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Old 04-27-2007, 12:46 PM
 
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In the next couple years...if not sooner, we will be moving to your great state. My family is in North Eastern part of Oklahoma so we want to stay within a days drive and also be near the mountains...so the SW is a must. I'm so confused about the 'ranges' the 'valleys' etc. What area will have 4 seasons, with mild summers and colder winters with snow? We are very tired of the 100+ degree summer days and the winters that come and go without snow and cold. We are winter people...love the cold, don't have a problem dealing with it. Last year was the first winter in a long time, that we actually had a good snow, cold, ice, etc in years. It was great.

My husband is a school teacher (art, history) so hopefully there will be openings when the time comes. That of course will be the key to the move, no job...no move. We plan on visiting before the end of the year, maybe more than once, but we need to know where to look. Small rural communities are fine...we actually prefer them. Don't need to be near tourist areas. Any positive comments or opinions will be appreciated. If there are previous threads that anyone thinks would be informative please let me know...I've done a search but haven't come across the specific information I am looking for. Thank you.
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Old 04-27-2007, 04:15 PM
 
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Not to burst your bubble, but there are relatively few places in southwest Colorado that are very affordable on a teacher's salary. One look at most real estate listings will tell you that. Some areas in the San Luis Valley might work for you, or over around Dove Creek might have some chance. The San Luis Valley is a strong agricultural area and real estate is not so ridiculous. However, some of the poorest counties in Colorado are also there. The area also has a very high Hispanic population. If you are prejudicial in that regard (and, sadly, some people are), the Valley may not be for you. Monte Vista and Alamosa are the two larger towns in the Valley. The Valley is one of the less touristy places anywhere near mountains in Colorado, and that makes it a big plus in my book right there. If you like cold, you will like the San Luis Valley--very cold winters (not much snow in the valley, though) and cool pleasant summers. Dove Creek is northwest of Cortez and is in an agricultural area. It's close to some fantastic country, but it's very small and relatively isolated. Cortez is fairly close, but is being impacted by high real estate prices now. Resort towns like Pagosa, Durango, Telluride, even Silverton are pretty much unaffordable for most on any "normal" salary, unless you want to live in a 1BR condo.

Teaching jobs in Colorado tend to not pay as well as some states, and are quite coveted in many locales. Also, there can be a strong local bias to hire locally if qulaified local candidates are available.

Quite honestly, it might make more sense for you to stay where you are and take an extended summer vacation in Colorado. I know several Colorado native friends of mine (including some independent business people) who have found that they have more money and time to spend recreating in Colorado living elsewhere than they did when they were trying to eke out a living in the rural parts of the state.
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Old 04-27-2007, 05:10 PM
 
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Not to burst your bubble, but there are relatively few places in southwest Colorado that are very affordable on a teacher's salary. One look at most real estate listings will tell you that.

Thank you so much for your response. We know all about teacher's salaries, but that isn't our only source of income. I guess I should have included that in my initial post. Money isn't a problem, but we live a frugal lifestyle...maybe that's why it isn't a problem. We have done some looking at the real estate listings and really some aren't all that bad. We just needed some details on the climate in different areas. We are not racists...so I'm not concerned with that either.

I've noticed that a lot of responses to people interested in moving to Colorado seem to try to deter or discourage. Are newcomers not welcome in Colorado? We are grown adults and fairly intelligent if we wanted to stay where we were at we wouldn't be looking for somewhere else to be. We have our reasons. We are realistic, responsible, tax paying citizens who have alot to contribute no matter where we are at and realize that there are problems and imperfections anywhere...remember I said we live in Oklahoma.
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Old 04-27-2007, 06:07 PM
 
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Climate: Go to Weatherbase.com. It has climatic information for most towns in the U.S. Virtually anyplace in Colorado has four seasons--summer, fall, winter, and mud (when what snow there may be melts and the weather lurches between winter and summer)! Elevation dictates a lot about the climate--higher usually equals cooler. The highest mountains tend to be the wettest, sheltered valleys the driest (the San Luis Valley is one of the driest areas in the state). Contrary to popular belief, most lower elevation areas in Colorado (below about 6,500 to 7,000 feet elevation) have bare ground most of the winter. It snows, then melts. Most of the sizeable towns in Colorado (except the ski resorts) are in lower elevation or valley areas. Most of Colorado's big snow doesn't come until after Christmas, much of it between mid-February and late April. Droughts (and most of the Rocky Mountain region has been in one for several years now) are common. In southwestern Colorado, December and June are usually the driest months, August the wettest. In all but the highest mountains, evapotransporation exceeds precipitation at least six months or more out of the year.

As to newcomers being welcome in Colorado: Let me explain. I'm a Colorado native and I lived in various places in Colorado for over 50 years before my career took me to neighboring Wyoming. I love Colorado, but I dislike what it is becoming. It is a combination of out of control growth and hedonistic wealth that is eating away at the social and environmental fabric of the state. I'm not a flaming liberal nor an EarthFirst! environmentalist, and frankly, most native Coloradans aren't, either. They just don't like the direction the state is going. A friend of mine said it pretty well, "A lot of the people moving in have a hell of lot of money and no values."

So, if you sense some resentment about newcomers is probably isn't personal, but, rather, reflects what is happening because of the growth, and because of the type of people that SOME of those newcomers tend to be. A lot of people who have lived in the state for a long time also recognize that growth is placing an unsustainable demand on the state's water resources (a very serious long-term problem), infrastructure, and finances. But, no politician wants to stand up and say "enough" because the real estate interests control Colorado politics, and because anyone that preaches anything about controlling growth is painted as an environmentalist, communist, "kook."

Take it from one who knows, actually making a living in rural Colorado has historically been no easy task. People like me made a conscious choice to sacrifice a much better income to live in rural Colorado. It is particularly embittering to folks like that when monied people inflate real estate prices to the point the the children of those long-time residents must leave rural Colorado because they can not even afford to live there. Some young rural Coloradans leave the area (or the state) because they want to, but many do because they HAVE to. The result is that many towns have virtually no residents between 20 and 40 years old. The exceptions are the few college towns and resorts that have a lot in that age group, but few of them are "natives," the young residents are more transient. Quite bluntly, there are some beautiful towns in Colorado (some of the most beautiful being in southwestern Colorado), but many of them are just not very sociologically "normal."

This whole issue is complex and could be debated for days. As I said in an earlier post, there are some things that I miss about Colorado, and a lot of things that I don't miss at all.

As for you, it sounds like you have your head on pretty straight. So, you could probably fit in quite well in some of southern Colorado's more normal (read: not resort) towns. If you don't have to rely totally on local income--well, that does open up some options. And, anyway, most Coloradans aren't natives or long-time residents anymore, anyway. Old-time natives like me are becoming dinosaurs--big, old, noisy, and just about extinct.
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Old 04-27-2007, 06:55 PM
 
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As to newcomers being welcome in Colorado: Let me explain. I'm a Colorado native and I lived in various places in Colorado for over 50 years before my career took me to neighboring Wyoming. I love Colorado, but I dislike what it is becoming. It is a combination of out of control growth and hedonistic wealth that is eating away at the social and environmental fabric of the state. I'm not a flaming liberal nor an EarthFirst! environmentalist, and frankly, most native Coloradans aren't, either. They just don't like the direction the state is going. A friend of mine said it pretty well, "A lot of the people moving in have a hell of lot of money and no values."

Thank you Jazzlover...this explanation absolutely makes perfect sense. It may be hard for me to comprehend coming from Oklahoma (actually the same area we have been since birth) because I don't think many people are dreaming of moving to Oklahoma, alot are dreaming of getting out. So I guess we don't see the influx that you do. And I know that I wouldn't be thrilled with people coming in and changing the whole dynamic of the countryside.

You have truly given us some things to think about....I believe when we talk about transplanting there is alot we don't consider. We are the type of couple that would only want to add and not take away. If we find we have nothing positive to add to the place we move then it probably wouldn't be something that we should do.

I will tell you this....I am more confused now about the climate of different areas of Colorado than I was before. Seems pretty complex compared to here. My husband had spent several summers in Wyoming and really that would be his preference, but it is too far away. Our kids are grown and it is just us now and we are ready to try something new.

Thank you again for your response
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Old 04-27-2007, 09:57 PM
 
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I didn't mean to confuse you about the climate--but it is complex. The mountains really complicate the climatic picture. Areas only a few miles apart can have vastly different climates. Late spring is dry in southwestern Colorado, it's wet in northern and eastern Colorado. Winter is pretty dry on the eastern plains, wetter on the Western Slope. The Eastern Slope can get Chinook winds in the winter that can raise the temperature into the 70's sometimes; the San Luis and Gunnison valleys can get inversions that cause the temperature to stay below zero for days on end.

It can be snowing to beat hell in the mountains and the sun will be shining in a valley 15 miles away. The old Colorado joke is true: If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes--or drive 10 miles away.

The Colorado and Wyoming climate (and where I live in Wyoming is pretty close to the Colorado border) is all that I have ever known. I'm used to it and I love it, but there is nothing "precious" or "cute" about it. Admittedly, we don't generally have the tornados that Oklahoma has (those are definitely a spectacle), the weather here is not benign, either. The biggest weather threat here, though, is long term: skin cancer. Colorado's higher altitude and thinner atmosphere mean lots more UV. Hardly anyone here who has lived in Colorado or Wyoming all of their lives gets away without having some "pre-" skin cancers removed. (The Doc is "watching" a couple on me right now to see if they need to be removed.) "Weathering" of skin from the low humidity is a fact, also. Cataracts from the UV are pretty common, too. Just "part of the deal," I guess.

I would encourage you to spend some time and ask questions. Talk to some of the natives or long-term residents about what an area is like. Avoid getting "shined" by the realtors and others who just want to sell something. There are a lot (obviously) of people who move to Colorado and love it, but there are also some who get disenchanted--maybe by economics, community, isolation (there are still some "isolated" places by urban standards), or the weather. I always recommend people who are thinking about moving to Colorado visit in March or April. It's when the state generally looks just about the worst and the weather can be the most fickle. If you like it then, you'll probably like it the rest of the year. People who only see the state in the summer, then move there are often sorely disappointed. And, remember, in the higher mountain areas, summer may only last a couple of months. A lot of places have a growing season of 90 days or less. It can snow in the higher mountains anytime. I posted earlier that I was slogging through 6" of slushy snow in Leadville one year on Colorado Day, August 1st! Even at lower elevations, I've seen significant snow on both Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. One year, I was visiting friends in Gunnison (I lived there for four years) and had to scrape my windshield because the low temperature was 21 degrees--on the first day of summer, June 21st. In September, out on the Colorado desert near Grand Junction, I've seen it be 95 in the afternoon and freeze that night. I always carry a jacket in my car, even in summer.

When they say the weather and climate in Colorado is "variable," they mean it . . .
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Old 04-28-2007, 11:23 PM
 
Location: South of Denver
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There's a lot of good information in the previous posts, so I'd like to look at another answer. There are still many areas that are "affordable" in SW Colorado...I would look in places like Cortez & Bayfield.

But more important, why do you want to go so far from Oklahoma? There are some really nice towns much closer, many of which could fit your requirement as well, or better. Many Front Range communites that are talked about at length in this forum would have promise. Rye, Colorado City, La Veta that are closer, have similar weather, and are still affordable.

You might want to look at Raton, Angle Fire, Las Vegas, NM, or one of my favorites, Taos. They all are as close to the mountains as most SW Colorado destinations and are easy access from OK.

To oversimplify, weather is mostly a factor of altitude. The higher, the cooler...and drier, making even 100 degree summers tolerable.
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Old 04-29-2007, 12:24 AM
 
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But more important, why do you want to go so far from Oklahoma? There are some really nice towns much closer, many of which could fit your requirement as well, or better. Many Front Range communites that are talked about at length in this forum would have promise. Rye, Colorado City, La Veta that are closer, have similar weather, and are still affordable.

You might want to look at Raton, Angle Fire, Las Vegas, NM, or one of my favorites, Taos. They all are as close to the mountains as most SW Colorado destinations and are easy access from OK.



Maybe I should have said South Central Colorado...the first two towns you mentioned are farther west than what we are talking about. I mean more in the area of Creede, South Fork, Del Norte or maybe a bit further north such as, Buena Vista, Nathrop, Fairplay, etc. I think some of the problem lies in looking at a map....it is hard to tell when looking at a flat piece of paper what the altitude of a certain town is. Visiting in person will fix that and we intend on doing that later in the year....just wanted an idea of where to look and who better to tell us than those who live in there?

Why do we want to get so far from Oklahoma? Have you ever been to Oklahoma? No, Oklahoma is fine....we just want to live somewhere else. Not Las Vegas or NM. Colorado. We would be good citizens, I promise. Nothing unsavory or weird. We wouldn't change the landscape, as a matter of fact you probably wouldn't even know we are there. We aren't judgmental or rude (although I can get defensive if cornered), we treat people the way we want to be treated.

Thank you for your response....any useful information is appreciated
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Old 04-29-2007, 01:04 AM
 
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Hi. I just wanted to say that like Bill said, there are affordable cities in Southern Colorado. Cortez (although southwest) is one as mentioned and Bayfield has many new homes being built in the 200s range so not bad for new homes. The weather in the Durango area is not bad. Four seasons and snows melts pretty quick on the roads. North of there gets alot of snow. South of there gets less snow. It is a desert once you hit the New Mexico border and beautiful forested mountains north of Durango. Bayfield has green hilly areas with pastures and areas with forests. Pine Valley, near Bayfield, is so beautiful. I just bought some land in the Bayfield area after checking out a couple of other places, I found Bayfield was for me and plan on retiring there someday. Bayfield has excellent schools too. Cortez is a farming and ranch town and is mostly nice country type people. So you might check out those towns.
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Old 04-29-2007, 10:48 AM
 
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AidansGrammy,

Since you mentioned them, let me comment on Creede, South Fork, Del Norte, Fairplay, Buena Vista ("Byoonie" to the locals), and Nathrop. I have friends who live or have lived in just about all of them, except Nathrop.

Nathrop: Almost nothing there except a few subdivisions. Halfway between Buena Vista and Salida. Overpriced in my opinion. About 8,000 ft. elevation. In the rainshadow of the Collegiate Range, so not a huge amount of snow in winter. Cold, but not usually frigid. Some wind.

Buena Vista: Nice little town. Prison there gives some employment stability. See Nathrop for climate, etc.

Fairplay: In the middle of South Park. Nearly 10,000 feet elevation. Bitter cold in winter, known for blizzarding conditions.

Creede: Former mining town turned tourist town. Neat setting. Cold and snowy in winter, lovely in the (short) summer. Long ways from services. About 8,850 ft. elevation. Neat place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there.

South Fork: Resort type area. A lot of "seasonal" homes. Overpriced, in my opinion. Cold winters, lovely summers. Not particularly snowy, but some that stays on ground most of the winter. Long way from anything except basic services. About 8,200 feet elevation. Lots of transplanted Texans.

Del Norte: At west end of the San Luis Valley. Still a farming/ranching community. Cold in winter , lovely in summer. Can be lots of mosquitoes. About 7,900 ft. elevation. Large Hispanic population. One of the more reasonably priced (relatively speaking) towns for real estate.

If you want to study Colorado geography more fully, I recommend buying the Colorado Road & Recreation Atlas published by Benchmark. It's better than the DeLorme Atlas, in my opinion. Has elevation, relief, good road information, as well as climate information for a few places in each region of the state. The "Colorado Guide" published by Fulcrum Publishing (get the latest edition) is more of a travel guide, but does give a fairly good little summary for most communities.
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