Move to Fort Collins? Why/Why Not?

So I just got a job offer in Fort Collins, and currently live in Denver. I would definitely need to move either into the Fort or maybe Loveland.

Anyone who lives in the area have any pros or cons on living in Fort Collins? How's the climbing/skiing? I know there is a lot of bouldering around, but I'm pretty terrible at it, so it's not something I'm really looking for. I guess Estes isn't that far away.

Is there a good place to live outside of Fort Collins, maybe closer to Boulder climbing?

Thanks for the help.

Vedauwoo is closer than Estes. Just FYI. Also, loads of sport at the Palace in Poudre. Plus everything up at Greyrock.

Depends on whether climbing and skiing are your only considerations. If you're really into the Denver/Boulder downtown/urban scene, it may be a bummer for you. However, Fort Collins is a pretty cool place to live; Old Town is cool and there are some good microbrew pubs. (Climbing community is cool and tight knit as well.)

Regarding climbing and skiing, you are an hour further away from Summit County/Rifle/Moab, etc. You're an hour closer to City of Rocks, tho! Lumpy is about as far away from FTC as from Denver, but as Brian notes above, Vedawoo is really accessible to FTC Climbers. Loveland may be 20 - 30 minutes closer to Lumpy, Boulder, Denver, Summit Cnty, etc., but being close to Old Town in FTC makes FTC a better location (IMHO).

If you want to be closest to Boulder, try looking in SW FTC (backroads to Boulder) or SE FTC (I-25 and/or E-470).

I lived in FC for 4-5 years and still think it is a great town. However, as far as climbing goes, well, I was always driving down to Boulder or over to Estes. I'm not much into bouldering so I never went to Horsetooth much and Poudre Canyon just didn't do it either. I love the Splatte but never went when living in FC because it was such a drive to get there. I go several times a season now. I really like living in the Broomfield/Westminster area because the housing is affordable and I can be in Eldo in 15-20 minutes.

just to reiterate, Fort Collins is closer to Lumpy than Denver. Partners I meet coming from Denver take 1.5 hours to get to the Gem Lake Trailhead, I make it in 55 minutes no problem, way less if I'm getting an early start. Even if you're stuck behind a tourist in the Big Thompson you can make Lumpy in about 1hr 10min.

Just this morning, leaving here at 4:45 am, my partner and I made the Glacier Gorge Trailhead in an hour and ten minutes.

Eldo is a good hour and a half, and points in and around Boulder are 1 to 1.5 hours.

I love it here. However, Fort Collins is a solid hour farther from the ski resorts (I frequented Winter Park most often this last season) than Boulder/Denver.

The Fort is great. GO.

My buddy and I climbed Tourist Tragedy. It was good fun and the weather was spectacular.

After our last experience out there (Petit's Southwest Corner on 15-May) we wanted something a little more accessible and quick - back in May there was so much snow it took me 3 hours and my partner 3.5 just to get to the base of the rock. It (the route) was dry and awesome, but the hike was a son-of-a-bitch.

Aaron Martinuzzi wrote: Eldo is a good hour and a half, and points in and around Boulder are 1 to 1.5 hours. .

I lived in FoCo for about 3 years and now Westminster for about 1.5 years. I like them both for different reasons. I feel a lot closer to a wider array of climbing areas in Westminster and skiing too. But Fort Collins has great road bike rides/bouldering/closer to Vedauwoo and the Tower/good cross country skiing/not really a small town feel because of the university - but smaller than Denver. I would think Denver has much better night spots/restaurants/closer to good skiing and more choices for climbing - but if it's a great job - you'll find plenty to do outside of work for fun! It only took us around an hour and 15 to get to Boulder/hour to get to Lumpy/and about an hour and 15 to Vedauwoo from FoCo

I used to commute between Longmont and Fort Collins since I was in a 2-body situation and my ex worked in Boulder. The commute absolutely sucked. Even though Loveland is only 15 miles from the Fort, the drive might wear on you. If you're driving 5 days a week to work and 2 days a week to climbing, it's less time in the car overall if you live in Fort Collins. And if you live up there, you can spend time enjoying the bars and restaurants after work instead of riding in the car.

When I first moved to CO from FL a few years ago, I lived in Loveland and spent a fair amount of time in Fort C. I hadn't started climbing yet at the time, but as far as living there I liked Loveland and Fort Collins a lot. I'm in Arvada now and Fort C and Loveland definitely felt more like a 'community'. But getting to concerts and other such things in Denver is definitely more of an effort from up there, but it's tolerable unless your trying to do it every weekend or something like that.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I think I'm going to take the job and leave the big city of Denver. I guess I'll be learning to climb the wide up in Vedauwoo.

Too bad I have responsibilities early on Saturday, or I would definitely be in on the happy hour on Friday. I'll have to take a rain check!

Thought I'd rehash this thread since I'm in a similar situation. I can deal with an hour drive to climbing, but how's the backcountry ski scene in FoCo? Does it exist, is Cameron Pass the spot? Half day backcountry trips would be ideal, is this feasible?

Tapawingo Markey wrote:

Thought I'd rehash this thread since I'm in a similar situation. I can deal with an hour drive to climbing, but how's the backcountry ski scene in FoCo? Does it exist, is Cameron Pass the spot? Half day backcountry trips would be ideal, is this feasible?

I've been BC skiing at Cameron since 1978, the first year the road was kept open past Long Draw during the winter.   Did the first descent and named several of the runs.  It's about 1.5hrs up the canyon going fast, so whether that's "feasible" is up to you.  It's primitive: no facilities or buildings beyond pit toilets.  No cell service so your party needs to be self-sufficient (I carry a radio).  Lots of avalanches and I see lots of people doing risky stuff.  Mostly they get away with it, but every couple of years someone doesn't.  YMMV

Thanks for the information John! 1.5hrs seems feasible to me. Is it about the same to RMNP? 

Also appreciate the avalanche warning, coming from the relatively stable Sierra snowpack I plan to do an avy refresher or hopefully pick up on some local knowledge my first few days out. 

Ok so let me chime in here. I used to live in the fort for 7 years and getting to glacier gorge TH in 1hr 10 minutes is crazy fast. Not gonna happen on a weekend or if even one other person is on the road. From Loveland, ok sure but fort Collins... now way. 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs is closer to the average. Also getting to Cameron's pass in 1.5 hrs is crazy fast. I have seen 2-2.5 hrs easy. Not saying either cant be done, but dont expect it...

Why: park your car and bike EVERYWHERE. Awesome beer scene. Awesome bar scene. Horsetooth. Vedawoo. The palace. 

Why not: skiing is FAR af. Dont move to foco if you want to resort ski hard (yes some do, but they waste hours driving to skiing). Too many people (stand in line for everything). Bike cops are flipping joke but they think they are badass on their walmart bikes. 

Whatever you do, don't live in Loveland. 

Thanks for the reality check Collin. Grog, I don't plan on resort skiing...typically avoid them like the plague unless I have family visiting. How's the climbing in Poudre and Big Thompson? Seems relatively close.

The palace in the Poudre is pretty fucking sweet. The monastery is legendary, Tommy Caldwell put up a bunch of hard routes there. I haven't been up the Big Thompson but I have heard good things. Its a college town so there are lots of people getting in to climbing and some really strong kids there. 

Boulder climbing...is fucked. Every idiot with a a rope and a pulse in the nation has moved there. And the Boulder commute to FOCO...dont do it. DO NOT DO IT.

Collin Holt wrote:

Ok so let me chime in here. I used to live in the fort for 7 years and getting to glacier gorge TH in 1hr 10 minutes is crazy fast. Not gonna happen on a weekend or if even one other person is on the road. From Loveland, ok sure but fort Collins... now way. 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs is closer to the average. 

Maybe you need to drive faster ;-)   Whenever I've gone to Glacier Gorge it's 4am, so there's no real traffic.  I think 1:15 is quite reasonable, depending on where you start the clock.  I know I can get to Lumpy in 1:15 even with Winnebago's in the canyon (take the Glen Haven fork).  Getting out of FTC, with all its lights and traffic, is where you lose time.

Also getting to Cameron's pass in 1.5 hrs is crazy fast. I have seen 2-2.5 hrs easy. Not saying either cant be done, but dont expect it...

Well, when you've driven the road literally 1000 times, you get to know how fast you can take every corner.   And since there's rarely any traffic or a cop in the canyon in winter, you can drive fast.  Oh, studded snows help too.    If you're driving a 1984 VW mini-bus with bald tires and you brake for every corner, well yeah, it's gonna take longer. ;-)

Tapawingo Markey wrote:

Also appreciate the avalanche warning, coming from the relatively stable Sierra snowpack I plan to do an avy refresher or hopefully pick up on some local knowledge my first few days out. 

Maybe put a note on your dashboard: "Colorado snowpack SUCKS!"  That'll remind you.   Shallow snowpack, cold clear nights and lotsa wind all combine for shitty stability.   The Depth Whore is not your girlfriend.