Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

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greenonion
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by greenonion »

seano wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:32 pm
Bombay2Boulder wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:03 pmBend, Bozeman, Bellingham, Bishop.
Bishop?! Have you dealt with summer temps in the Owens Valley? Summer in a van around Bishop is survivable, but you'll be spending a lot of time soaking up A/C in the Starbucks and driving uphill to find bearable places to sleep. It's also ~20 miles to the high trailheads, and cell service is hard to find in the habitable zone if you need to be online for work.
Sean does make good points about Bishop, but man that eastern side and area of the Sierras are spectacular.
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by Codyhill1991 »

greenonion wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 5:32 pm
seano wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:32 pm
Bombay2Boulder wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:03 pmBend, Bozeman, Bellingham, Bishop.
Bishop?! Have you dealt with summer temps in the Owens Valley? Summer in a van around Bishop is survivable, but you'll be spending a lot of time soaking up A/C in the Starbucks and driving uphill to find bearable places to sleep. It's also ~20 miles to the high trailheads, and cell service is hard to find in the habitable zone if you need to be online for work.
Sean does make good points about Bishop, but man that eastern side and area of the Sierras are spectacular.
I spent last summer in Mammoth Lakes and found that pretty perfect. Much cooler than Bishop and still close to great peaks, just a tad longer drive to the bigger ones.
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by amags543 »

one other thing to consider is red tape, traffic, and crowds around the peaks you want to access. national parks are going to be jammed up and some now require an advance reservation or a last minute lottery just to enter for a day hike
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by nyker »

It may seem unusual to consider but Las Vegas is surrounded by mountains. You also are not far from southern Utah parks and the eastern Sierra and you have access to some great restaurants on the strip if you cared to venture there.
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by Codyhill1991 »

nyker wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:22 am It may seem unusual to consider but Las Vegas is surrounded by mountains. You also are not far from southern Utah parks and the eastern Sierra and you have access to some great restaurants on the strip if you cared to venture there.
I'd definitely consider it. I like access to trails year round and it seems like Vegas would be a good spot for that, and the Eastern Sierra is one of my favorite places. Having never ventured into Montana I think I need to check it out before settling so far south but it's definitely on my radar.
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by nyker »

Codyhill1991 wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:39 pm Hey everyone. It's been a minute since I've been on the forum but this community has always come through for me so I'm here with a strange set of questions.

Long story short, I'm in a position to live wherever I want and have housing taken care of, but I might have to settle in one place for an extended time rather than moving around to get all the good places. I am leaving Colorado for now, and I'm trying to decide where would be a good place to focus my search that has the right balance of beautiful backpacking/alpine lakes/some solitude and challenging summits to hike/scramble to. .....
Are you limited to the USA? If not then, options increase dramatically...
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by Istoodupthere »

cougar wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 6:08 am Montana mountain towns are becoming like CO mountain towns, as far as culture and affordability. I know a few people from MT and a couple who moved there. Bozeman in particular. Hiking access is good in those places, startingin town. Red Lodge too, although they are recovering from last years floods. Probably better in towns like Anaconda or Butte. Summers get hot and smoky, but longer daylight. Avoid Idaho.
Yes avoid Idaho. It’s awful. Don’t ever go there
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by Codyhill1991 »

nyker wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 6:26 am
Codyhill1991 wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:39 pm Hey everyone. It's been a minute since I've been on the forum but this community has always come through for me so I'm here with a strange set of questions.

Long story short, I'm in a position to live wherever I want and have housing taken care of, but I might have to settle in one place for an extended time rather than moving around to get all the good places. I am leaving Colorado for now, and I'm trying to decide where would be a good place to focus my search that has the right balance of beautiful backpacking/alpine lakes/some solitude and challenging summits to hike/scramble to. .....
Are you limited to the USA? If not then, options increase dramatically...
I am unfortunately limited to the lower 48 with my current job
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by ltlFish99 »

I enjoyed the short time i spent in ketchum, and thought the Driggs area was wonderful, but expensive.
i thought kalispell seemed like a good lication, with easy access to Glacier. i could certainly spend a summer in glacier as the scenery was great, with a lot of high alpine lakes. We did see 3 Grizzlies in one week, so they are a somewhat common thing.

Missoula looked like a very enjoyable town, and i wished i could have stayed there for longer.
The sawtooths are quite enjoyable as well, and i think a summer exploring the wind rivers would be a lot of fun.
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by nmjameswilson »

Not a single New Mexico? I have a house in the mountains of NM and love it down there but wish I could get down more often.

There is a lot to do in New Mexico but here are a few:
Mountains all over the state
Skiing
Fly Fishing the Rio Grande
White Sands
Gila cliff dwellings
Carlsbad Caverns
Bandelier National Monument
Lava Field by Carrizozo
Lincoln County (Billy the Kid)
Petroglyph National Monument
Roswell and aliens LOL
Taos and the River Gorge

That is off the top of my head I know there is a lot more ....
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Re: Advice on where to live, outside of CO, for best mountain adventures?

Post by greenonion »

nmjameswilson wrote: Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:51 am Not a single New Mexico? I have a house in the mountains of NM and love it down there but wish I could get down more often.

There is a lot to do in New Mexico but here are a few:
Mountains all over the state
Skiing
Fly Fishing the Rio Grande
White Sands
Gila cliff dwellings
Carlsbad Caverns
Bandelier National Monument
Lava Field by Carrizozo
Lincoln County (Billy the Kid)
Petroglyph National Monument
Roswell and aliens LOL
Taos and the River Gorge

That is off the top of my head I know there is a lot more ....
Hatch chiles and festival!!
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