# Best Places to live? Paddling, Skiing, Lifestyle



## Draydz (Feb 3, 2006)

Where have your favorite spots been? Decent cities/towns close to paddling, and hopefully skiing too? I've lived in Salt Lake City, the skiing doesn't get any better, but the paddling leaves much to be desired. Great Mtn biking. I've lived in Boise, which I loved, although the skiing isn't so great. I will soon leave graduate school in Boston - nice city, but I prefer the west, i think - and want some ideas of places to check out. 

Cheers,

Brady


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## b_liner1 (Apr 8, 2007)

Go to Jackson, Wyo. The play-boating is epic, as well as the creeking for most of the summer. Also, the skiing is almost as good as SLC. Almost. Oh yeah, and the Mtn biking is pretty good too. If you can find a gig there, then it is the perfect place. If not, then the other side of the mountain in teton valley idaho is good too.


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## CFlem18 (May 12, 2008)

Move somewhere where you can ski and boat all year long.... head to the northwest. Oregon, Washington, N. California is where its at. Everywhere else in the west the season only last 2-3 months out of the year


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## xavierengle (Aug 4, 2009)

nobody ever reps for alaska in these discussions, so i'll throw her in the mix. if you ski backcountry, anchorage has the best skiing in the world, three mountain ranges within 1.5 hrs, dawn patrols within the city limits, and the resort averages 700+ inches/year. for mtn biking, well-maintained single track all over town, and tons of trails throughout the state/natl parks. for paddling, three class V creeks within 20 minutes, a bunch more in striking distance for day runs, 20+ hrs of sun at the peak of the season, limitless first D potential, and paddling is good april-october. to be fair, only a couple play runs though, unless you drive a long ways or fly to iliamna. and on top of it all, the state pays you to live there.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

My short list when looking into a similar thing was: Denver, Seattle, Boise, Portland, Sacramento. SLC is classic for just about everything but boating, so it didn't make my list. 

Do a search on boatertalk and mountainbuzz and you'll find several past discussions. 

I'm in Denver now, and it works well for me. 

Big variable will be jobs and the size of the city you need to get a job.

Answer might depend on what difficulty and type of boating you are looking for.


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## Jahve (Oct 31, 2003)

Some people think Salida Co is nice ....


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## st2eelpot (Apr 15, 2008)

throw Durango on the list


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

I have to agree about the Pac NW. But you've got to be into urban/metro environments. By your posted profession, it might be a good fit?


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## CFlem18 (May 12, 2008)

Not to hate on Colorado, but if you are looking to boat this is not the place to live. It's a place you visit in june/july and can ski 7 months out of the year (I actually had a friend who skied every month last year, but aug + sept were not pretty).


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## Kendi (May 15, 2009)

If you want Pac NW, move *near* Seattle. You don't have to live in the city, there are plenty of other options. The city would drive me nuts, so I live 40 min away from Seattle (which is also 10 min to a great put-in, and 20 min to the ski area) If I want warm and sunny- I head over the Mtns (one hour away gets me a 20 degree temp difference).

But then again- I'm a bit biased....


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## Ken Vanatta (May 29, 2004)

Taos, NM
Aspen, CO
Reno, NV

Crested Butte, CO
Durango/Telluride, CO
Stamboat Springs, CO
Park City/SLC area, UT
Jackson Hole/Teton area, WY
Whitefish area, MT

Salida/Buena Vista, CO 
or Pac NW


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## nervouswater (Jun 3, 2008)

The NW is cool if you like wet snow, rain, and cloudy skies. Colorado is pretty darn hard to beat as a total combination and the weather and culture are awesome.


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## jeffsssmith (Mar 31, 2007)

nervouswater said:


> The NW is cool if you like wet snow, rain, and cloudy skies. Colorado is pretty darn hard to beat as a total combination and the weather and culture are awesome.


I second that. Colorado has something going on all year. People say that boating only lasts a few months but I always manage to get in 6-8 months with dam controlled releases and a little travelling. And skiing also lasts 6 or more months and when you cross over, some months, or days, you can ski and boat. Then there's mtn biking and climbing and great towns and good culture. Other places may have one good thing that is better but Colorado has year round goodness.


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## Yonder_River (Feb 6, 2004)

Kendi said:


> If you want Pac NW, move *near* Seattle. You don't have to live in the city, there are plenty of other options. The city would drive me nuts, so I live 40 min away from Seattle (which is also 10 min to a great put-in, and 20 min to the ski area) If I want warm and sunny- I head over the Mtns (one hour away gets me a 20 degree temp difference).
> 
> But then again- I'm a bit biased....


Probably depends on what you're into. Most 20 and 30 something live in Seattle...for a reason. The burbs ain't nearly as cool. North Bend is a good town however.

It's different up here than in Colorado. I miss the bluebird pow days, mountain towns, and some of the creeks that the rockies had. 

Due to the lack of smaller towns that aren't filled with ******** you definitely live in a more urban environment as a result. It's gray at least 7 months out of the year and you ski in flat light conditions a lot. 

That being said, I'm not leaving this place anytime soon. Year round kayaking, epic snowfall (not this season), super beautiful surroundings, and a cool city more than make up for the lack of sun.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

CFlem18 said:


> Not to hate on Colorado, but if you are looking to boat this is not the place to live. It's a place you visit in june/july and can ski 7 months out of the year (I actually had a friend who skied every month last year, but aug + sept were not pretty).


I would argue with that statement...December is the only month I havn't boated in Colorado. You may have to drive a few miles, but there is always something flowing...it actually gets more difficult to find snow to ski in October most years...mtn biking and rock climbing around here are also fantastic...
http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/buena-vista-is-awesome-28271.html


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## Mud&Rox (Oct 12, 2009)

Im gonna have to say NE TN and WNC! we have endless flows from class 1-5 all within 2 hours....green...doe...watauga...Nolichucky...nantahala..and TONS of creekin! Im not much on the slopes but there is a good 5 of 6 slopes runnin in the area...and MT biking is a big scene around here...again not my thing....but its all here!


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## nervouswater (Jun 3, 2008)

I'm from NC and I love the paddling in that section of the country, but the skiing is non existent. My home ski mountain was literally 12 acres and experienced about 30 inches annually of snowfall, most of which was washed away by the inevitable post-snow rainstorm. The mountain biking isn't bad, but nothing like CO. However, I do miss paddling in June with no dry top, dry pants, helmet liners, or poagies...


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## FrankC (Jul 8, 2008)

jeffsssmith said:


> I second that. Colorado has something going on all year. People say that boating only lasts a few months but I always manage to get in 6-8 months with dam controlled releases and a little travelling. And skiing also lasts 6 or more months and when you cross over, some months, or days, you can ski and boat. Then there's mtn biking and climbing and great towns and good culture. Other places may have one good thing that is better but Colorado has year round goodness.


Where is all this out of season CO paddling you speak of? As far as I can tell most people just hang it up for 8 or 9 months of the year. I guess you could scrape down the lower part of the Ark at 500 cfs or run Gore but I can't think of much else. Pumphouse is a nice raft fishing trip but would be awful in a kayak. Skiing is great here though, so I guess if you can live with a 3 or 4 month paddling season CO is the place to be.


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

FrankC said:


> Where is all this out of season CO paddling you speak of? As far as I can tell most people just hang it up for 8 or 9 months of the year. I guess you could scrape down the lower part of the Ark at 500 cfs or run Gore but I can't think of much else. Pumphouse is a nice raft fishing trip but would be awful in a kayak. Skiing is great here though, so I guess if you can live with a 3 or 4 month paddling season CO is the place to be.



As you stated Gore runs late, Bailey in the past has had late season runs on the North Fork. Waterton holds decent water early and late, I always seem to be boating that at odd times of the year. Shoshonee runs pretty much all year as well, sometimes it includes barrel springs. I ended with a Westwater trip in November, and will start out here in March again somewhere. Not many choices at certain points of the year, but if you want to boat you certainly can 7-8 months out of the year IMHO. Winter releases on the Ark were cool to see although I did not take advantage.


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## caseybailey (Mar 11, 2008)

I would argue that you can both paddle and ski 12 months out of the year in good ol' CO. It just depends on how bad you want it and the quality of skiing and boating you get in the "off season". There is something special about a New Year's float or an August t-shirt ski.


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## logan.madlin (Dec 8, 2008)

*NW is the place to be...always paddlling is the life 4 me*

Yes, Northwest doesn't have the BIG WATER of south and midwest states but you can't beat paddling year around on many locations. Hit the river in the day and shred the slopes at night...what more do you want? Plus Saltwater...tasty, kayak surfing off the coast. 

But I'll put a second the big brother of the north, AK.


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## Kendo (Jul 26, 2006)

caseybailey said:


> I would argue that you can both paddle and ski 12 months out of the year in good ol' CO. It just depends on how bad you want it and the quality of skiing and boating you get in the "off season". There is something special about a New Year's float or an August t-shirt ski.


 
I would agree with this statement! I paddle atleast once a month all year. The quality of the features may not be there in winter months or low flow months but theres always deep spots to throw ends and play.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

Yeah, the fair weather paddlers who don't want to drive more than 30 miles hang it up mid july. Motivated boaters willing to work for it can paddle from march-october in colorado. Its not going to be primo runoff everday, but you can still get on the water.

Gore is one of the best late season runs in colorado. Boaters from the front range, summit, vail valley, g-wood, steamboat all can run gore in a day trip. Gore usually runs reliably aug-oct.

Bailey is another classic and usually has some fall releases.

Westwater is a great fall float trip and always has enough water. Westwater on halloween is awesome.

The black canyon / gunny gorge runs reliably in the fall too. Good flows for the black are low for gunny, but there's something there for experts or intermediates. 

Durango boaters hit up rockwood and pandoras late season and have fun to super low flows.

The ark runs with dam support through mid august, and locals have fun at lows flows after that as well.

Big Thompson has sporadic releases, but I've gotten several good falls runs in. When they release the water, don't wait, drop everything and go. 

Early season westwater is a classic season opener. You can run gore all april or even march. Escalante starts off the season with a bang late april early may.

A bunch of CO boaters head down to AZ in feb and march for runs like the salt, or more obscure creeks.

When the water is truly gone nov-feb, dedicated boaters hit the road and flock to mexico, central america, or chile. 

Between colorado's prime season, road trips, and maybe a well timed paddling vacation you can boat a lot. I typically get 70-100 days a year in, start getting wet in march, and put in my last gore run around the end of october. If there were more water for longer in colorado, I'd probably get fired from my job and my wife would divorce me. The fall is one of the few times when I can actually get all the stuff I have blow off all season done.


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## Cinnamonster (Jan 3, 2007)

I can't believe nobody has mentioned hood river. That place has it all! year round class V boating within 15 minutes, sick mountain biking, windsurfing (if you're into that), skiing on Mt. Hood....


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## paulk (Apr 24, 2006)

hood river is sweet. people here complain about driving more than twenty minutes to paddle and the mountain is closer than the front range to the I70 mountains.


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## Claytonious (Jan 17, 2008)

*H.R.*

One more vote for Hood River. I lived there for most of my life and everywhere else I go, I am disapointed. There are numerous class V runs within 20 minutes that have water the majority of the year. Year round skiing within 45 minutes, windsurfing and kite boarding, amazing mountains that put most of the rockies to shame. No traffic or suburbs. One thing about the North West that a lot of people don't consider is the diversity of climates. You can drive 15 minutes West of Hood River and you are in temperate rainforest, you drive 15 minutes East and you are in desert. Hood River does have amazing mt. biking too, the front range SUCKS for mt. biking. It does rain though, alot, get used to mud. But if you really want to live in a place with year round everything move to the NW.


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## Stiff N' Wett (Feb 18, 2010)

Crested Butte has by far the steepest gnarliest skiing in the lower 48 and has great paddling. No big water but some really good runs. I've skied a lot of places and CB is the only place that has ever made me shit my pants twice in one day. Great mountain biking through the biggest aspen grove in colorado, its absolutely beautiful. I also think that CB is the last true ski town, but not for long the Muellers are having their way with it.


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## Mr Beaver (Mar 8, 2009)

Portland, Or is a great small city, and the downtown inner city is very compact and very livable.

Think the exact opposite of LA.

But to be honest, real boating and real sking is about 1+ hour away if you live in the city. 

Now Hood River on the other hand.....


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## DB81301 (Mar 1, 2010)

*Western slope*



CFlem18 said:


> Not to hate on Colorado, but if you are looking to boat this is not the place to live. It's a place you visit in june/july and can ski 7 months out of the year (I actually had a friend who skied every month last year, but aug + sept were not pretty).


The front range is not the place to live, skiing and boating in the four corners is Epic


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## brendodendo (Jul 18, 2004)

Do not move to Carbondale. The people are to friendly, The rivers are littered with fisher people and the mountains in are horrible. Plus we have large rock slides that make it imposible to travel to the "city". That and we do not have any fast food stares or big box retail stores. So once again, please do not consider the RFV or Carbondale.





said very tongue in cheek


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