living in southwest Utah?

Am wondering what people's thoughts are concerning living in southern Utah...
The most likely scenario would be that I would have a job with a good schedule (read many days off, not M-F) AND I will have a loving and adventurous girlfriend living with me.

We're looking at roughly the Cedar City area and kind of think it might be cool to rent a place near Brian Head and get some passes. We also like to tour for turns. Don't necessarily need the gnarliest descents, really just enjoy getting out and getting some turns in.

The climbing looks cool. I have climbed a tad at Zion and a fair bit at Red Rocks but just there in the St George/Cedar City region, there appears to be lots of bolts to clip which would be fun. There is ice too, so that would be an improvement over what I've got going now. So the climbing aspect looks good to me.

Is it safe to assume you can do some bc skiing in that part of the state? I don't see too many references to those small ranges there and I know snow can some years be sparse. Do you have to deal with snow machines everywhere? Can you find solitude and or freshies anywhere? Do you need a machine to access the goods?

Also wondering about the social/cultural part... I personally dig Utah. I've spent most of my time there in SLC which I know is not southern Utah. The weird booze laws don't bother me. My gf and I are more likely to go for a hike or climb a few routes then go home and make dinner together rather than cavort about town looking for parties and stuff. We're pretty chill. I've got some friends in SLC too that I can meet up with for skiing in the Wasatch probably a few times a year too.
I've also talked to a good friend of mine who lived in the region doing basically what I'll be doing and he seems to think I'll like it.

I've lived in a lot of places, some conservative, some not so conservative. Some crowded, and some less crowded. My take on just about any place is that you can make of it what you want. I personally choose to live in places that tend to offer a mix of good climbing and skiing opportunities. I'm assuming this region would be a good place for this type of life. Anything i should really know before we pack our bags??

thanks

bryce

ps. I'll be needing partners

South West Utah is home to four desert regions:
the Mojave, the Great Basin, the Colorado Plateau, and the Social Abyss. You have a GF though so problem solved.

St George is definitely a superior fall-spring climbing destination, but in summer Satan bursts forth from his hibernation to scorch the surface of the earth here. Cedar is better for summer temps and snow sports.

500"s of yearly snow enough to BC? Cedar City is a dump but has cool surroundings.

Bryce,

I lived in Cedar-Town for 5 years. I attended SUU and had a job most o the time in Brian Head. Some of the best years of my life. The town is OK. The stuff around the town is amazing. Springdale UT was my escape from the school and work grind. Zion is a climbing destination that can only be explored and properly understood by living there. It is too vast and takes too long to get used to, to truly get it through a couple pitches of cragging and a run at Prodigal Sun.

Skiing--Hell yeah there is good skiing down there. Ice too. Brian Head sucks bad. The BC skiing in Cedar Canyon is world class and the skiing at Elk Meadows (just about to re-open for the first time in years) is great. There is a BC hut up there too. If you are a motivated skiier, the BC skiing in the Tushars is like nothing else.

The climbers that live in Springdale ski in the Tushars a good bit. Get to know those dudes. Bird, Draper, French...

Also, Frost won't be last climber in Cedar Town anymore...

Good luck.

One of the best days of my life was leaving that town. Strikes and Gutters dude.

Just re-thought that whole bit,

If you can swing it, just skip Cedar City and move straight to Either Springdale or Rockville.

Progressive towns with a great community. A small oasis amidst the strangeness of overall Utah.

World class stone and mountain biking in your front yard.

It is worth the extra driving for the skiing.

I am currently going to school in Cedar City and the climbing is amazing lots of bolt to clip. The best rock is is St. George and the alpine areas up cedar canyon. So climbing is accessible year round as long as you are willing to make a 45 min drive.

The skiing is great, Brian Head isn't terrible but due to its size it gets old fast.

Cedar City is a weird place to live, pretty backwards. I would suggest living in St. George, 5 min access to Rock, 50 min to snow.

Move to Cedar. Bring friends. Make it cooler. Geographically it's great, like a lot of Utah. Culturally, not so much although at least it has a decent coffee house.

Pretty much the same thing goes for Springville and St. George; more cool outdoor people the better as the climbing is far from being crowded and having more outdoor people to lobby our issues is helpful. I love Springdale/Rockville and am not alone. Expect to pay a lot more to live there, though it's probably worth it.

The Tushars are incredible skiing! I think they are making Elk Meadows into some kind of exclusive,rich, elitist, resort. But there is tons of BC there. Quality turns!

Yeah I was in Springdale this past fall. Seems like a cool place for sure. I worry about summer heat which I am a little bit adverse to. I know it's gonna be hot, but any area that is a bit cooler is a big plus. I kind of like the idea of slightly cooler temps and a quick escape into the alpine environment that exists near Parowam. Plus skiing out my back door. There are always tradeoffs... you just gotta weigh them out.

Driving an hour isn't a big deal, right now I have to drive 3 hours minimum every weekend and scam a place to camp. It's getting old.
Thanks for the replies so far.

Bryce,

Watch out for shady slumlords there in C-town. Twice while I lived there, prominent community figures (coincedentally also my landlords) refused to return my security deposit despite the fact that I left both places in better condition than I found them. I admit fault for being young and naive by not insisting on a contract.

Expect to find rather low wages there as well. That is my impression from ten years ago. Perhaps it is better now.

It does get mega-hot down in Springdale. Cedar-town has a much more bearable climate in the summer. I too am averse to extreme heat.

Good luck!