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Looking for a place to retire some day that would be near as many great trails as possible. Possibly a ski resort with a hundred miles of single track.
Dosen’t have to be in Colorado but should be out west somewhere!
Any ideas! Want to start trying them out.
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I almost hate to divulge this since I hate to see property prices increase any more in the area, but a place that I like a lot in Colorado is the Upper Arkansas River Valley. That is, the area between Salida and Buena Vista. We owned a second home up there for years and I loved it.
You have the Colorado Trail and Monarch Crest close by. I never got tired of those rides. Crested Butte and Summit County are about an hour drive away.
For skiing there is Monarch and Ski Cooper, which are good for small areas; within an hour drive you have Vail and the Summit County resorts.
There are multiple backcountry regions with 14,000′ peaks in every direction. Backpacking, camping, fishing, biking, climbing, whitewater — you name the the outdoor activity and you will find it there.
Property is cheap by Colorado recreation area standards. Buena Vista is turning into a kayaking mecca, thanks to the pro kayaker Selby siblings. Outside Magazine extol the area in this article. Salida has a small but nice arts district, with an active and respected theater group. There are even some decent restaurants in the area.
The weather is ideal; it is called "the banana belt" for good reason. Summer temps are moderate and pleasant. In the winter it gets cold at night but warms up nicely during the day. The continental divide is just a few miles to the west, and it sucks most of the moisture out of the clouds leaving sunny days for the valley. Some of the highest snowfall amounts in the state are in the Saguache Mountains, yet the valley gets little precipatation. You can sit in the valley enjoying sunshine and watch the snow dumping on the mountains to the west.
Some local links:
Fourteener Net
Salida Mountain Mail
Peaks News Net
City of Salida
Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce
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