21 years old, considering Wyoming. ( ADVICE ) (Gillette, Sheridan: for sale, rent, student loans)

[Oklahoma_Breakdown]

Hey all,
New to the board and wanted to say it has lots of good good good info on here. Everyone seems really helpful and honest.

Heres my situation. I'm 21 years old, fresh outta college, and living in Oklahoma. I'm Directv sales rep making around 25-30k a year. I just got a call from a friend in Gillette who knows I am looking for a good job, and he is in with the coal mines really well and said he could hook me up with a good paying job. I'm planning a trip up to visit in the next few weeks, but I was hoping for some advice from some locals, and those who've expierienced Gillette. I'm a simple guy, country, love the outdoors and hate big crowds, hip hop, and stuff. I guess I'm the typical southern country boy ya always read about basically. What can I expect? How much money does a kid need to get setup in gillette, and if not gillette, are there any towns within a reasonable driving distance to the mines there? Any insight and help would be greatly appreciated. I'm also newly married and would be leaving my wife here in Oklahoma to get established. She'd join me after things got settled.

[ElkHunter]

You might take the time to read through some of the threads. Your questions have been brought up before and hashed out numerous times.

[Oklahoma_Breakdown]

ya I have been reading all afternoon. Everyone seems to be families with pets and stuff. I think this place could be a big oppurtunity to pay off some student loans, and being a good savings at least for a few years

[WyoMama]

Here's a good thread on Gillette - http://www.city-data.com/forum/wyomi...te-s-turn.html - you've probably already read it but is pretty inclusive. Good luck!

[Oklahoma_Breakdown]

I did read that. Found it useful. Does anyone know much about the mines and how the jobs in them are. Are they the same type mines you see collapsing in the east? Hows the hunting? Are there any suburbs of Gillette? I see town names in these threads, but I'm completely unfamiliar with the geography to know if it's close or not

[ElkHunter]

The mines that we have in Wyoming are open pit, not tunnel like back east. They pay pretty good. If you can drive a coal truck you're looking at around $25. an hour and you'll work 12 hour shifts. Really strange days.

Hunting is outstanding, fishing is not too far away but it's good also.

There are no suburbs in Gillette that I've ever heard people talk about. Some people have a nick name for a part of town, but it's certainly not a suburb.

Moorecroft is just East of Gillette. Town of about 800. Wright is about 50+ miles to the South. Again, a very small town. Buffallo is to the West about 66 miles away. There is nothing closer.

Housing in Gillette was nearly impossible to find 3 months ago. Not sure how it is right now. But we still have people living in Buffalo and Sheridan (66 miles and 96 miles respectively) that commute to Gillette because they still can't find a house to rent in Gillette after over a year of commuting.

[imbobbbb]

i think elkhunter has it pretty much right on.there are houses for sale,very few for rent

[Wyomiles]

What has your friend told you about the job and the town ? If you can swing it you should at least go and check it out.

[WyoMama]

Google mines in Wright, WY. My Bro-in-law lives in Newcastle & gets on a bus that provides transportation to & from work & town. They may have buses that go to other towns too. I don't know the name of the mine but should be able to find it by doing a google - sorry, too lazy to do it right now... :P That would save you a TON of $$$ & renting in Newcastle is sort of off & on & there is Osage &...oh heck - can't think of the town between Osage & Moorcroft - maybe 25 miles from Newcastle...HELP GUSY!!! I KNOW IT LIKE MY OWN BACKYARD..but can't remember name (I'll dream of it tonight....). Anyway - is just another thought. Long shifts, a LOT of days off, transportation provided & at LEAST $25 an hour if you drive heavy equip. I WISH my son would come back home to Wyo to work instead of W. VA. Tho he doesn't work at the mines there anymore - he used to work for Massey Mines in WV that are lopping off the mountaintops - it was a job but he hated it because of what it was doing to the ecosystem (washing out OLD towns because it changed water drainages) but now works for Appalachian Power & Elec. so has a job now he can retire from when he's still in his 50's. He's 26 right now. So, he ain't comin' back home ......... But just a thought. UPTON - that's the name of the town I was trying to remember!!!

[Oklahoma_Breakdown]

Thanks again for the info. My buddy said I'd be driving a big truck....I'm guessing the big coal trucks you both speak of. As for housing, he also said he had some houses he could get me into as well....but they were really pricy at 1200$ a month. He said I should make around 6600 a month though I guess it evens out. Rent here where I live is 550$ with electric and everything being maybe 800$ so it would be a big adjustment. I told him I'd like to come up and he said to come stay with him for a week or two. So looks like I'll be up there in about three weeks unless and oilfield x-ray job works out down here. Time will tell