Looking to move to Colorado! (Denver, Fort Collins: appointed, ski resorts, rentals)

[rtiller]

We are looking to relocate to Colorado in about 7 months. We would like to be close to if not right by a ski area. (my son loves skiing and probably would do it everyday if he could) He also plays hockey so it would be nice to have hockey as well. I have been researching Loveland, Fort Collins, Gunnison, Steamboat (our top choice right now). I don't want to have too much of a drive to the slopes. Employment is not an issue for us because my husband travels 75% of the year. (we do not need to be close to a mjor airport) It would be important to be in a friendly community with lots of community based activities. We have lived a very busy lifestyle and really want to slow things down so a small community would be best. We live in Indiana now but we spent most of our lives in Wisconsin. Any info would help!

ps- We will be looking to rent for housing so not sure how this affects where we go!

[jim9251]

Good luck on your move. I would suggest reading all the posts on here and doing lots of research. Most people here will recommend the front range, I prefer the western slope myself.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

If you don't want too much of a drive to the slopes, then don't look at Loveland, Fort Collins, Denver, or anywhere else on what is called the Front Range. It's at least 45 minutes to the closest ski area, and much longer on the weekends when everyone else is doing the same thing.

If you want to live close to a ski area, then be prepared to spend BIG bucks. Ski areas are a big tourist attraction and, like all tourist attractions, housing is in big demand for vacationers and second home buyers. People who work at the ski areas can't afford to live there, so they commute from outlying communities many miles away.

Like the previous poster said, do a forum search. This issue has been discussed many times here in regards to Steamboat, Gunnison, Breckenridge, Summit County, etc., etc.

[delta07]

Loveland and Fort Collins are both great towns, but are definitely the furthest away from most ski areas. I recall it being close to a 3 hour drive from Ft. Collins to Breckenridge or Vail, where I skied the most when I was in college. Gunnison or Steamboat would be nice to live close to a ski area, but can be pretty pricey (especially Steamboat). Skiing in Colorado is great because of the champagne powder, but I don't miss the drives to get to those areas. Right now, it takes us about 25 minutes from town to get to Mt. Bachelor...not bad! Many of the kids here in town take advantage of the early release Wednesday's in the winter by hitting the slopes.

I don't want to deter you away from CO, but if you're dependent on the local economy, you might look at some other places in the country that could work for you.

[jazzlover]

The only town on your list that I would remotely consider is Gunnison. Fort Collins and Loveland are not "small town"--they are just part of the Front Range metro blob. Steamboat is pure resort, with all of the social BS that goes with that. It no longer resembles much of anything like a typical small town. It is extremely high-priced and the weather, though well-suited for skiing, is very cold in winter, with copious snow to contend with, even in town. Milder climate areas in Colorado are rife with Steamboat natives who finally tire of the long, long winters and move elsewhere.

Gunnison still is a somewhat "real" community, though the resort "vibe" is certainly present there, too. The caveats are that Gunnison is BRUTAL cold in winter--temperatures (albeit without Midwest humidity) that can frequently drop to thirty below or lower on cold winter nights. Gunnison can go days without getting above zero and weeks below freezing. You should harbor no delusions about your son being able to stay there to work after he finishes school, either. There are few local jobs available, and very, very few local jobs that pay enough for a young person to be able to live in Gunnison. I spent my college years in Gunnison and loved it, but I'm highly tolerant of extreme winter weather, did not mind the isolation or small town living, and understood that staying there to make a living would be impossible.

Finally, rentals in either Steamboat or Gunnison are hard to find and may be quite expensive. With the extreme climate in both places, a poorly insulated rental can also cost a fortune to heat in winter.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

ooops, yeah 45 minutes from Denver, not Fort Collins or Loveland

[rtiller]

Thanks for the info. How long of a drive is it to the ski area from Gunnison?

[rtiller]

I guess I was so involved with thinking about the skiing in Colorado I didn't give much thought to anywhere else. I'm glad you pointed out Mt. Bachelor we now added Bend Or now as well. Is that the area you live in and if so is it a laid back community or busy we really want to slow things down but from what i've researched that may also fit what we are looking for. The home rentals look reasonable as well.

[ndk]

Gunnison is just down the valley from Crested Butte, about 30 minutes, and Monarch is about 45 minutes away. But don't discount jazzlover's warning about the cold -- during the winter, Gunnison is generally colder than the ski resorts themselves. It's an icebox there.

[wanneroo]

I'd echo that anyone looking for the mountain lifestyle living on the Front Range is going to be disappointed. Most decent places to ski are going to be 1.5 to 3 hours away and since most people go to school and work Monday thru Friday, that means everyone goes skiing at the same time too on the weekends and that means traffic slowdowns which get really outrageous when the snow is bucketing down. I've sat for hours many times at a near stand still.

So the other option is the actual ski towns themselves or some of the support towns. Mostly on the western slope, I'd say your options are going to be limited and pricey.

Steamboat I think is OK. It never did much for me when I lived there. It felt a "bridge too far" for me as it takes a couple of hours to get to Denver which is really the only city of note you can reach. Every other sizable town is also hours away. I like it rural but it was too much cabin fever going on for my taste. It does have some regular homes but again like every ski town you will pay a premium to live there. Also due to the topography it gets damn cold there. Often when I would drive back from Vail, it would be 20-30 degrees colder in Steamboat. I like cold but -25 is when I say forget it.

There is no free ride in Colorado. If you desire the mountain lifestyle and all the sporting activities close by you pay a premium in living expenses for that. If money is not a issue, then do the ski town thing.