Internet service and schools in Evergreen/Conifer area (Denver, Steamboat Springs: for sale, renting)

[Winterraven]

Originally Posted by pikabike

You know about cold temperatures and snowfall in the flatter midwest. That doesn’t mean you get it about winter in Conifer, where there is barely a flat road to be found, and where snowfall often is between two to three times what Denver and its close-in burbs get.

You don’t know how severe CO drought can be, which means that fires are extremely hazardous due to ubiquitous dried vegetation. Think “southern California wildfires” to get a better idea of the extent and severity of fire hazard.

The foothills area I used to live in (similar to Conifer) had NO fire hydrants anywhere for miles, and the terrain made firefighting a nightmare. Look up North Fork South Platte fire and Kuester Ridge, for just one example of the obstacles to firefighting.

Thanks for the note. I have researched this and tragedies strike everywhere unfortunately.

I would really appreciate feedback about the schools mentioned above.

[Good Red Road]

Originally Posted by Winterraven

Just spent the weekend there exploring the evergreen area. We liked conifer and clear creek high schools. Evergreen high school feels very much like our high school in IL and no one in the family liked the vibe there.

In terms of housing, we liked what conifer has to offer better. We want privacy and ideally a log cabin so conifer seems to have more of that to offer.

What is it like to live in conifer or near clear creek high school?

Anyone have kids at clear creek? We know it’s small. Does that present a problem to kids attending there or its it a plus because there are no cliques to speak of? We are looking for a more laid back school vibe as we are trying to leave the hyper competitive school district we are in. Our kids also do sports and I’d like them to be able to play in HS as well. Not sure how competitive conifer is in that regard.

Our daughter attends EHS and doesn’t find it cliquey at all. The school is well rated and I like the fact that the Sheriffs department is just a couple blocks down the road.

We choose Evergreen because it felt more like an actual town, whereas Conifer always just felt like an exit off the highway, but both areas have some very nice neighborhoods.

I would avoid Clear Creek county since the area has a history of meth production, although I’ll probably catch some flack for pointing that out. Additionally, areas like Floyd Hill and Saddle Back Mountain are fire traps.
Fire is always a consideration in the foothills, but some areas are far more defendable than others.

Good Luck.

[Winterraven]

Originally Posted by Good Red Road

Our daughter attends EHS and doesn’t find it cliquey at all. The school is well rated and I like the fact that the Sheriffs department is just a couple blocks down the road.

We choose Evergreen because it felt more like an actual town, whereas Conifer always just felt like an exit off the highway, but both areas have some very nice neighborhoods.

I would avoid Clear Creek county since the area has a history of meth production, although I’ll probably catch some flack for pointing that out. Additionally, areas like Floyd Hill and Saddle Back Mountain are fire traps.
Fire is always a consideration in the foothills, but some areas are far more defendable than others.

Good Luck.

Thank you. Appreciate the unvarnished feedback!

[davebarnes]

Dear OP,
You are hiding your school criteria from us.
We are all geared towards responding to: what is the best school academically?
You are not in this group as evidenced by your consideration of Clear Creek.
Help us to help you.
Why are you leaving Barrington Hills?
,dave

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by Winterraven

Thanks for the note. I have researched this and tragedies strike everywhere unfortunately.

I would really appreciate feedback about the schools mentioned above.

Yes, tragedies can strike anywhere. Some places have higher risk of them happening.

What little I know of the schools is third-hand commentary. Some parents sent kids to private school, but I don’t know if that had much to do with academic pressure or cliquishness.

Fires, I know of first-hand. The Lower North Fork fire (to name just one from living 15 years in that house, out of 25 years in metro Denver) occurred not at the height of summer but in March. Mandatory evacuation was ordered on Monday afternoon and we were allowed to go home on Saturday night. Thirteen months later, the people who had bought our house got their pre-evacuation notice the day after they moved in. Fires are not limited to summer.

Living year round in a forested semiarid climate is not the same as vacationing in a north woods cabin. Sometimes the air was so dry it hurt to breathe, like 3% relative humidity.

WFH eliminates the need to drive daily, but you still must buy groceries, make emergency medical trips, manage sometimes-long power outages, and deal with unplowed roads. The not-quite-blizzard of 2003 was severe enough that roads could not be plowed for five days (our neighbors a little farther up the mountain had to wait longer), and thus the power outage could not be fixed. I later heard (later because phone service went dead, too) that some families were running out of food, firewood, and water. Some locations will have better service, but the fact is that many, many homes in the foothills are susceptible to the above situation.

Internet speed and cell reception vary...a lot.

It would be good for you to visit in late winter, when the worst snowstorms tend to occur.

“It won’t happen to ME” sometimes does. Caveat emptor.

[Katarina Witt]

OP, it's too bad you're not there today. I don't know how much snow the foothills areas got, but we have 12" here in Louisville and it's still snowing. Almost everything is closed, and this is in an urban area that while hilly in places, isn't mountainous. (Boulder Valley schools were already off for Thanksgiving break.)

We get it. We live here; some of us (me, davebarnes, maybe some others) have been here for decades. We like it.

I don't know anything about Clear Creek High School, but the Denver area high schools are the ones that are large enough to offer the AP/CU Succeed (college level) courses, the sports, the activities, etc. Cliques are everywhere. It's a cliquey age. The nice thing about a big school is that you can find people like you even if you're not in one of the "in" cliques. JMO

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

I don't know anything about Clear Creek High School, but the Denver area high schools are the ones that are large enough to offer the AP/CU Succeed (college level) courses, the sports, the activities, etc. Cliques are everywhere. It's a cliquey age. The nice thing about a big school is that you can find people like you even if you're not in one of the "in" cliques. JMO

My HS graduation class was about 85 people, and we had cliques. Yes, there is no way to avoid this IMO.

[MissTerri]

Conifer got two feet of snow today from what I’ve heard from family who lives in the area.

OP, if you haven’t already, check niche reviews for better specifics about the high school. I don’t have experience with this particular area but can say that Mountain town culture can be really different. Hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to spend some time in the area before making a decision. Maybe your kids could even shadow at the schools you’re interested in. Good luck!

[Winterraven]

Thank you all for the replies. I heard there was a lot of snow out there! We plan to go back again soon so we’ll see if we coincide with a snow storm. I appreciate all the information and warnings.

In terms of school criteria, we are mainly looking for a smaller school with a relaxed vibe where kids can participate in many sports and activities without being cut or too stressed to enjoy the HS experience. We want them to thrive in a smaller environment as opposed to competing with a ton of kids for everything in a HS with 3,400 kids like our current school. We visited golden, evergreen, clear creek and conifer. CC felt very cozy and inviting. They do have AP classes and the sports my kids play but obviously not as many as the others. Conifer was my personal favorite. My older son loved it as well. Seems like a great mix of academics and sports in a still fairly small setting. The facilities and setting there are incredible. The students and staff seemed super friendly.

We would like to leave IL to (1) allow the kids to go to a smaller more inviting HS, (2) pay less taxes, (3) have better weather, (4) leave the snobbiness of the Chicago burbs. There are not many places we would consider but this area fits the bill due to its beauty and milder weather. My husband would be ok permanently moving to our home in WI but that’s not an area I want to live in permanently.

I almost feel like I am being told not to move there though which is odd. We might stay here if our house doesn’t sell which is a distinct possibility since our housing market and state are in shambles.

[Winterraven]

Originally Posted by MissTerri

Conifer got two feet of snow today from what I’ve heard from family who lives in the area.

OP, if you haven’t already, check niche reviews for better specifics about the high school. I don’t have experience with this particular area but can say that Mountain town culture can be really different. Hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to spend some time in the area before making a decision. Maybe your kids could even shadow at the schools you’re interested in. Good luck!

Thanks. I love niche. Have read the reviews there but was looking for fresh information since some reviews are a bit old. I like the shadowing idea a lot. I’ll see if I can pull that off during our next visit!