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Old 07-25-2008, 11:00 PM
 
Location: Hot Springs, AR
27 posts, read 140,374 times
Reputation: 31

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I considered buying a five acre parcel at one time, but settled for an RV type small lot on the Rio Grande River right as 248 crosses the river. But there was a time when I really wanted one. I listened to people like Jazzlover and did not buy a larger lot. But I have good road access and good river access as well. The area where I come off of the road is level and it was easy to pull my travel trailer on to the property. But I went out and looked before I bought and knew the lots I was intersted in. I decided not to buy a larger lot as I don't intend to spend any long lengths of time there. It is very cold in the winter. My two grown daughters and I bought the land for not too much and all we pay are taxes of $40 a year. I go up and camp a week or two and they go up at different times of the summer and camp with their families. Now no one has to pay for over night camp sites. Split three ways the taxes are less than $15 ea. We can park our travel trailers on the lot and take off for Red River for the day or up to Colo Springs or over to the Sand Dunes, etc and then come back to the site in the evening. Both of my daughters and their families do long bicycle rides and compete in some of Colorado's great triathilons. I no longer want a big piece of property there, but I an certainly happy with what we are doing with ours. If a person needed to work or wasn't pretty self sufficient at roughing it I don't think they would make good residents of the San Luis Valley. I don't know much about the area around Blanca it it may be better for permanent residence than where my Rv lot is. We are self contained and have portable solar panels or can use our generator. Good luck, PinehollowGal
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Old 07-26-2008, 08:11 PM
 
11 posts, read 87,556 times
Reputation: 30
jazzlover, this cold stuff is quite real and growing up in minnesota I know what cold is. I actually have family still living in that cold, and know from experience and e-mails from my sister it is necessary to get your ducks in order before winter. keeping track of it on my computer the weather follows practically side by side with northern minnnesota. am going to try to just be a summer resident, but do know what it would be like to winter there. I enjoy and appreciate your blogs and it is a good thing to bring up the cold as a lot of people don't know what cold is. you have a lot of good information to pass along and seem quite educated in a lot of subjects.
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Old 08-04-2008, 02:39 PM
ck5
 
8 posts, read 53,057 times
Reputation: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolmtn View Post
To Larslarson & CK5,

Just came back from visiting the SLV area, purchased 5 acres out behind town of Blanca. Plan to install well, septic tank, solar panels, windtricity and lots of landscaping. Love the area and the land looks really good. Originally thought about purchasing acres higher up mountains but too many access problems.

Please let me know if you have already drilled your well, installed septic, solar power or if you have any ideas or info that you would like to share.

We're from Texas, way down south and this valley is paradise compared to the heat we suffer year round.
Being from Florida I despise the heat also..I think i'm going to purchase 1,000gal tank bury below frost line and truck in my own water. Solar heat my water for showers and start off with a 240 watt PV system for power. I under stand well depth is running at 200' to 400' ft. Digging well could be exspensive????
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Old 08-04-2008, 08:38 PM
 
8,317 posts, read 29,357,988 times
Reputation: 9305
I hate heat, so I would hate places like Florida and south Texas, but, folks, you have understand what REAL cold is. We're not talking 31 degrees and scrape a little frost off off of your car.

The San Luis Valley can get to -40° F. in winter--that's AMBIENT temperature, not counting any wind chill. Let me explain some things about 30 to 40 below:

- Winterized diesel fuel will start to gel. Unwinterized diesel looks like a snow-cone from the 7-11.

- Straight 30W motor oil pours like molasses, if it pours at all.

- A car without a block heater has to have a battery that is in perfect condition, or the car won't start. It may not even start if the battery IS in perfect shape.

- Things made from vinyl or plastic (car seats, insulation on extension cords, hoses, etc.) became so brittle that they will frequently break if they are even touched. Even metal gets quite brittle and may break if stressed (axles, driveshafts, etc.).

- Exposed skin will freeze in less than a minute.

- Breathe too deeply without an insulated face mask, and you can freeze your lungs--extremely painful and can do permanent damage. Without a winter hat, your ears can freeze in a minute or two.

- The frost line can go up to 6 feet deep. (When I lived in Gunnison, another Colorado cold spot, most water lines were buried 8 feet deep.)

- Houses left unheated during the winter, even when all pipes all drained, etc. often suffer cosmetic damage to the interior just due to the extreme cold. Of course, keeping them heated even at a near freezing temperature all winter can be a very expensive proposition. Human-unoccupied heated houses are also likely to be invaded by all nature of critters (mice, packrats, skunks, etc.) trying to escape the cold outside.

People who complain about the heat where they currently live frequently move to a place like the SLV--and THEN complain that winter (or what they call winter) lasts 9 months there. During the three months of summer, they also complain when the temperature drops below 50° just about every night. They are disheartened when they find the trees leafless and the grass brown for 8 to 8 1/2 months per year.

Some people can adapt--even thrive--in these hardships--but, I can tell you from personal observation and experience, very few of those who can are from warmer climates. They just never get used to it, especially if they are over about 30 years old. I spent several great years when I was young living in one of Colorado's (and the continental US's) coldest places, but I wouldn't really want to do it now,--especially at today's fuel prices and heating costs--and I actually don't mind winter.
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Old 08-18-2008, 09:59 PM
 
11 posts, read 87,556 times
Reputation: 30
jazzlover, I've been following the weather along with northern minnesota where I grew up and it mirrors pretty much. I think you may be exaggerating a bit. I can't remember any axles breaking, lungs freezing, I suppose hoses would break but why would they be outside in the winter, and naturally you need to do something about the battery, my dad used a lightbulb and rug. It could be a problem if your car broke down, but maybe a snowmobile outfit in your car would be good if you worked nights otherwise why be walking around in the cold at night. We had a coal stove but a wood stove would work and not even minnesota has 9 months winter. how do those people that live there make it thru the winter??
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Old 08-19-2008, 03:17 PM
ck5
 
8 posts, read 53,057 times
Reputation: 17
jazz lover try living in Montana......there is no way southern colorado is colder than the northern rockies...i've contacted the County and frost depth is 36inches...i think you might be a big embellisher with your dramatic stories of 6ft. frost depth. Checking the weather patterns the last ten years on gov'tweather.com....i have not seen one day at -40.....why dont you just be honest with people and stop exaggerating
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Old 08-19-2008, 04:25 PM
 
Location: NOCO
532 posts, read 1,561,853 times
Reputation: 237
Its in a mountain valley, not the plains. And when i went out to a jobsite in silverthorne there was a big worry about only having things set up for a 4 ft frost depth, and were moving it to 6.
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Old 08-19-2008, 06:10 PM
 
8,317 posts, read 29,357,988 times
Reputation: 9305
Quote:
Originally Posted by ck5 View Post
jazz lover try living in Montana......there is no way southern colorado is colder than the northern rockies...i've contacted the County and frost depth is 36inches...i think you might be a big embellisher with your dramatic stories of 6ft. frost depth. Checking the weather patterns the last ten years on gov'tweather.com....i have not seen one day at -40.....why dont you just be honest with people and stop exaggerating
I will say without getting into a huge debate over global warming/climate change that the last ten years in most of Colorado has been "abnormally" warm. I have about a half-century memory of weather and climate here, and I can guarantee you that there was a lot of colder years around 30-40 years ago. Last winter in some areas of Colorado was pretty cold, but not down to the levels seen in some earlier times. I have personally been in the San Luis Valley when the temperature dropped (unofficially, I admit) below -40° F. I also saw -55° F. in Gunnison--both temperatures ambient, not accounting for any wind chill. (I also saw frost 6' deep in Gunnison that winter.) I have family in the Dakotas, so I'm well aware of how cold the norther tier of states can get--often with quite dramatic wind chills. One of the benefits of the "valley cold" in places like the upper Gunnison Valley or the San Luis Valley is that it usually occurs when it is clear. At least there is some bright sun to enjoy during the day when it's so cold. I don't think I ever said that the SLV was as cold as Montana, but--for being as far south as it is--the SLV can give it a good run for the money more than occasionally. Also, many very cold areas in the northern tier of states actually get pretty warm in summer. That does not happen in the SLV or upper Gunnison valleys--a temp above 90° is pretty rare. This summer has been kind of wierd in quite a few Colorado locales because night-time temperatures have not been dropping as low as is usually typical. Normally, by this time in August, temps in the SLV are dropping to the low to mid 40's every night.
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Old 08-20-2008, 10:32 AM
 
Location: Canon City, Colorado
1,331 posts, read 5,062,935 times
Reputation: 689
Well I'd say Jazz took that like a man!! You're a good egg Jazz.
He IS right ya' know!!
It is VERY cold there!!!!!
My ex went to Western State in Gunnison, he often talked about the -40 temps. If one had a little bit of water in their hair or mustache, you could just break it off! Very "squeaky" when walking around in the snow(I know this happens elsewhere).
I used to go to Gunnison as a halfway point when meeting my ex with our son,...(after I moved to Canon City).....cold,....wicked cold!!
And when you have those below temps for a week or two,..then it gets up to say,...17 degrees, well then, you can go outside and shovel snow in a t-shirt.....pretty cold when a t-shirt in 17 degree weather feels warm!!!!
It takes a certain type of person to deal with harsh winters like those in the SLV. It's a little bit isolating IMO, but, I like it there...don't like driving in it but, it is beautiful!
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Old 08-20-2008, 04:23 PM
 
Location: The 719
17,874 posts, read 27,262,848 times
Reputation: 17117
Quote:
Originally Posted by SheridanL View Post
Well I'd say Jazz took that like a man!! You're a good egg Jazz.
He IS right ya' know!!
It is VERY cold there!!!!!

... Very "squeaky" when walking around in the snow(I know this happens elsewhere).
We had to play football against Center for the right to go to State and it was in Center, back in 1981 I believe. We (Rye) won 7-6. We had to endure 2 or 3 goal line stands to win the game. It's like you say; when you breathe in, your nose-hairs tickle. Oh, but even though Colorado has the highest mean altitude in the Nation and 54 14ers, we're further south than Fargo, so it's gotta be warmer down here. We may not have the Lake Effect that some Mid Eastern states do, or the humidity that Nebraska and some of the further eastern states have, but our high valleys do get wicked cold I'd concur.

And yeah Jazz; you ALWAYS exaggerate! You NEVER EVER EVER tell the truth. But that's ok. Jazz always tells the truth. Even when he lies.
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