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Moving to Casper and needing some community advice

Original Post
William Rhyne · · Casper, Wyoming · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 135

Hello Folks
I have an job offer in casper Wyoming that I am concidering and I was looking for some input from the community out in the surrounding area. So first off I would like to hear what domestic life is like in casper wyoming? Grocery, Housing, the communtiy, crime all that none climbing stuff .... Is there a large climbing population out in or near casper,WY?

I have climbed at Vedauwoo and absoultuly love the place! I havent had a chance to hit fremont, devils tower, sinks, wild iris, wind river, and on and on... So for climbers living near casper which is your favorite climbing local. How long is a typical rock season for casper climbers? Is there a decent ice season near casper or is the best ice closer to cody?

What are some other non-climbing activities in the area? MNT biking? fly fishing? trail running?

I will be moving out to casper around christmas and will need to find a place to stay. I am single with no kids, pets, dont smoke, and usually just climb a ton. Does anyone have any recommendations for housing to look at? I dont really need much just a safe place for my life gear.

I really appreciate any advice that you folks can provide or help me answer some questions. Once I move out I will be looking for a partner to show me around the area. I love OW climbing, any cracks (stooked on Wine and Roses in fremont) but dont mind pulling crimps to clip bolts or flopping on the pad.

Thanks again and cheers folks!

Will Rhyne
rhyne.william@yahoo.com

William Rhyne · · Casper, Wyoming · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 135

No climbers in Casper?

eyesonice2014 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 140

Lots of meth there...

Mike Gibson · · Payson, AZ · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 0

Let me first warn you up front that the wind may drive you crazy.

And in general, my guess is that the culture shock might get to you. "Grocery?" If you are picky about food, forget it.

However, if you can get past that, for outdoor activities, Casper is fabulous. The town itself is well....an acquired taste....but the surrounding possibilities are truly destination worthy.

I love Fremont Canyon and try to get there at least once a year, It's got some wonderfull crack climbing. And as you mentioned, Vedauwoo is a crack paradise.

Plus you are not too far from the Wind River Mountains which are...words fail me. And of course the Tetons are easy to get to - the list could go on for a while. In general, the climbing options are phenomenal and generally easy to get to.

One other area to mention is Guernsey State Park which has a new collection of routes that provide a great option for cold weather climbing.

If you are into mountain biking, the nearby Glendo State Park just added a ton of new trails for all ability levels. Add in the Curt Gowdy State park trails, and you will be busy for a long time. In my opinion, these two sets of trails together are second only to Fruita and better than Moab.

Fly fishing options? Unlimited miles and miles and miles along the North Platte River.

Also it's really really windy there. Really freaking windy.

But on the other hand, there are no crowds, traffic jams, or waiting in lines.

In general, if the city life and culture matters, then you are going to hate it, but if you focus on the outdoor options, you will get spoiled beyond belief.

William Rhyne · · Casper, Wyoming · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 135

Its a wind energy job that is sending me there, so that makes sense. Thanks for the input mike!

Canyonclimber Mike · · Casper WY · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 52

I am a climber and live here in Casper. This town is a great place for a climber and anything outside. Lots of world class lines in Fremont and elsewhere and great fishing. Casper is a nice central spot to get the rest of the state's great climbing. It can be windy.

cstebbins024 · · Laramie, WY · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 229

There is a Facebook group called Casper Climbers. It should be a helpful way to connect with the local climbers. Fremont Canyon is fantastic climbing. There is also some stuff developing around the Laramie Peak area.

William Rhyne · · Casper, Wyoming · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 135

Awesome I will give that Facebook group a look. Thanks for the advice. I will be looking for climbing partners once I move in, so if you find your self looking for a belay hit me up. Ice/rock/boulder whatever

wildirishrose · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 0

My husband and I moved here almost 10 years ago from the east coast. I have seen so many posts about how wonderful it is. But for us, its terrible. Heres why, the wind never stops, riding bikes, or any outdoor things is almost impossible. The snow starts in October, and sometimes september, and finally melts from the mountain in mid June. So you have an average of 2 or three months of summer and the rest is snow.

If you love to ski, its probley heaven but we dont. Average wind is about 40 to 50 miles per hour, and have seen many times 70 plus. It never stops, the wind is like trying to ride a bike in a hurricane. Like to swim? Well be prepared to swin in melted snow, its about 40 degrees, in the river, which is all rapids and about as wide as a creek. If you like to travel to other parts of the states, for climbing riding etc, take a gas can! I am not kidding, hundreds of miles between towns, always fill up before you leave town.

The land is mostly baren rock, with blowing sand and weeds. And nothing inbetween, not even a gas station, if you breakdown, you are out of luck. You cant even call for help on your cell phone, because phones and gps dont work in between most towns. If you are not used to paying for everything, it will be a wake up call! Want to go to a flea market? Antique show? Or maybe a festival, well you have to pay to get in, thats right, everything costs to get in. I am surpirsed they dont charge you to get into yard sales !

The county fair, is a rodeo, complete with cowboys in boots and hats. Those are really fun, if you like wearing the beer from the drunk behind you after he spills it on you 15 times in one hour. Houseing is expensive, if you are poor this is not the place for you! You will only "fit in" and make friends if you are into all the things about wyoming, rich, snotty and think you are better than your average joe. There are jobs here, sure, the average life span of a job is 2 years, after that, look out because someones son will need it and you will be fired period. Unless you are in the click, or a friend of someone in the company. Never leave town during the 10 months of winter, why? because there are gates at the end of every town, like railroad crossing gates, it snows they close it off. If you are outside of town you aint getting in, if you are in you aint getting out!

Going to the store is even a challenge during winter, because they do not use salt or even clean the roads. they will grade them, and leave a 5 foot high pile in the center, so once you get here, buy a 4 wheel drive, because you wont get around without one. Also be prepared to pay taxes on your license plates all at once and up front. For example let say you by a truck for 20,000 the taxes to get your plates will be about 1500 dollars plus the cost of the plates.

Think you can get around this by driving your own car here? Nope, even if you own it and paid tax on it in another state, you will pay it all over again to the state of Wyoming, or you dont get plates. Need to buy a car? Well, it will cost you at least 5000 for anything that even runs. And that would be for a 500 car from any eastern state. Once you get your car or truck, be prepared to be in at least one accident a year, even if its parked in front of your house.

IN 10 years every car I had was hit the drivers here, all from everywhere, moved here like us, and have no idea how to drive in snow. Need to take the intersate? Ok 90 miles an hour is common, so if you dont drive 90 stay off the interstate. A place to live will cost on average 1000 a month plus ulitlies, and dont expect the landlord to fix anything because that wont happen either. I do wish I could think of one good thing to say, but I cant.

Petsfed 00 · · Snohomish, WA · Joined Mar 2002 · Points: 989

I'm sorry you had such a negative experience there Wildirishrose. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Casper, and living in Wyoming has some pretty serious challenges unto itself, but I'm curious where you lived before that made you deaf to Wyoming's cold, windy reputation (or ignorant of the fact that your licensing fees are still less than what you'd pay in state income taxes, if Wyoming had state income taxes).

Casper, more than most cities in Wyoming, is the place where the Wyoming attitude collides with recent transplants. There is this libertarian, NIMBY mentality that since Wyoming is so difficult to live in, the people who stay there are hardy, know how to live right, and don't need outside interference. This is ironically coupled with the boom-town phenomenon of folks getting well-paying-but-futureless jobs right out of high school, then having to deal with the fact that they've reached the pinnacle of their careers before hitting 30. The lure of enough pay to start a family so young leads to the feeling of being trapped by that go-nowhere job. It is a pretty serious problem amongst middle-age Wyoming residents.

Wyoming has a stark sort of beauty, and I love it for that. It will always be home to me. But it can suck at an existential level if you can't find purpose outside of work. But, as a professor at the University of Wyoming told me, if you don't like winter outdoor recreation, bring something to read.

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

Considering the lengthy rant… Why are you folk still in Wyoming, WildIrishRose?

William Rhyne · · Casper, Wyoming · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 135

don't you guys climb?

Tradster · · Phoenix, AZ · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 0

Go back east and be happy. Life is too short to live somewhere that you so obviously hate.

Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65
Cor wrote:Considering the lengthy rant… Why are you folk still in Wyoming, WildIrishRose?
+1
Ten years of misery?? And that's your first MP post? You signed up to rant on Casper?
Jason Todd · · Cody, WY · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 1,114
wildirishrose wrote:a good dose of whine with plenty of made up malarkey and exaggerations
Wyoming really isn't for everyone, you have to HTFU if you want to enjoy it.
Djamer · · Laramie, WY · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 10

Cowboy the fuck up.

Mr. Wonderful · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2014 · Points: 10

As Teddy Roosevelt said, "This aint no country for punkin lillies."

Ty Gittins · · bozeman · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 215

Hey dude, send me a message if you want to go climbing. warm weekends might be doable if its not super windy. as far as casper is concerned, dont listen to the rant that was posted. super negative...my biggest gripe is the lack of great restaurants, but i enjoy the natural foods market on the east side of town. some winters are dry and some are super snowy. this year it has been very warm, and i expect the snow to start for real at the end of feb...one advantage to the warm and windy weather between storms is that the snow in town dries up quickly.

send me a message and we will get out and climb. you will also probably meet a lot of other climbers at the rock gym on Beverly street

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Wyoming, Montana, Dakotas
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