Telluride vs. Steamboat and the monsoon rains (Denver, Boulder: campground, living)

[Nn2036]

Originally Posted by NBUplander

Except it's CA. Not sure I could ever live in that state. The crowds, taxes, and politics already suck here in WA and CA is even worse.

There is Nevada side of Lake Tahoe but it is more upscale and more expensive than CA side

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by NBUplander

At least here in the NW it's hard to find spots to shuttle from top to bottom so they are best used to get deep into the backcountry then skin up. If the terrain is easy to get to on a sled it's likely been ridden and not something you want to ski due to the trenches left by sleds.

If you don't mind skinning up, check out these...

10th Mountain Division Hut Association

Nothing quite like waking up to fresh snow in a backcountry hut. Some of them are open in the summer too, so you can do overnight and even muti-day trips without carrying as much gear and not worry about setting up camp in the rain. The 10th Mountain Huts are mostly in an area spanning (approximately) from Aspen to Vail and Breckenridge. There also a few other hut systems that you can find on that website.

[Colorado^]

Originally Posted by NBUplander

Mountain riding in deep snow takes skill, finesse, and athleticism.

and money, lots and lots of money!

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

Whatta difference a year makes! Last summer ( 2016 ), I spent 22 days and night camping out in my tent, in the Colorado high country. During those 22 nights out, I had 21 campfires with only one rainout, due to an hour long gentle rain. That was the only rain I encountered the entire summer. My 22 days consisted of 5 - 4 night outings and 1 - 2 night outing.

This year started out great. By June 23rd I had already camped out 10 nights. I was ahead of last years pace, and thought I might get in 30 nights this summer.

Now it's August 7th, and I haven't been out even one night since June 23rd. Being a fair weather tent camper, I look for 3 or consecutive 4 days in the weather forecast for chances of rain being 30% or less. It simply hasn't happened this summer. On occasion there has been 2 days in a row of 30% or less, 5 or 6 days ahead, but when the date gets closer, the chance of rain rises dramatically.

As of right now, the weather forecast for later this week looks promising. Perhaps the wet pattern is ready to change! Time will tell.

I was a year too late coming to Colorado it seems. You and I are the same person. I'm a fair weather tent camper and hiker. Nice to see a kindred spirit! Last summer I was in California and it rained once. That's the place to go if you want great weather. Or go to the northern Rockies or interior Northwest. I'm planning to spend next summer in those places.

I came to Colorado to establish residency for winter work because I love snow and want to live in a ski town. So I got a job for the summer and was told that "except for a few afternoon showers it's sunny." I figured I could handle that. When I got here in May it was during a blizzard. I was down with that. I love snow.

I was in Heaven in June. For 6 weeks it was dry and sunny..eventually it was too dry because fires became an issue. But I enjoyed that weather I camped out as much as I could, went on hikes, bought a mountain bike and went rafting. I would come home from work and drank wine on my balcony watching the sun set on the mountains. It was awesome. I thought "Wow, Colorado is amazing! They don't even have bugs here."

Then July came. I've camped out 2 nights since July 5. It rained in the afternoon both days. I got 5 minutes in my hammock and never saw the sun set. I have off 3 days/week and more often than not I've woken up to clouds and chilly temperatures (like today) and it's almost always cloudy or raining when I get home from work.

I don't know about the rest of Colorado but I've talked to locals here about the weather in the summer and they have all said that this is a normal summer in the mountains. It rains every day at some point starting in the afternoon. It doesn't rain ALL day but it can for 1-4 hours.

I'm looking forward to September. If it doesn't dry up here I'm going to find dry and sunny weather. I've given up trying to plan for the weather this summer. Most of the time the weather forecast is wrong. The only thing that's predictable is that it WILL rain. It's not "if" but "when". It's a shame because I love the culture and scenery here. I'm hoping winter won't disappoint.

For me, living in Colorado is like being a starving man being taken to a banquet and told "eat all you want " only to find out that all the food has been pissed on and made inedible. If the weather sucks more than half the time, beautiful scenery isn't enjoyable. If you like those afternoon showers, then more power to you. I've tried to adapt and can't so if i can't change the weather I'll change the situation.

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by NBUplander

That's an encouraging report! Looking at daily historical US Climate data for Telluride I do see over the last several years that there are indeed dry stretches in July and Aug.

Backpacking is my wife's #1 love and there is no chance we can move somewhere she can't enjoy it. It's a pretty clear consensus that she drew the short straw on this year's weather.

I've been talking to people who live here in the mountains about the weather not just for this year but over the long term and they say it's a been a fairly normal year here in the Breckenrige/Vail area. Since July 5 we've had two days without rain. We've had some really nice mornings but by 1pm it's raining or threatening to. Not sure if it's better further west, north or south. I've had people from the front range tell me it's been rainier this year than normal. Colorado's weather is very variable from place to place.

Backpacking and camping is my #1 love and this weather has killed it for me. I'm done. I can't do daily rain. If it was once or twice a week I'd handle it but every day? And it doesn't just rain, it gets damp and chilly and affects me both physically and mentally. Maybe your wife is different. I'm liking that post about Sun Valley, Idaho. I will have to check that place out. I have no interest in buying a house or staying in one place but sounds like a great place to go for a season or year if I can find work at a resort or campground.

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by Nn2036

Lake Tahoe fits your criteria. Temp rarely reaches 90 and it is too far north so it get very little monsoon rain.

This is true! The summer weather is amazing. I was there this time last year and wish I'd gone back for another summer. Except for some VERY brief showers it didn't rain until I left October 1. It did snow at high elevation the first day of fall but was 80 degrees the next day when I hiked up Mount Rose (the highest point on the lake at 11k) and it was dry and beautiful all day.

I might very well go back next summer since the company I work for has resorts there as well. It doesn't rain and you actually get real summer weather that's predictable. When I left in early October and it was getting colder with the threat of snow. Last winter they got tons of snow and there are at least a dozen ski resorts there!

Half of Lake Tahoe is on the Nevada side so why not look in Nevada? I did all my shopping there and there are some really nice places and it's not like Colorado is cheap! My car insurance went UP here in Colorado and the sales tax are higher here than back east! Colorado isn't cheap. In Nevada, Carson City is an easy drive into Lake Tahoe and there are a lot of nice smaller towns in Nevada that are only a half hour from the mountains. Reno isn't far either. Yosemite is an hour south and there's lots of places to "warm up" at lower elevations in Nevada if you want a break from the cold and snow.

Now I'm really wondering why I came to Colorado to begin with. Maybe I should just go to Lake Tahoe and stay. Definitely check it out. Here's last summer one year ago. I backpacked few days on the Tahoe Rim Trail and came down and spent two days lounging by the lake and swimming, enjoying 80 degrees and the sunset. The mountain biking is amazing there and you can kayak and swim in the beautiful water of the lake. It's crowded in the summer but there's plenty of places to escape the crowds.

There were a lot of bees (those nasty yellow jackets) in August and September. Tons of them. That's the bad part. I love that here in Colorado there aren't any bugs at least here in the mountains. Bring insect spray and screen in your porch. I plan to invest in a bug canopy. I'll take the bees over the rain.

[NBUplander]

My wife hiked the PCT last summer and really loved Tahoe. She did encounter tons of bees through most of CA. She's allergic and carries epi pens but did not get stung. A yellow jacket did sting her on the CO trail this year, which was the first sting she's ever had after literally thousands of miles of hiking.

The San Fran crowds that invade Tahoe in winter and summer worry me a bit. The crowds are 1/2 the reason I'm leaving Seattle. I need to go visit.

We're going to road trip to ID next weekend. The mountains are not quite as dramatic as I'd like, but outside of skiing it has a lot to offer and the weather is quite good.

[SkyDog77]

Posting from Telluride now. No rain.

I have to say, your list of demands is getting more funny to me every time you post.

No rain, no crowds, no bees, dramatic mountains.... I hope you find paradise.

I've spent a bit of time in Northern Idaho kayaking the rivers. It's stunning. Lots of rattlesnakes though.

[pikabike]

North Cascades, right in your home state!

Great summers
Uncrowded
Stunning peaks

Bugs...hmmmmmm...

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

The further north you go, the less you will be impacted by the summer monsoon. We have been having a heavier than usual monsoon season here in SW Colorado. It's been rainier and far more humid than normal. There was even a dusting of snow on the La Platas the other day. However, even in a more normal summer, you have to take into account the high probability of rain showers from mid July to mid or late August, especially as you climb in altitude. I can see where it might be disconcerting to someone used to the PNW climate regime where the summers are pretty much sunny and dry. I spent one summer camped near Telluride on the San Miguel River and the summer monsoon got even me down, and I'm a Colorado native. Still it's not much fun to get rained on almost every afternoon, especially if you are tent camping. The San Miguel turned into a torrent and threatened to overflow its banks when August came around. However, by the beginning of September the monsoon generally clears out and we are rewarded by a nice Indian Summer that can sometimes linger all the way to late October. Of course in Telluride you are going to have plenty of snow from late November (depending) all the way to April (depending). I don't make too many generalizations about the weather these days. Climate change combined with the already variable Colorado weather makes for a weather situation where all bets are off.

I've visited the Steamboat area several times in the summer and I always lucked into clear skies. However, can't say from personal experience whether Steamboat always has sunny summer weather since I've never lived there for any length of time. At any rate, whenever you go up into the mountains be prepared for sudden changes in the weather - especially once you are above 10,000 feet or so.

Good info as always from Colorado Rambler!

I go through all the roads in SW Colorado every other month. I've found Colo.145 from Norwood to Telluride to be in pretty good shape after an August storm but there is a nasty spot where you see a "crib wall" (aka retaining wall) on the north side. Over the years when I HAVE gone through there, especially in August, that has been a trouble spot. IIRC it is at mile marker 78. C-Dot does a great job keeping the traffic moving as they have a work yard/garage just east of Sawpit. A fair amount of that crew also live in Norwood where they have a facility there as well. And mudslides can be a problem in Norwood, Norwood Hill is a problem in a storm. You have workers in Norwood who commute to Telluride and there are people from Nucla/Naturita who do as well.