If u could move anywhere, where’d you go? (AKA Taos Expanded

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

Edit: This is now also known as, the "Where do you want to move" thread.

The U.S. Forest Service has approved Taos Ski Valley’s request to expand its expert terrain by 60 percent with two new lifts that will take skiers to popular high alpine areas currently accessible only to hikers.

The plan also calls for upgrades to three other lifts, thinning of trees to expand two new glade areas for advanced intermediate to expert skiers, construction of a permanent tubing facility, a snowshoe trail system and a lift-served mountain bike trail for summer visitors.

Read more here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle … story.html

[John Fisch]

I’m not sure this is a good idea. The hike to the ridge is tough, steep, and often requires postholing in deep snow while climbing in heavy ski boots and carrying your gear. But it keeps the ridge clear of crowds and keeps lower level skiers from getting in over their heads.

I took my teenage daughters (expert skiers) on a Taos ski vacation winter before last and we did laps on the ridge most of the day. Sure, we didn’t get in as many runs, but we certainly appreciated each one more. It was also a great daddy-daughter bonding experience.

This may well diminish the ridge experience for die-hard skiers. It will certainly eliminate part of what makes Taos so special.

[url:1xq2cn8d]http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/photo.php?photoID=45815[/url:1xq2cn8d]

[url:1xq2cn8d]http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/photo.php?photoID=45820&album=tag&tag=[/url:1xq2cn8d]

[url:1xq2cn8d]http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/photo.php?photoID=45817&tag=user%3Askibum[/url:1xq2cn8d]

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"skibum" wrote

I’m not sure this is a good idea. The hike to the ridge is tough, steep, and often requires postholing in deep snow while climbing in heavy ski boots and carrying your gear. But it keeps the ridge clear of crowds and keeps lower level skiers from getting in over their heads.

I took my teenage daughters (expert skiers) on a Taos ski vacation winter before last and we did laps on the ridge most of the day. Sure, we didn’t get in as many runs, but we certainly appreciated each one more. It was also a great daddy-daughter bonding experience.

This may well diminish the ridge experience for die-hard skiers. It will certainly eliminate part of what makes Taos so special.

[url:1pam7t8a]http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/photo.php?photoID=45815[/url:1pam7t8a]

[url:1pam7t8a]http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/photo.php?photoID=45820&album=tag&tag=[/url:1pam7t8a]

[url:1pam7t8a]http://www.singletracks.com/mountain-bike/photo.php?photoID=45817&tag=user%3Askibum[/url:1pam7t8a]

That does sound unfortunate! Are their no other OB ridges that are easily accessible?

[John Fisch]

That depends specifically on where they put the new lift to the ridge–the ridge forks two ways. I’m guessing they’ll put it up the side where I took the pics that are linked in my original post. But even if they do, that will make it much easier to get to the other fork as well (the other fork has about the same grade, but many more trees, rocks and cliffs for the truly skilled and/or insane). One lift to any part of the ridge will cover all that’s left of the permit area. The ski area is surrounded by the Wheeler Peak Wilderness area, so there’s no way Taos Ski Valley could expand to offer new ridges.

The quote below sums up my dilemma perfectly:
"Officials hailed the action as crucial for helping the northern New Mexico ski area keep pace with competitors in Colorado."

I like to go to Taos specifically because it is not like Colorado. 😏

I don’t really care for homogenization in my skiing any more than I do in my singletrack!

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"skibum" wrote

The quote below sums up my dilemma perfectly:
"Officials hailed the action as crucial for helping the northern New Mexico ski area keep pace with competitors in Colorado."

I like to go to Taos specifically because it is not like Colorado. 😏

I don’t really care for homogenization in my skiing any more than I do in my singletrack!

I hear you on that. I’m looking at possibly moving to Salida in a year or so (among other places), and while the ski area (Monarch) isn’t nearly as massive as some of the summit county resorts, thats one of the things that really attracts me to it. While I wish it had more vertical drop (it’s about a thousand feet), it looks like it’s a true locals resort and gets 350" a year average and, from what I hear, has great OB tree skiing! I love skiing powder in the trees…

[John Fisch]

Yeah, Monarch’s a great little place–especially if you’re willing to hike a bit.

Monarch also has plans for some expansion.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ … nd-terrain
It won’t add any to the vertical, but it will spread the place out a bit more and offer some more variety, along with supreme views.

As you say, Monarch gets plenty of snow and it comes in the form of hyperlight powder and due to the altitude, the snow quality really lasts between storms.

And when you still get bored with Monarch, you’ll be 1:45 from Breckenridge (it takes me 2:00 from the Springs), scarcely two hours to Vail and under two hours to Crested Butte, which is beyond fantastic. As yet another bonus, you’ll only be 2 hours from Wolf Creek, which averages a whopping 465" per year of the lightest powder imaginable. In Colorado’s drought year last year, they opened on Oct 8 with a 30" base of all natural snow, beating all the places with snowmaking by weeks.

I’m sure you already know of Salida’s singletrack attributes–year round riding, incredible variety, everything from desert scrub to high alpine epics. I can’t imagine a better place for a year-round adventure junkie!

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"skibum" wrote

Yeah, Monarch’s a great little place–especially if you’re willing to hike a bit.

Monarch also has plans for some expansion.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ … nd-terrain
It won’t add any to the vertical, but it will spread the place out a bit more and offer some more variety, along with supreme views.

As you say, Monarch gets plenty of snow and it comes in the form of hyperlight powder and due to the altitude, the snow quality really lasts between storms.

And when you still get bored with Monarch, you’ll be 1:45 from Breckenridge (it takes me 2:00 from the Springs), scarcely two hours to Vail and under two hours to Crested Butte, which is beyond fantastic. As yet another bonus, you’ll only be 2 hours from Wolf Creek, which averages a whopping 465" per year of the lightest powder imaginable. In Colorado’s drought year last year, they opened on Oct 8 with a 30" base of all natural snow, beating all the places with snowmaking by weeks.

I’m sure you already know of Salida’s singletrack attributes–year round riding, incredible variety, everything from desert scrub to high alpine epics. I can’t imagine a better place for a year-round adventure junkie!

Yeah I do, and this is EXACTLY what I’m thinking!!! I’d be able to ride my MTB rear-round so I could still write articles here during the winter, but there would be PLENTY of skiing to do. And like you said, Salida is very close to a lot of different places, making weekend trips super convenient!

I didn’t know about the expansion plans at Monarch. That’s encouraging to see growth! And thanks for the snow analysis… I’ve actually never skied Colorado before (have skied Montana, Utah, Idaho, and Alberta, for western states).

So Salida is currently topping our list, but Bend, OR is kind of a wild card. I’ve heard amazing things about Bend, and we plan on checking it out next summer!

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

[quote="skibum":2gj5swm8]
I hear you on that. I’m looking at possibly moving to Salida in a year or so

[/quote:2gj5swm8]
Salida is a neat little town, and FWIW it also has hot springs. 😃

If you do move there, we’ll be expecting you to race the Vapor Trail 125 and write about it. 😃

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"maddslacker" wrote

[quote="mtbgreg1":2527jx69][quote="skibum":2527jx69]
I hear you on that. I’m looking at possibly moving to Salida in a year or so

[/quote:2527jx69]
Salida is a neat little town, and FWIW it also has hot springs. 😃

If you do move there, we’ll be expecting you to race the Vapor Trail 125 and write about it. 😃[/quote:2527jx69]

Was that yesterday or today? I REALLY want to do a dirty century once I get my degree over with. Why not make it 1.25?

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

Was that yesterday or today?

Yes…

http://vaportrail125.com/

[bonkedagain]

Not sure how this topic got going on this biking forum, but what the heck… 😀

I love Taos! They have a lot of great runs and it still has a small resort feel. Anytime they get good snow I will head down there. Last season they even started running adds in Colorado bragging about how they have snow and Colorado doesn’t. It is about a four hour drive for me — the same as Wolf Creek — and there is so much fun terrain there. I don’t hike the ridge — I got all my OB hiking out of my system in my younger days — but they have plenty of lift-served butt-pucker runs to keep you entertained.

We used to have a second home up near Salida and I have put many hundreds of miles on my bikes up there over the years. Definitely a fun place to hang out. Beware that their school system has a terrible reputation, so if you plan on raising a brood in Colorado you may want to to think about that.

I have skied Monarch so many times I could practically do it blind-folded (season’t pass four years in a row). Reasonably fun place, but I don’t think I could ever ski there again unless they get a really good dump; I have simply extracted all the fun I can out of the place.

Similarly, Wolf Creek can get huge dumps. I have day-tripped the place multiple times when they have gotten a good dump. It’s worth a spur-of-the-moment trip, getting up early and hitting the road since a big dump usually means the pass to the west gets closed and there will hardly be anybody there. Otherwise, it is pretty tame when the powder has been packed down and not worth the trip, IMO.

Speaking of Salida, I will be working on another trail build up there in a couple weeks. Come on out and help build some more bike trail. See the details here.

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"bonkedagain" wrote

Not sure how this topic got going on this biking forum, but what the heck… 😀

I love Taos! They have a lot of great runs and it still has a small resort feel. Anytime they get good snow I will head down there. Last season they even started running adds in Colorado bragging about how they have snow and Colorado doesn’t. It is about a four hour drive for me — the same as Wolf Creek — and there is so much fun terrain there. I don’t hike the ridge — I got all my OB hiking out of my system in my younger days — but they have plenty of lift-served butt-pucker runs to keep you entertained.

We used to have a second home up near Salida and I have put many hundreds of miles on my bikes up there over the years. Definitely a fun place to hang out. Beware that their school system has a terrible reputation, so if you plan on raising a brood in Colorado you may want to to think about that.

I have skied Monarch so many times I could practically do it blind-folded (season’t pass four years in a row). Reasonably fun place, but I don’t think I could ever ski there again unless they get a really good dump; I have simply extracted all the fun I can out of the place.

Similarly, Wolf Creek can get huge dumps. I have day-tripped the place multiple times when they have gotten a good dump. It’s worth a spur-of-the-moment trip, getting up early and hitting the road since a big dump usually means the pass to the west gets closed and there will hardly be anybody there. Otherwise, it is pretty tame when the powder has been packed down and not worth the trip, IMO.

Speaking of Salida, I will be working on another trail build up there in a couple weeks. Come on out and help build some more bike trail. See the details here.

Thanks for the break-down!

Beware that their school system has a terrible reputation, so if you plan on raising a brood in Colorado you may want to to think about that.

Interesting… didn’t know that about Colorado. While I don’t have any kids yet (and hopefully won’t for a while), not sure if we’d do public school or not when we do have them. My wife is a certified English and Social Studies teacher, and I think the more she teaches the more she thinks homeschooling would be a better option with the way public education is going.

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

Interesting… didn’t know that about Colorado.

He meant Salida in particular. The Denver ‘burbs where you visited us in June have the top schools in the country. (Specifically Douglas, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties)

[edit]
Colorado, by law, also allows online schooling and partially funds it with ‘public school’ money. All home-schooled students are allowed to enroll in extracurricular activities such as sports or drama through their local public school. AND for high school mountain biking, they can either join their local school’s team or race as an independent.
[/edit]

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"maddslacker" wrote

[quote="mtbgreg1":2xx03cnz]Interesting… didn’t know that about Colorado.

He meant Salida in particular. The Denver ‘burbs where you visited us in June have the top schools in the country. (Specifically Douglas, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties)[/quote:2xx03cnz]

Salida has a MTB race team though

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

See my edit 😃

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

Salida has a MTB race team though

So does Douglas County. (Where we live) 😎

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"maddslacker" wrote

[edit]
Colorado, by law, also allows online schooling and partially funds it with ‘public school’ money. All home-schooled students are allowed to enroll in extracurricular activities such as sports or drama through their local public school. AND for high school mountain biking, they can either join their local school’s team or race as an independent.
[/edit]

Hmm now that is interesting.

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

I don’t live just for the great weather, awesome mountain biking, excellent income potential and lack of humidity and mosquitos… 😆

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"maddslacker" wrote

I don’t live just for the great weather, awesome mountain biking, excellent income potential and lack of humidity and mosquitos… 😆

Yeah but you live on the front range… I could never live there! Way too many people… I can’t handle that

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

It’s ok until the kids are through school.

[John Fisch]

Unfortunately, most of the small towns in the mountains (at leas the ones that are affordable) have schools that leave much to be desired (I understand Aspen has a great school system, but a 100-yr old victorian 3 bedroom will set you back over $1M).

The school district where I live in SW Colorado Springs is one of the top in the country and, of course, I live in the middle of a wicked good collection of world class singletrack. But, as you say, there are waaaaaay too many people. It’s not Denver/Arapahoe/Jeffco, but it’s still way too many people. My wife and I are seriously considering moving once our last kid is out of school (we dont’ want to disrupt their lives with more moves–they’ve had enough of that already).

So, how are the schools in Bend?

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"skibum" wrote

Unfortunately, most of the small towns in the mountains (at leas the ones that are affordable) have schools that leave much to be desired (I understand Aspen has a great school system, but a 100-yr old victorian 3 bedroom will set you back over $1M).

The school district where I live in SW Colorado Springs is one of the top in the country and, of course, I live in the middle of a wicked good collection of world class singletrack. But, as you say, there are waaaaaay too many people. It’s not Denver/Arapahoe/Jeffco, but it’s still way too many people. My wife and I are seriously considering moving once our last kid is out of school (we dont’ want to disrupt their lives with more moves–they’ve had enough of that already).

So, how are the schools in Bend?

That I’m not sure about, but Bend is a much bigger town–about 100,000ish.

Skibum, if YOU could move anywhere, where would you go?

[John Fisch]

Geez, Greg, that’s a toughie.

No place maxes out all categories. My criteria would include a long riding season and a great variety of singletrack, but not too hot, access to good skiing and not too many people. Keeping that in mind, I’m really happy here in Colorado Springs–all except for the population aspect. If I could go anywhere, I’d be hard pressed to pick a single place at this point, but here’s my "short list":

Bozeman would definitely be high on my list, maxing out everything but the long biking season.
Tons of killer ST
Lots of fantastic skiing nearby
Unlimited opportunites for other outdoor activities
Incredible natural beauty in every direction
Great vibe and avid, involved MTB community

Grand Juncion, maxing out everything but the temps (very hot summers).
Awsome trails in town, 10 min to Fruita and 80 min to Moab
Easy day trip to Aspen/Snowmass
Colorado National Monument, Uncompagre Plateau and many other great geology (much rideable)
Real community full of real peoply/not a tourist trap

Cedar City, Ut, maxing out everything except the skiing (Brian Head won’t entertain me for long)
High enoug in altitude to keep out the worst of the southern Utah Heat
Great rides next to town and up around Brian Head
80 min to St George/Hurricane for some of my all-time favorite rides

Flagstaff, also maxing out everything but the skiing (Snowbowl as the only option)
7,000 feet actually yields lower average temps than Co Springs despite being in Az
High altitude rides next to town for the hot months
Just a half hour to near year round riding in the most scenic destination of all: Sedona
Less than 2 hrs to Phoenix with many great rides in the coldest part of witnter.

Santa Fe–it’s not a big population, but it is a bit cramped
Plenty of great rides in/around town
Only a short jaunt to Taos for more great riding and my all-time favorite ski area
Easy jaunt to Albuquerque, Los Alamos and Gallup.

Downieville
Great rides around town, close to low elevation rides for the winter and tahoe for the Summer
Great skiing and a variety of resorts in Tahoe
A really cool community

We settled in Co Springs so we could be close to aging parents, get the kids in good schools, and where my earning potential was high. We could overcome the last two criteria, but not the first. Without the family issues, I would have most likely pushed for Flagstaff or Bozeman. That’s as close as I could narrow it down for you.

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"skibum" wrote

Geez, Greg, that’s a toughie.

No place maxes out all categories. My criteria would include a long riding season and a great variety of singletrack, but not too hot, access to good skiing and not too many people. Keeping that in mind, I’m really happy here in Colorado Springs–all except for the population aspect. If I could go anywhere, I’d be hard pressed to pick a single place at this point, but here’s my "short list":

Bozeman would definitely be high on my list, maxing out everything but the long biking season.
Tons of killer ST
Lots of fantastic skiing nearby
Unlimited opportunites for other outdoor activities
Incredible natural beauty in every direction
Great vibe and avid, involved MTB community

Grand Juncion, maxing out everything but the temps (very hot summers).
Awsome trails in town, 10 min to Fruita and 80 min to Moab
Easy day trip to Aspen/Snowmass
Colorado National Monument, Uncompagre Plateau and many other great geology (much rideable)
Real community full of real peoply/not a tourist trap

Cedar City, Ut, maxing out everything except the skiing (Brian Head won’t entertain me for long)
High enoug in altitude to keep out the worst of the southern Utah Heat
Great rides next to town and up around Brian Head
80 min to St George/Hurricane for some of my all-time favorite rides

Flagstaff, also maxing out everything but the skiing (Snowbowl as the only option)
7,000 feet actually yields lower average temps than Co Springs despite being in Az
High altitude rides next to town for the hot months
Just a half hour to near year round riding in the most scenic destination of all: Sedona
Less than 2 hrs to Phoenix with many great rides in the coldest part of witnter.

Santa Fe–it’s not a big population, but it is a bit cramped
Plenty of great rides in/around town
Only a short jaunt to Taos for more great riding and my all-time favorite ski area
Easy jaunt to Albuquerque, Los Alamos and Gallup.

Downieville
Great rides around town, close to low elevation rides for the winter and tahoe for the Summer
Great skiing and a variety of resorts in Tahoe
A really cool community

We settled in Co Springs so we could be close to aging parents, get the kids in good schools, and where my earning potential was high. We could overcome the last two criteria, but not the first. Without the family issues, I would have most likely pushed for Flagstaff or Bozeman. That’s as close as I could narrow it down for you.

Wow great list. We definitely think alike! Visited Flagstaff this summer and it was AWESOME… but like you said, the biggest drawback is the skiing. Never skied snowbowl before, and it looks decent sized but doesn’t look like it gets that great of snow (I think I read about 250" somewhere).

How close is Taos to Santa Fe? I’ve heard amazing things about Santa Fe but have never visited there.

Bozeman DEFINITELY has the skiing underwraps! So much near there!

[bonkedagain]

This might be thinking outside of the box a bit, but have you ever considered Canada? Calgary is a pretty cool city, and if you want to get away from its crowds you could live to the west toward Banff. From there it is a pretty easy drive to skiing at Lake Louise and Marmot Mountain. Unlike the national parks here, in Canada you are allowed to ride the trails in the parks, so miles (or kilometers) of trails are available in Banff and Jasper National Parks. However, year round riding won’t be happening in the great white north unless you are prepared for true winter riding.

Of course everybody knows about the biking in the Vancouver area — tops in trails with Whistler/Blackcomb just up the road for winter fun. You won’t get as many dry powder days (coastal cement is more common) but they get a lot of snow. Vancouver is widely considered to be one of the top cities in the world.

But, back to the good ole USA, Taos Ski Valley is probably a bit over an hour from downtown Santa Fe. The big problem with Taos is it doesn’t get very reliable snow. In a good year it can be fantastic, but in a lot of years, meh… I still love the place, however. The culture is so different it is almost like going to a foreign country, and when the snow is good the skiing is fantastic.

Like Skibum, I keep thinking about trying some place different from Colorado Springs but I just haven’t found a place that has a strong enough pull to get my roots out of this place.

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"bonkedagain" wrote

However, year round riding won’t be happening in the great white north unless you are prepared for true winter riding.

That’s the problem: I really want (and, for my job, need) to be able to ride my mountain bike all year round. So trying to find a place where I can mountain bike all year and still ski powder in the winter… well that really narrows down the options, which is kind of a blessing in some ways!! Otherwise, I’d feel totally overwhelmed!

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

Don’t forget Sedona AZ.

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"maddslacker" wrote

Don’t forget Sedona AZ.

Sedona doesn’t have skiing, but I’ve kind of been lumping it in with Flagstaff as it is the go-to winter MTB destination for Flagstaff locals.

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

Sedona doesn’t have skiing, but I’ve kind of been lumping it in with Flagstaff as it is the go-to winter MTB destination for Flagstaff locals.

Right, but the skiing is well within driving distance.

If you truly want to ski and MTB in the same day, you’re pretty much limited to CO, NM, CA or maybe WA. (I’m not sure what their winters are like)

Oh, and the Salt Lake City area too I guess.

[bonkedagain]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

trying to find a place where I can mountain bike all year and still ski powder in the winter

If northern Utah wasn’t so freaking weird I would add that to the list. I went to college there and can definitely attest to lots of great powder days while enjoying warm temps down in the valley. There are some decent trails around the SLC area that can be ridden most of the winter. But, it’s Utah…

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

But in your heart, you know that Colorado is the right choice. amirite 😎

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"bonkedagain" wrote

But, it’s Utah…

There is that. Utah was on our list, but has been dropping down lately. Only problem with SLC is that I will NEVER live in a city! Can’t stand them!

"maddslacker" wrote

[quote="mtbgreg1":1ast1vqk]Sedona doesn’t have skiing, but I’ve kind of been lumping it in with Flagstaff as it is the go-to winter MTB destination for Flagstaff locals.

Right, but the skiing is well within driving distance.

If you truly want to ski and MTB in the same day, you’re pretty much limited to CO, NM, CA or maybe WA. (I’m not sure what their winters are like)

Oh, and the Salt Lake City area too I guess.[/quote:1ast1vqk]

Look at some of my above posts… Bend, OR reportedly has mtb all year and they have GREAT skiing at Bachelor. Checking out Bend this summer… we shall see!

"maddslacker" wrote

But in your heart, you know that Colorado is the right choice. amirite 😎

OK, here’s our shortlist:

Salida, CO
Bend, OR
Flagstaff, AZ

Other possibilities, but probably too expensive and winter MTB would be a ways away:
Crested Butte, CO
Telluride, CO

Park City, UT USED to be on our short list, but after visiting there this summer I’ve decided it’s a great place to visit, but WAY too uppity to live there.

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

Wait, you’re not FLDS??? 😆

I say you put it out to a vote. Let the Singletracks community decide for you!

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

"mtbgreg1" wrote

Checking out Bend this summer… we shall see!

AND you can hang with Adam Craig and Carl Decker!

[abegold]

Taos is a great place to live. I’ve skied there many times, best terrain this side of Aspen. Mountain biking is sweet and extensive in the area. The town isn’t expensive, has very good restaurants. Absolutely my favorite large town in New Mexico. Pretty liberal place, solar radio!

[UnclePatches]

I keep seeing a place called "Italy" in the photo of the day section. If this place is for real and not photoshopped or something, guess I’d like to live there. But I still have not found proof that this place really exists or just someones made up fantasy world! Here is an example. Is this place for real?

[url:1cgyuhqk]http://www.singletracks.com/images/uploads/2012/08/66-Sent–154-0-0.jpg[/url:1cgyuhqk]

[bonkedagain]

😀 Funny you would mention that. I was thinking of suggesting the French riviera — you would be right next to the mountains yet you would have the beach right there too! You could ski, bike, and scuba all in the same day! 😎

[John Fisch]

Telluride would indeed be pricy unless you go simply by the letter O or are a famous actor/Scientologist with the initials TC.

However, just down the road is the hamlet of Cortez. Cortez, home to Phil’s World, Sand Canyon, Boggy Draw and many more, offers up nearly year round riding. Yet you’re still within an easy drive to Telluride for some of the Biggest singletrack in CO in the summer and absolutely killer skiing in the winter. And while Telluride is only an hour north, Durango, the original epicenter of mountain biking, is less than an hour east. As a bonus, it’s a quick and easy day trip to rides like the Alien Run and Road Apple in northwestern New Mexico. Cortez has a great bike shop and, of course, Durango and Telluride have many. I made Cortez my base for a few days coming back from Sedona 2 years ago and found it to be down to earth and eminently affordable. It is a little rough around the edges, but that’s what you get if you want an affordable place that’s still close to such outdoor meccas.

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"skibum" wrote

However, just down the road is the hamlet of Cortez. Cortez, home to Phil’s World, Sand Canyon, Boggy Draw and many more, offers up nearly year round riding. Yet you’re still within an easy drive to Telluride for some of the Biggest singletrack in CO in the summer and absolutely killer skiing in the winter. And while Telluride is only an hour north, Durango, the original epicenter of mountain biking, is less than an hour east. As a bonus, it’s a quick and easy day trip to rides like the Alien Run and Road Apple in northwestern New Mexico. Cortez has a great bike shop and, of course, Durango and Telluride have many. I made Cortez my base for a few days coming back from Sedona 2 years ago and found it to be down to earth and eminently affordable. It is a little rough around the edges, but that’s what you get if you want an affordable place that’s still close to such outdoor meccas.

Wow, sounds like it might be worth looking into!

[brianW]

New Zealand! End of discussion, we can all move along now.

[Neil Beltchenko ✓ supporter]

Bend: Ive heard the mtb’n is great and year round but….. in terms of snow how wet is it! hard to leave Colorado blower!

Durango: pretty close to purgatory and silverton is not to far away! We all know the biking is amazing! it does however get pretty darn hot in the summer!

Gunnison: Great town, cold winters, Hartmans is rid-able mostly 9 to 10 months of the year! can ski Monarch and CB and is 2 and a half hours to Frutia!

I sacrifice the life in Crested Butte….for now at least! I’m starting to love biking almost more then skiing but that’s what i always say until opening day! CB is cheaper then Telluride, I get my grocery’s in Gunny and life is good! I do however like to think about the future! Durango 😕

[abegold]

A problem with Flagstaff, the skiing SUCKS. The terrain is great and the mountain beautiful but the lift lines are the worst you’ll ever find. Until the USFS lets them upgrade the lifts I’m not going back and it’s the first ski resort I ever went to. If you manage 10 runs in a day you’re doing well, while at Wolf Creek and Taos I ski several times as many runs. They are having a multi year battle just to get snow making so don’t expect lift improvement any time soon.
SIngletrack is some of the coolest in the state.

[Greg Heil ✓ supporter]

"abegold" wrote

A problem with Flagstaff, the skiing SUCKS. The terrain is great and the mountain beautiful but the lift lines are the worst you’ll ever find. Until the USFS lets them upgrade the lifts I’m not going back and it’s the first ski resort I ever went to. If you manage 10 runs in a day you’re doing well, while at Wolf Creek and Taos I ski several times as many runs. They are having a multi year battle just to get snow making so don’t expect lift improvement any time soon.
SIngletrack is some of the coolest in the state.

That’s no bueno. Thanks for filling me in man!

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

Dude, just move to Morrison/Evergreen/Conifer.

Small town feel, lots of riding and skiing and Denver isn’t too far when you feel like doing cultural stuff.

Also the JeffCo school system pays really well.

[abegold]

"maddslacker" wrote

But in your heart, you know that Colorado is the right choice. amirite 😎

It will be for me someday. Love Lyons, Nederland (bluegrass towns), Steamboat, Breckenridge, Pagosa Springs and Durango. Aspen’s incredible skiing but I’d never afford the real estate. Anyone want a house in AZ? For sale.

[Corey Maddocks ✓ supporter]

Trade? 😆

[Inertia]

Bend, OR. Final Answer…

[Jared13 ✓ supporter]

"abegold" wrote

[quote="maddslacker":3g09668t]But in your heart, you know that Colorado is the right choice. amirite 😎

It will be for me someday. Love Lyons, Nederland (bluegrass towns), Steamboat, Breckenridge, Pagosa Springs and Durango. Aspen’s incredible skiing but I’d never afford the real estate. Anyone want a house in AZ? For sale.[/quote:3g09668t]

If you still have it in 10-15 years, let me know! 😆

Northern AZ is on our short list of retirement places and we’re not big skiers so that sounds perfect.

[Author]

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