Bartender LOOKING for info on moving to Colorado..plz HELP (Denver: ski resorts, casinos)

[mrscottsmith930]

Whats Up....Ok so im looking for any advice since im flying blind right now. First of all im 27 and single and trying to pick up and move from San Antonio to Colorado. I Really wanna work at a ski resort, either in a restaurant or on the ski lifts. If not i just wanna be close enough to go skiing any chance i can get. So my question is where is a good place to look into? I should have a car so a small commute isnt too bad. And which ski resorts are based around bigger towns so if i wanna make it permanent, i wont have to worry about relocating once the season is over. Thanks for all your help i could use as much as possible...

Scott

[jwiley]

the ski resorts are ok if you plan on having several roommates or living in not so great housing.

Personally I would look into working at the casinos in Blackhawk and Central city, they are usually hiring and pay pretty well on top of tips. They are also close enough to the Denver metro area that people commute, so you can find a place to live up there for relatively inexpensive.

You will be about 45 minutes or so from the closest ski slopes, but the difference in cost of living and lifestyle should be well worth it.

[mrscottsmith930]

Good info man thx, what do you think about colorado springs area? And i wanna be around alot of people since i am going solo.

[sunsprit]

ski resort areas will be hiring for the season pretty soon, so you may want to head up to the areas that interest you and check out the accomodations and potential for jobs.

keep in mind that a lot of ski area jobs will take up enough of your time and money that you may not necessarily find many opportunities to ski.

you may find that getting a job out of the ski resort areas but pays well and gives you time off may be a better way to get skiing days.

I like Colorado Springs, but it's a pretty good commute to get to the slopes from there.

[ryanek9freak]

Yea, Colorado Springs is awesome, but it's a good 2.5-3 hours away from any ski resort

[wanneroo]

I would look around Vail/Beaver Creek, Aspen/Snowmass or Breckenridge/Keystone/Copper Mtn. Look up the Vail Daily or Summit Daily for jobs.

Certainly there are opportunities there in the winter and less so in summer. If you want to make it happen, I'd start thinking about a move so you can get housing lined up and a job or at least be ready to start knocking on doors in October and November.

Keep in mind ski town living is seasonal with a big winter season and a smaller summer season. It later evened out, but I used to earn 2/3rds of my income in 3-4 months of winter. If you expect to live in a ski town year round, you'll need to work your butt off in winter to save to be able to live the rest of the year. Having another job is not a bad idea either, especially in summer months.

It is certainly doable, but most employers want to be ready to roll 2nd week of Nov and ready to go full tilt by Thanksgiving, so I would keep that time frame in mind. I would also remember the season ends mid April and you will be surprised how quickly you go from the busy end of March to not a soul in sight by the end of April. Many restaurants close for 6 weeks in spring after the season.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

There are no "ski resorts based around bigger towns". The closest you'll get to that would be the Dillon/Silverthorne area, but even that is not what you are looking for.

I came to Colorado in the early 70s and lived in Steamboat Springs for three years. I knew no-one at all, just came out and gave it a try. I finally got tired of living hand to mouth working two and three jobs (at least for one of them I got to ski a lot because I was an instructor) and living with a bunch of roommates and moved back to the big city.

There are some other threads on this forum with other peoples' experiences at the various resorts. I say Go For It and Enjoy!!!

[shadowlp06]

I would say to live in Glenwood Springs, and work up at the Aspen resort in the winter months. Glenwood Springs has several rafting companies based out of it in the summer, so the town is hopping pretty much year round. You could work in Aspen for your winter, and get hired on at a local bar for the summer months, and you'd make some real good money bartending for sure. Glenwood Springs gets overlooked, but its proximity to Aspen and its summer activities make it a great place to work in the service industry. You won't have to pack up and move away for the summer. Just a thought.