• Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.

Moving to the mountains full-time?

Christy

Angel Diva
I wonder if people in the NE are going to have the last laugh. The way the West has been growing for decades and it just keeps growing faster and faster...there is a housing crisis in many of our cities and ski towns...at some point these wonderful natural features that everyone wants to be close to are going to be overrun, if they aren't already, or too hard to get to (again some already are) due to traffic. I wonder how appealing the West will be in the future when a gazillion more people live here, when so much more land is developed, when millions more acres of recreation land have been lost to fires, as higher temps makes skiing less viable...Vermont might look pretty sweet. (Well it IS pretty sweet already).
 

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@BonStarlet -- Can you describe the lifestyle you're looking for? Or maybe describe the lifestyle you have and what you're wanting to keep and what to change? And what is the appeal of Park City?

Moving away from the concrete tells me that you don't want to live in an apartment or condo, but plan to be in a house perhaps on the outskirts of development. That can entail a lot of maintenance that eats up your free time.

Moving to the mountains could mean you want to be close to skiing, or that you just want to be 'away'.

Working full-time and travelling for your job means you would only be skiing on weekends and vacations?

What other activities do you enjoy or interest you?

Are there locations that have special significance ... family or friends relatively close or some other tie?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

I moved from the DC area to Portland, OR in 2013, then to Denver last year. I had no connections in either place. Starting over as a single person with no support system has its challenges.

With respect to skiing, I skied more while back east than I did living in Portland. I worked full-time and skied mainly on weekends. Weekend traffic to/from Mt Hood was not something I wanted to deal with very often.

Day-to-day life was much better around DC than in Portland. Where I lived in MD, I was 2 miles from a paved bike trail. I could bike 10 miles in the evenings several times a week out in the quiet of nature. Portland seems geared more toward city biking ... not my thing so I gave up biking. In MD, I lived a short drive from 3 indoor county pools and would swim for exercise about 3 evenings a week during my non-biking time. Checked into the pool situation when I got to Portland. I was very discouraged by what I heard and gave up swimming.

Portland was a good experience for me, but the lifestyle I had there was very different from that in MD.

What are your priorities? How do you like to spend your time?
 

RachelV

Administrator
Staff member
I wonder if people in the NE are going to have the last laugh. The way the West has been growing for decades and it just keeps growing faster and faster...there is a housing crisis in many of our cities and ski towns...at some point these wonderful natural features that everyone wants to be close to are going to be overrun, if they aren't already, or too hard to get to (again some already are) due to traffic. I wonder how appealing the West will be in the future when a gazillion more people live here, when so much more land is developed, when millions more acres of recreation land have been lost to fires, as higher temps makes skiing less viable...Vermont might look pretty sweet. (Well it IS pretty sweet already).

I see where you're coming from, and I get that it feels that way sometimes with how quickly things are growing out here, but we can fit SO MANY more people in the west. I know it's not really this simple, and there are other constraints besides just how much space we have, but as someone who grew up in the northeast I do have to say that Colorado still feels pretty empty to me a lot of the time.

Northeast US: about 56 million people in about 180k sq miles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States)
Mountain west: maybe 25 million people in about 850k sq miles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_states)
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Vermont isn’t cutting checks to newcomers, btw. There is a lottery for something like 10 or 12 payouts, and even then, it’s just a reimbursement for home-office expenses UP TO 10k.

Fwiw, I uprooted at age 49 from an urban-ish area where I had a lot of friends, etc. to a place (Brownsville, VT) where I knew nobody (though I am adjacent to several wonderful and kind ski divas!).

I had the good fortune to become fast friends with two people whose friendship has been a game-changer; they introduced me around and nudged me to become involved in a few things. As a result, after just a year here, it feels like home. We all met because of a shared interest in mountain biking.

I agree with @marzNC that moving to the east coast solely to ski is the lesser of a long list of geographic options. I’m a New Englander at heart, as well as by temperament and wardrobe. :becky: But regardless of locale, you will very likely find your “people” with some patience and deliberation.

Good luck!! Please share your adventure with us. Don’t hesitate to pm if I can offer support.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I see where you're coming from, and I get that it feels that way sometimes with how quickly things are growing out here, but we can fit SO MANY more people in the west. I know it's not really this simple, and there are other constraints besides just how much space we have, but as someone who grew up in the northeast I do have to say that Colorado still feels pretty empty to me a lot of the time.

Northeast US: about 56 million people in about 180k sq miles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States)
Mountain west: maybe 25 million people in about 850k sq miles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_states)

You and I probably have pretty different perspectives since my city has geographic constraints that don't allow it to grow (except for vertically) and make it really hard to get around as we're funneled into a few routes over water, etc. Denver has the whole Great Plains to sprawl on to. But really I was thinking more about the recreation opportunities. So like the I-70 traffic, or what Little Lightning was talking about with canyon traffic near SLC, or the fact that it's a 2 hour wait at the entrance to get into Mt Rainier on weekends now. People move west for the easy access to outdoors but it's becoming not so easy. Having never lived in the NE I know it still may be way easier than there, but I just wonder if there will come a point when everyone has moved west when people in the NE start having it to themselves. Maybe not, I know.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm surrounded by so much public land that I don't think it'll every be that much of an issue. The valley floor (read "future flood plain") will undoubtedly get built up, but the rest is mostly federal, state, and "conserved" lumber company land (which would be some of the white area in the mail below).
Screenshot_20190627-151039.png
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Washington actually has more public land than Montana, but of course we have a lot of people. But access has been made harder/impossible in many places in recent years due to large fires and the loss of roads and trails either due to washouts from weather events or because they aren't maintained and are no longer passible. My favorite wilderness area has a half million acres and 75% of it has burned in recent years. The land is still out there but more of us are funneled into fewer areas. Of course with enough political will the situation could be remedied but it's been going downhill for so long no matter who is been in charge I'm not optimistic.
 

BonStarlet

Certified Ski Diva
@BonStarlet -- Can you describe the lifestyle you're looking for? Or maybe describe the lifestyle you have and what you're wanting to keep and what to change? And what is the appeal of Park City?

Moving away from the concrete tells me that you don't want to live in an apartment or condo, but plan to be in a house perhaps on the outskirts of development. That can entail a lot of maintenance that eats up your free time.

Moving to the mountains could mean you want to be close to skiing, or that you just want to be 'away'.

Working full-time and travelling for your job means you would only be skiing on weekends and vacations?

What other activities do you enjoy or interest you?

Are there locations that have special significance ... family or friends relatively close or some other tie?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

I moved from the DC area to Portland, OR in 2013, then to Denver last year. I had no connections in either place. Starting over as a single person with no support system has its challenges.

With respect to skiing, I skied more while back east than I did living in Portland. I worked full-time and skied mainly on weekends. Weekend traffic to/from Mt Hood was not something I wanted to deal with very often.

Day-to-day life was much better around DC than in Portland. Where I lived in MD, I was 2 miles from a paved bike trail. I could bike 10 miles in the evenings several times a week out in the quiet of nature. Portland seems geared more toward city biking ... not my thing so I gave up biking. In MD, I lived a short drive from 3 indoor county pools and would swim for exercise about 3 evenings a week during my non-biking time. Checked into the pool situation when I got to Portland. I was very discouraged by what I heard and gave up swimming.

Portland was a good experience for me, but the lifestyle I had there was very different from that in MD.

What are your priorities? How do you like to spend your time?

All fair questions - and apologies for the delay. 2019 has not been kind to my family, so spent some unplanned time visiting hospitals.

Can you describe the lifestyle you're looking for? Or maybe describe the lifestyle you have and what you're wanting to keep and what to change? And what is the appeal of Park City? I want something different. In many ways Chicago has felt like a shoe that doesn't quite fit. I grew up in west Texas and i think that as much as i CAN live in the city - i don't want to be buried in it. I love living in a walk-able community where I do know (almost) everyone by name. I like that I know the owner of the restaurant across the street, the gym owner calls me when I go missing. Fall. Spring. What I DON"T love: traffic. cold winters with not much 'fun' to do with it (other than hide inside), short / late summers. Fighting my way to and through ORD on a regular basis.

Moving away from the concrete tells me that you don't want to live in an apartment or condo, but plan to be in a house perhaps on the outskirts of development. That can entail a lot of maintenance that eats up your free time. Due to my travel, I actually do want an apartment or condo. I like having other people around and knowing that my packages are safe (and warm).

Moving to the mountains could mean you want to be close to skiing, or that you just want to be 'away'. Yes to both. I want it all, clearly :smile:

Working full-time and travelling for your job means you would only be skiing on weekends and vacations? Accurate. I have a history of taking the odd Monday "off" or "work from home" and early weekend starts to accommodate my habits, but mostly weekends and vacations.

What other activities do you enjoy or interest you? Crossfit. Hiking. Reading. Sitting outside. Sitting inside. Live music. Food. Great cocktails. I would love to get back into horseback riding (was a very competitive hunter-jumper rider)....but have been chicken since the "great tailbone incident". Also played volleyball in college, so may pick that back up, too - but have been tentative since a foot /tendon injury (yes - i'm a rough and tumble kid ....who is aging - so I should probably add Physical Therapy to my hobby list).

Are there locations that have special significance ... family or friends relatively close or some other tie? not really - my family is in TX and AR and I want / need to be able to get to them....but don't feel the need to LIVE near them.....

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Extroverted Introvert. I am very social, but I need a weekend a every few weeks to recharge and go off the grid.

I moved from the DC area to Portland, OR in 2013, then to Denver last year. I had no connections in either place. Starting over as a single person with no support system has its challenges. Definitely....
 

geargrrl

Angel Diva
Washington actually has more public land than Montana, but of course we have a lot of people. But access has been made harder/impossible in many places in recent years due to large fires and the loss of roads and trails either due to washouts from weather events or because they aren't maintained and are no longer passible. My favorite wilderness area has a half million acres and 75% of it has burned in recent years. The land is still out there but more of us are funneled into fewer areas. Of course with enough political will the situation could be remedied but it's been going downhill for so long no matter who is been in charge I'm not optimistic.

I think it's really important to make the distinction in terms of Western and Central WA ( Cascades and further west) and the other side of the state, close to Idaho and Montana. None of the above which Christy states really applies in Eastern WA. Our metro area is in the 400K range, versus the 3.5 million of the sea/tac corridor. Our traffic is different/less, less people everywhere. No permits needed for wilderness areas, for example. Housing costs way less. I spent a week in the mountains over the 4th and shared a forest service campground with exactly no one, saw no other people on one main regional trail, and about 3 on the other. We haven't lost major access due to fire events, but our geography acts as a smoke collector.

I never understand why Portland always comes up as an outdoors western city. Outdoors access for both skiing and mountain biking just sucks and involves at least an hour drive in heavy traffic to go do anything.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Moving to the mountains could mean you want to be close to skiing, or that you just want to be 'away'. Yes to both. I want it all, clearly :smile:

Working full-time and travelling for your job means you would only be skiing on weekends and vacations? Accurate. I have a history of taking the odd Monday "off" or "work from home" and early weekend starts to accommodate my habits, but mostly weekends and vacations.

What other activities do you enjoy or interest you? Crossfit. Hiking. Reading. Sitting outside. Sitting inside. Live music. Food. Great cocktails. I would love to get back into horseback riding (was a very competitive hunter-jumper rider)....but have been chicken since the "great tailbone incident". Also played volleyball in college, so may pick that back up, too - but have been tentative since a foot /tendon injury (yes - i'm a rough and tumble kid ....who is aging - so I should probably add Physical Therapy to my hobby list).

Are there locations that have special significance ... family or friends relatively close or some other tie? not really - my family is in TX and AR and I want / need to be able to get to them....but don't feel the need to LIVE near them.....
Reading this makes me think of Albuquerque. Mostly because that's where my ski buddy settled a few decades ago. He's originally from New York City, with vacations spent in New England growing up.

The improvements to the airport will be finished soon. Not as major an airport as SLC, but might work.

Taos Ski Valley is a 3-hour drive. Santa Fe is an hour but smaller and tends to be more crowded on weekends from what I understand.

@SallyCat researched the area not too long ago.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I’m a New Englander, went to college and lived in Vermont back in the 70s, and moved back here two years ago to live with Mr. Blizzard. I’ve always loved Vermont, and fortunately for my skiing, I don’t know anything else. But we ski at Killington (sometimes Okemo) and I absolutely love it.

The population here (except for Burlington) is aging - I feel right at home! Burlington is a lively small city with a lot going on. It’s also the only place in the state with traffic.

I doubt it’s the right place for the OP (access to airport, apparently used to Western skiing, single, etc.) but it’s a wonderful place to live and to ski. The skiing tests your skills at first, then you get good at it!

Photo is last weekend, atop Killington with Mr. Blizzard, DD, and dearest granddaughter.
 

Attachments

  • BB13680D-35E4-43A2-B36C-2AB3A4BF5E52.jpeg
    BB13680D-35E4-43A2-B36C-2AB3A4BF5E52.jpeg
    460.2 KB · Views: 22

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I never understand why Portland always comes up as an outdoors western city. Outdoors access for both skiing and mountain biking just sucks and involves at least an hour drive in heavy traffic to go do anything.

Reading back over the thread, it seems I am the only one who has mentioned Portland. I did not tout it as/for anything, but noted areas of my life that diminished while I lived there. So ... :noidea:

Working full-time and travelling for your job means you would only be skiing on weekends and vacations? Accurate. I have a history of taking the odd Monday "off" or "work from home" and early weekend starts to accommodate my habits, but mostly weekends and vacation

If I traveled for work, I would want to be near a significant airport to increase the odds of nonstop and 1-stop flights. I would likely look first at what airports best served my needs, then at what communities and activities were within x hours of those airports.

If I skied mostly on weekends, I would avoid areas that are known to have skier traffic issues. Weekend skier traffic would rule out Denver which, for me, would then rule out Colorado as I wouldn't want to rely on smaller airports. Maybe Fort Collins would be close enough to the airport for you and also close enough to Steamboat Springs.

Reno/Tahoe airport may work, but I've read horror stories about I-80 skier traffic. An outlying area such as Carson City might be a consideration or a community around Tahoe.

Spokane checks off a lot of things, as @geargrrl mentioned. I looked there myself. Sounds as if climate may be one of your other factors. As I was considering locations, I followed Spokane's weather for a while but don't have an overall impression of it.

Once you list your priorities and tolerances for work and lifestyle, the number of good options can get small very quickly. One of my top priorities was being out west -- due to wanting to explore a lot more out here. When I was on the east coast, I started paying attention to Albany. It seemed to offer a lot in terms of proximity. Was wondering if I might move there when I retired, but life took me in a different direction.
 

geargrrl

Angel Diva
Spokane: four season climate. Spring is lovely, mixed rain with beautiful days. Summer doesn't start until July. Maybe one week - 10 days of real heat (mid 90's and above) in August. Fall is gorgeous moving into (what's the new term for Indian Summer) to bluster. Winter in town hovers in the low 30's. Snow in town really varies from year to year. Sometimes I used the snow blower every other day for 6 weeks; sometimes once a year. It's very inconsistent. We get inversions with ice fog that are easy to get above by going skiing :-) This year we had nordic skiing at the golf course which we hadn't had in at least 5 years.

Only real climate drawbacks that I see are geographically we collect smoke during fire season. No hurricanes or earthquakes.

I only brought up Portland as my BFF who lives there was just here and never stopped bitching about traffic and how hard it was to get out of town for either skiing or biking.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Whitefish is a bit colder than Spokane, may not have as many non-stops airport-wise. Fewer people, tho. Reputation for foggy skiing but that depends on the winter. Otherwise, not much different. Spokane somewhat south of us, so slightly longer days. More important, they are on the eastern edge of the time zone, so their twilight will start at an earlier point in their day. I.E., our four o'clock afternoon light is roughly their 3 o'clock light in the winter. Slightly mitigated by the east to west movement of the sun, but not by any full hour due to our relative positioning in our timezones. This northern latitude thing is pronounced in the winter. You've got kids coming from school in the dark, having left in the dark. Conversely, I'm now going to bed while it's still light out.
 

BonStarlet

Certified Ski Diva
Okay Divas - it's official -- I'm moving to Park City!!! I'm excited, and also having a bit of an 'oh s$%# what have I done' moment. Any tips / advice on 1. moving across the country (the last time I did this...I had less stuff) 2. moving a cat across the country (Cat Stevens doesn't even like going outside...so this should be fun) and 3. preparing for my new awesome life....let me know!

Also if anyone is a PC local - Hi! I'm your new neighbor. Can we be friends? :smile:
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Good for you @BonStarlet . Park City is a great mountain town! I've been there several times and think it's very fun and happening! Not to mention good skiing and fantastic restaurants.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,233
Messages
497,561
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top