Canon City

Okay after some more research on where the water is and where the arable land is, I'm leaning now towards the Western slope.
What do you all think of Palisades? How long of a drive is it to climbing/hiking/biking and etc? I remember it's not too far from Moab. What kind of a stretch is it to get from Palisades area over to the Front range?

gary ohm wrote: I remember it's not too far from Moab. What kind of a stretch is it to get from Palisades area over to the Front range?

3 hours give or take along I-70. Between Canon City and Palisades, you keep choosing parts of the state where the view is essentially dirt, like Afghanistan. Fruita (nearby) has some mountain biking, and you'll be able to gorge yourself on peaches in late August.
Access to water is tricky here, its all locked up legally. You can't even trap surface water on your land if you don't have the rights. Be diligent in researching your property's water allotment before buying.

Delta/Montrose area will probably give you the best combination of affordability and water rights. There are properties around the Erie/Longmont/Dacono/Frederick area with some water, but I haven't seen any that aren't quite expensive.

As to the populations, anywhere outside of the large front range cities and the resort towns will be a little more rural and conservative. However, as a general world wide rule most people are nicer than they seem at first and there are plenty of fleece wearin' yuppies filling just about every corner of the state. If you are anywhere near climbing or skiing in Colorado you can find like minded individuals.

Mike Lane wrote:You can't even trap surface water on your land if you don't have the rights.

hey Mike I think that law was recently changed

Sort of. From the article you linked:

"The two Colorado laws allow perhaps a quarter-million residents with private wells to begin rainwater harvesting"

Here are the restrictions:

Senate Bill 09-080, which went into effect July 1, states that rainwater collection can happen only if:
Harvesting takes place on residential property
The owner of the property has a legal entitlement to a well
No water is provided in the area by a water district or a municipality
The roof is the only location collecting rainwater
The collected rainwater is put to uses explicitly permitted in the well permit

Recently, Chris Romer (state rep for Denver area) was caught catching rainwater illegally...his reponse was to the effect of "oh, I didn't know it was illegal. We should look into changing that law." Sure Mr. Romer, you're a law maker born in Colorado, and you didn't know prior appropriation extends to all water in the State.

Fascinating. Yet more evidence on how the dominant paradigm needs to be subverted. You need a permit (involving $$'s no doubt) that some government official approves and meet other stringent criteria just to put a barrel under your downspout. No wonder why I abhor authority.

I know that I could construct a french-drain and vault collection system that would be nearly invisible to any water cops peering over the fence; I wonder how I could market myself for that.

Hi...thought I would chime in! I live in Gunbarrel currently (which is still in Boulder city limits but really about 2 miles from the actual city). I love it, its nice because you can get some land, still be very close to boulder/climbing/climbing gyms/downtown and its significantly cheaper. Longmont is very family friendly, but a bit more on the conservative side socially/ Lyons is awesome...cool small town, close to everything but feels more removed from the hustle and bustle. Nederland is unique, def a mountain town, check it out first, some people love it, other people hate it. You will also need 4WD/AWD for getting up/down the Canyon in the winter (Nederland sits at the end of Boulder Canyon). Def a funky town, lots of land there as well.

I would come look around first to decide what suits your family and situation, there really is something for everyone here, and always good climbing/skiing/biking/kayaking/hiking somewhere regardless =) Good Luck!

Check out Paonia! What a great community. Tons of educated, motivated, eclectic people. Agriculture based with great farming soil and climate. Wineries, restaurants, and a cool area right near the elk mountains. There isn't any climbing right near town that i know of, but within one or two hour you can climb grade VI in the black, indian creek type splitters in escalante, cragging in the crystal river valley, all types of climbing in grand junction and gunnison. Two hours from the San Juan Mtns. (ouray!).

Also, Palisade is a farming town in the grand valley, just east of grand junction (kinda like a suburb) Lots of good weather and ag there too, grand junction is definatly the biggeest "city" on the western slope. Lots more climbing close to palisade. Paul Ross lives there, so it can't be all that bad. Its about 2.5 to 3 hours to the front range, and palisade is right off I-70.

Those who say the west slope is just rednecks and meatheads haven't spent much time here. Of course, there ARE rednecks and meatheads just like anywhere.

I've got a 36 acre lot in Lyons, which borders on National Forest, if you're interested. There's definitely less snow there than Boulder.

Durango is one of the more expensive places in Colorado - the median house price is around $350,000. But - if you can afford it it is a great town with a college, close to skiing, climbing, mountains, rivers, road and mountain biking, etc.
Farmington, NM suffers from their several coal burning power plants which spew out huge amounts of pollution. It, in my opinion, is one of the least desirable places to live in the four corners area.

fossana wrote:I've got a 36 acre lot in Lyons, which borders on National Forest, if you're interested. There's definitely less snow there than Boulder.

That sounds awesome!

TO WESTERN SLOPE:

Send water soon now, ya hear?

ALL YOUR WATER ARE BELONG TO US!!1

Getting thirsty in La$ Vega$...

Well, since I grew up in Canon City, graduated HS in Glenwood Springs and have lived in the Boulder area for over 20 yrs now, I figured I should add my 2 cents. First of all, Colorado is amazing in so many ways, and I hope I am lucky enough to live here the rest of my life. There are many different climates and cultures ranging from near isolation in the wilderness to very urban (but still relatively safe) communities.

If you are moving from CA, most areas will seem cheap by comparison. As many have mentioned, many of the most affordable places come with a certain set of cultural trade-offs. Let's just say that folks who want to be left alone typically have good reasons that they should be!

If you want to be in forward-thinking communities, there are pockets all around the state, but most of them are along the front range. The price of admission is typically more expensive housing and more crowded recreational areas, but most people in those areas are pretty fun to be around. If your goal is more of a wilderness experience, the western slope is pretty hard to beat. The climbing and skiing are a bit more adventurous, as are the locals, and you can always find fun things to do in places with nobody else in them.

Boulder is a climber's paradise, with about 5,000 routes within spitting distance. Night life is great, restaurants are good, the university keeps things young and the people are really fun. Of course it costs as much to rent a Tuff Shed here as it does to rent a starter mansion just outside the city limits, but if you value proximity to good jobs, good culture and good climbing, it doesn't get any better. Oh, and the weather is pretty awesome, too.

I will say that overall Canon City is truly a beautiful area - high desert, good climbing and biking, good access to skiing and kayaking and wilderness settings. The cost of living is very low and the climate is indeed very mild (yes, even better than Boulder - don't let anyone tell you different). Climbing at Shelf is year-round and really fun. The cons (aside from the actual cons) are the general lack of cultural and philosophical diversity. It is predominantly a right-leaning retirement community, so if your eventual goal is to contribute gelatin dishes to church pot lucks (with cool whip, of course), look no further.

If your goal is to find somewhere that supports a bit more...how you say...joie de vivre, I would give a shout out to Paonia (eclectic but somewhat progressive), Steamboat (heaven on earth if you can make it work), Glenwood Springs (perfect location, a little crazy but also awesome if you can make it work), Gunnison (pretty low key, cold in the winter but awesome for recreation), Westcliff (very low key, incredible mountains nearby with very few poeple on them), and of course anything near Durango or Ouray (Ridgeway is cool, Montrose is further but really affordable, and seems like it's starting to be revitalized). Palisade/Grand Junction is a cool area for desert climbing/biking but it's an interesting blend of conservative rural meets seedy underbelly (most of my friends fall into the latter category). It is great for growing wine though, which is a huge plus!

All in all, Colorado has everything from the simple life to the neon lights, with a casual style that keeps it pretty real. Well, except in Aspen, that's kinda like Hollywood in a snow globe. Good luck with your decision!

Wow, thanks Jason. That is a lot of awesome information. I really appreciate your insight. I'll do some investigating based on your comments.

One of my favorite climbing memories:
Gorging on fast food in Canon city after a weekend of routes. We watched a presumably methed out Wendy's employee get into a fight with another employee about who's job it was to take the trash out.
The food was cheap, but the entertainment was priceless!