Living between Springs and Denver (Colorado Springs, Castle Rock: home, to buy, shops)

[postratton]

Hi. My husband will be taking a job at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and I will be taking one in the very south end of Denver, Centennial to be exact. I know the situation is less than ideal, but in my field there are no jobs in the Springs. We are looking to buy a home somewhere in between, close to the interstate. It looks like our best choice is Monument, as it is about halfway, and 30 miles or so from each of our workplaces. I am a little concerned about the commute, especially in the winter. Is there any way to avoid monument hill on I25 if we live in Monument? I am considering the FREX bus, but have heard mixed reviews. A little reassurance?

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by postratton

Is there any way to avoid monument hill on I25 if we live in Monument?

Not really, assuming you mean northbound. You could take 105 in a pinch, but if the freeway is bogged down then 105 will likely be as bad or worse. If you're ON the divide, that is in Woodmoor or Palmer Lake, you will have the option of bypassing the top of the pass in either direction in the case of a total closure.

The nightmare stories you hear about Monument Hill are a little exaggerated anyways, IMO. I've lived here in PL for well over a year, and visited regularly for 2 years before that, and I have yet to see the pass really bogged down, much less closed. On the other hand, I can't count the number of times I've been stuck in near stand-still traffic between downtown Springs and Monument. So, pick your poison I guess... occasional unforeseen catastrophes on the hill or predictable daily gridlock in town.

[RedSoxFanGoingWest]

I commuted to the northern CO Springs area from Castle Rock for 2 years and I never had any major problems with Monument Hill. I heard all the horror stories but never experienced them.

Just my $.02.

[lalahartma]

But did you drive is the winter of 2006? Or spring of 2003? I don't think it's a huge deal, but be prepared for those days, a couple to a few times a year, when you have to stay in!

[vfrpilot]

I had a friend that lived in Castle Rock and worked at the Academy. In 5 years he missed no more than 5 days. Some of those were due to 'lack of interest'. I think it all depends on your tolerance of adverse conditions and your employer's attitude toward you putting your life at risk. The interstate rarely is shut down and when it does there's nothing you can do anyway. If it looks too awful to drive then I bundle up and clear the driveway, even though I can't actually drive anywhere
Monument would be a good choice for the commutes to both areas. We've got tons of neighbors that work at Peterson or Schreiver and many that commute to Denver.

[karpiel]

I suggest looking in the Palmer Lake area, close to I-25 and shops, but is still a nice, small town.
//www.city-data.com/city/Palmer-Lake-Colorado.html

If you get snow tires, you will be able to drive anything that's open in almost any vehicle.