Which Co city is the closest to the slopes? (Denver: ski resort, house)

[parks71]

We want to live as close as possible to the slopes and still be able to find jobs with out a problem in the medical feild, which cities are the closest to the slopes? I hear Denver is about 1.5 hours, we would love to be able to get there in 45 mins or less. Colorado springs? what city would work?

[bluescreen73]

None of the major cities themselves are within an hour of the ski areas. Boulder isn't far from Eldora, but Eldora is pretty small when compared to the likes of Winter Park, Keystone, A-Basin, Steamboat, Vail, Aspen, etc.

You may be able to get to places like A-Basin or Loveland in an hour from places like Idaho Springs or Evergreen but then you face a hike into work.

[PokerMunkee]

From Woodland Park, 18 miles west of Colorado Springs, I can be in the parking lot at Breckenridge in 1.5hrs if I'm going 5-10mph over, passing the slow people. If you do this, be sure you have a radar detector, since there is almost always a trooper/sheriff trying to get their quota. Breck is 85 miles from WP. The traffic is NOTHING like coming from Denver on I70.

Any town that is less than a hour away from the major resorts wouldn't be worth it, IMO. Just leave your house by 7am, be on the slopes at 9am when they open, and leave at 2:30pm to beat the rush. That's a successful day in my books!

[parks71]

How far is evergreen from denver and the slopes? I wouldn't mind a 30 or 40 min drive to work, also how does golden compare as well?

[njstinks0622]

Originally Posted by parks71

How far is evergreen from denver and the slopes? I wouldn't mind a 30 or 40 min drive to work, also how does golden compare as well?

evergreen is about 25-45 minutes to denver (depending on weather and location in evergreen) and roughly and hour and a half (give or take) to summit county (breckenridge, keystone) also depending on weather.

Just keep in mind it ALL depends on the weather!!!! Evergreen is in the vicinity to I-70 which heads to both denver and summit county.

Thats just based on my research so far. I still live in NJ but Im moving to Evergreen xmas time of next year.

I think I'm pretty close?

[njstinks0622]

there is also a new ski area called echo mountain which is right up the road from evergreen if you just want to get out for the day

[sunsprit]

It's 45 minutes from Evergreen to Loveland's parking lot, unless you're heading up in the middle of a weekend ski morning with all the traffic.

It's not much more time to head up I-70 via C-470 from the Southwest Denver suburbs. Alternatively, you might consider living in the West Denver corridor along I-70 or 6th Ave, which gives you good access to lots of the Denver hospital areas and some nice housing; there's also a major hospital complex near I-70 on the West side.

You don't have to go over the speed limit to make these road times; in fact, for much of the ski season, road conditions are such that prudent driving wouldn't be at the speed limits due to road surface and/or traffic density.

What about checking into the possibility of medical field jobs in one of the major ski resort areas? Vail has a hospital, there's medical facilities in the Dillon/Silverthorne/Breck area, and so forth ....

[Idunn]

There is nothing like living near the slopes. Something near ideal is having your house so close that you step outside, put on skis, and ski the to the lift base, then ski directly home at the end of the day. Don't laugh, it is possible. Nearly as ideal would be to live in Summit County with many great ski areas in close proximity to choose from. If living in Breckenridge, CO or Keystone, CO you would be very close. Until tried, one can never fully appreciate what it is to have such proximity. One can idly watch all the many tired weekend skiers loading the car up for the long and tiresome slog back to Denver, CO. Or more likely you are not because you'll be hitting the slopes sometime mid-week when many of these other skiers are back in the their cubicles. Maybe you'll choose just a few hours on the slopes, but being that close you can.

The price of this comes in compromises. Unless opting for the ski bum approach you'll likely have to work much harder at securing one of the desirable jobs in your field. And pay for it in higher housing costs, and possibly less income than you might make in Denver. Being there has to be important to you or just not worth it. But if a skier it doesn't get much better, and all your fellow buddies will forever envy you.

Otherwise? Well, it's probably off to someplace such as Denver and then the powder you'll usually be closest to is that of the poster on the wall. But if even contemplating the slopes, don't forget there are options other than Summit County. Maybe, just maybe, Salida, CO would be seeking good doctors, and nearby Monarch ski area suits your fancy. Or maybe Durango, CO, and a straight shot north to Durango Mountain Ski Area (formerly Purgatory). And if hardcore, then we'll probably be hearing next from you from Silverton, CO, and nearby Silverton Mountain ski area. Intense. Presumably they have doctors there?

[FoRuMRideR420]

Originally Posted by njstinks0622

there is also a new ski area called echo mountain which is right up the road from evergreen if you just want to get out for the day

u ever been to echo tho?? unless u are looking for freestyle terrain there isnt much else there

as far as commutes its really depends on being close to I-70 I can be on in less the 5mins here in Arvada and up at Loveland pass in bout 45-50 mins.....

[Fuzz]

What do you mean by medical field? The demand for nurses versus general practice docs versus specialist docs are widely varied.