking. That's one of the main appeals of the area to me. Is there indeed plenty to do there for an outdoorsman?
It sounds like there are things to do in Durango?
Are there good ways to meet 20-somethings in this area? Are there a lot of other outdoorsy people around that I will be able to hang out and go hiking with?
I know two people who relocated (long ago) from northern Vermont and northern Maine to Colorado. They both have remarked that they had no idea of the incredible adjustment they had to make when they relocated to Colorado--in nearly every aspect of their life. Have you ever even been to the Rocky Mountain West? If not, you don't really know what you're getting in to.
First, is the aridity. In even the mountains, drought is never far away. This winter, so far, many areas in southwestern Colorado have had no snow for 6 weeks. Bare ground just about everywhere below 8,000 ft. elevation. It's now into the third year like that. If the weather pattern doesn't change, places like Mancos may have to ban all domestic water use, except the most basic indoor uses. No water, no irrigation. All those pretty hayfields and ranches you see in the pictures have to rely on irrigation for their fields. There may be little of that this year. Rushing streams? When the senior water right holders put their "call" on the stream for their irrigation water, there may be no water left in it. Those beautiful forests that you've undoubtedly seen in pictures? Well, just today, I drove through what used to be one of Colorado's most beautiful spruce forests. Right now, about 40% of its forest area is DEAD from the spruce bark beetle--and the dry winter means that the beetles will spread even faster this coming summer. A forester friend of mine is talking of potential kill just this coming summer of another 100,000+ acres of spruce. God only knows how much of that dead spruce will burn this summer. Last year, it was a bunch, and that likely is just a preview of coming attractions. No, the tourist information center and the Chamber of Commerce don't like to talk about that stuff.
You say that you live where it snows 120" per winter and you have a 4WD truck. Have you ever driven a mountain highway where an avalanche took a snowplow off the highway--and it took them 3 weeks to find the plow and until summer to find the driver's body (the avalanche took him right out of the closed cab of the plow)? I drive that road frequently--snowslides, 800' drop-offs, and more. (It's US550, by the way.)
Then there is the difference in culture. Old line residents know how to fit into the Hispanic/Native American/Anglo culture of southwestern Colorado. Do you? I know people who have lived in southwestern Colorado for a decade or more and are still "outsiders" because they can't get along in the local culture. Some people manage to adapt, but many don't.
I'm not trying to be flippant--I would probably be like a fish out of water in northern Maine, but, before I ever even considered moving there, I would be making a nice long extended trip there so that I would understand what I was getting into. Way too people relocate to Colorado just because they think it would be cool, and never really understand what actually living in the place really is like. I've probably spent more time in southwestern Colorado than any but a small handful of posters on this forum. Most of the posters answering some of these "I want to live in 'X' town in southwest Colorado" threads probably know little more about the area than a casual tourist--if they have even been there. Caveat emptor.
Thanks for all of the really interesting info, guys. Please keep it coming?
How long is the drive from Mancos to Cortez and Durango? How about in the winter?
I live in Northern Maine and see 120 inches or so of snow a year, and ridiculously cold temps. I've got a nice 4WD beast, so I'm not worried about winter cold, snow or driving. Mancos should be a paradise compared to here.
I LOVE the outdoors and exploring and hiking, backpacking and biking. That's one of the main appeals of the area to me. Is there indeed plenty to do there for an outdoorsman?
It sounds like there are things to do in Durango?
Are there good ways to meet 20-somethings in this area? Are there a lot of other outdoorsy people around that I will be able to hang out and go hiking with?
From Mancos to Cortez (the Montezuma County seat, pop 10,000) it's about a 15 minute drive. That stretch of Highway 160 is relatively benign - no pass to go over and not much snow in the winter. Cortez is the place where everyone in Mancos goes to shop for groceries and get a Wally World fix. Cortez is also the closest town to get medical care beyond what is provided by the little rural health clinic in Mancos.
Highway 160 East from Mancos to Durango is a very different story. I never even think about it, but one of jazz's comments in a previous post made me realize that someone not used to mountain driving might find that particular stretch let's say - interesting. It's anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes (more in snow) from Mancos to Durango. The road has plenty of curves and changes in elevation. Hesperus Hill just outside Durango can be treacherous in the snow. While it's not an actual mountain pass, it can act like one when it's snow covered. However, your 4wd and some good tires will help you make the trip and with a little experience, you'll begin to take the drive in stride.
Is there plenty to do for an outdoorsman? Hah! Let me count the ways. The stretch between Mancos and Durango is popular with the biking crowd, as is the road from Mancos to Dolores. I consider the little town of Dolores (15 - 20 minutes from Mancos on Highway 184) to be the gateway to the San Juan Mountains. You can pick up Highway 145 there and follow the Dolores River up into the high country. The San Juan National Forest also begins just outside of town. There's good trout fishing along with a number of campgrounds on the West Dolores Rive just a short drive from the town of Dolores. If you're a fly fisherman, the guys at Duranglers Fly Shop can point you to some sweet spots on the San Juan and the Animas Rivers. McPhee Reservoir and Groundhog are good bait fishing spots. If you like to hike, the San Juans have any number of hiking trails with trail heads that are just off of 145 all along the way from Dolores to Telluride.
Telluride and Durango Mountain Resort (aka Purgatory) are two of the best ski resorts in the region if not in the entire state. Wolf Creek ski area just east of Durango on 160 isn't half bad either. There are also plenty of places to go cross country skiing and/or mountaineering. (If you like to ski in the back country be sure to take an avalanche awareness class). If you like back packing, the Weminuche Wilderness is easily accessible via the Durango/Silverton narrow gauge railroad (the train makes a special stop just to accommodate hikers).
If your 4-WD driver is a jeep or a Ford Explorer type SUV, there are all sorts of 4wd roads to explore from Ophir Pass to Yankee Boy Basin and more. Note: Driving jeep trails in the San Juans is an art. Go with someone who knows her stuff the first few times you make such expeditions - the sharp curves and sudden drop offs can be startling to the neophyte to put it mildly.
Mancos is also just a hop and a skip away from Canyonlands National Park and Island in the Sky just over the state line in Utah. These two places are drop dead beautiful and provide plenty of places to camp (be at the campground early during peak seasons), hike and go 4-wheeling. And there's no place like Island in the Sky for star gazing on a clear desert night.
And all of the above barely scratches the surface.
And yes, Durango is a college town and always has any number of interesting things going on. There's a pretty decent music scene going on there too - one of many venues in that town where you'd be likely to meet the younger folk. I go over to Durango from time to time to attend events that interest me, but I have to say that I don't like to linger there - especially in Durango's tourist trap of a downtown. Too many beautiful people in Durango these days for me, but that's just me. You might like the ambiance there. Many do. The same is true for Telluride. It has some killer music festivals in the summer well worth attending. But all that ostentatious display of wealth - so typical of Colorado's ski towns - turns me off. I seldom linger in Telluride either once the musicians have packed up their instruments.
Jazz did a pretty good job of listing all the drawbacks to living in SW Colorado: It is an extremely remote part of the state and you'll sometimes feel cut off from the rest of the world. For the most part, the job scene sucks and unemployment is higher than what the official figures might lead you to expect. Wages are lower than almost anywhere else in the state. Yet the cost of living does not reflect the lower incomes of most people who work here. Part of the reason for this is that many people who earned their money elsewhere come here to retire. Right now we have also been experiencing an influx of oil and gas workers who were hired in other towns, not to mention other states. They get good per diem checks and snap up rentals, often at prices the locals can't afford.
I never think twice about the cultural mix we have out here, but I guess it does take some newcomers by surprise. Recently a man who had just moved to Cortez from California told me that he'd never realized that there was such a strong Native American presence here and that he sometimes felt awkward in certain situations. The Ute Mountain Ute rez is just to the south of Mancos and Cortez. There is a second Ute rez right next door to Durango. The Navajo Nation begins roughly 20 miles south-southwest of Cortez and you can pick up several radio stations here that broadcast exclusively in Navajo. There are those white folks who claim they were rudely treated when visiting Shiprock or driving through the Navajo Nation via Kayenta or Chinle, etc. Personally, I have always gotten along well with Native Americans - especially the Navajo. Attitude makes a huge difference, if you are accepting and polite, you will be met with friendliness. If not, you won't. The tragedy of wide spread alcoholism can cause problems and that's a great shame, but neither the Ute nor the Navajo are merely a bunch of "drunk Indians." They are each a fascinating people with a great cultural legacy. I like them very much.
Alas, jazz also gave an excellent description of the environmental problems we face. SW Colorado is at the epicenter of one of the worst droughts the region has ever experienced and conditions are unlikely to improve any time soon. If you want, come out and enjoy the area while you can but don't make the mistake of thinking of it as a permanent place to land. I've lived in Colorado all my life and a large percentage of the time I've spent here in the Four Corners. But the handwriting is on the wall - drought and lack of irrigation water will make it harder to live out here with the passing of each year.
My advice is carpe diem! Seize the chance to enjoy it as long as you can while you can.
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Now I have to clean the coffee I just spit all over my computer.
About halfway between, but ...
