Thread: Teach me in the ways of Seattle...

So jobwise, I have a good chance to move from Boulder, CO, to Seattle, WA. It would be a good move, employment-wise, but that's beside the point. How is Seattle. I know its going to be a bit rainy there compare to the 300 days o sunshine we get in CO. And the snow is heavier, and it can rain in winter. That's about all I got. I'm wondering on the important things. How is the skiing? Access? Compared to the shitshow that is I-70? How crowded are the resorts? Touring options I hear are good. How is the mountain biking? The town? Boulder is the biggest place I've ever lived, so I'm a little nervous moving to a full blown city like Seattle. I would be working in the capital hill area, so its pretty much in the heart of the town. Any info you have is very appreciated. I like Boulder, but the ski access is rough, and the cost of living comically high. I'd be down for a change...I'd appreciate your input.

Thanks mags!

Cost of living is more expensive, but the urban hipsters are the same as Boulder. Cap hill is cool, I would never live out on the city, built like a giant multilevel parking garage, with another whole city buried underneath.

you are dumb not to go if you can even moderately stand the ocean and clouds.

Skiing access is easy:

Alpental off of I-90 1 hour away, pretty much a straight shot all freeway though in big dumps they shut it down for avalanche control, it is not unheard of to be closed for a couple of days in huge dumps. Traffic is minimal and never really bogs down like 70, unless they shut it down. The issue here is the low elevation, can rain at any time. Good to hit it up for night skiing after work even though the upper mountain is closed.

Crystal - way bigger mountain than Alp, more vertical and higher. Generally more and better quality snow. The issue here is the road, it is about 1.5hrs on a good day 2+ on a bad one. The last 30-40 miles are on a two lane road that can really bog down when it is snowing.

Stevens - bigger than Alp, but not as challenging. The back side is ok, but not super steep. The front side is strange in that it can be very steep up top for the first half or so but the bottom is low angle, you just end up not turning so it is a waste of time. Access is ok, plan on 1.5 hrs from Seattle, it is right off a highway but it is not as big or well maintained as 90, the road is better than Crystal's but not by much. It is one of the deadliest roads in the state since parts of it a two lane road w/ no divider.

Baker - haven't been in a long time so I am guessing here but probably 3hr from Seattle?

Whistler - the go to place, around 4.5hrs depending on the border

I never go to Stevens since Xtal put in the Northway chair and gondola which help spread the crowds out so it is either Alp or xtal for me.

On weekends all the resorts are crowded, lift lines can get to 20min or so. It has gotten bad enough that I generally only go midweek or nights and then lines are pretty much non-existent. Spring skiing generally has little to no lines on the weekend as people start doing other things when the weather changes.

Weather - Fall, winter and spring - basically count on it being cloudy and raining or drizzling, almost every day....
Summers - pretty good, no humidity and temps in the 70-80 though it can get down to the 60's or up to the 90's but not for long periods.

Couple pieces of advice - every piece of gear MUST BE WATERPROOF, Goretex is your friend, bring an extra pair of gloves skiing.

I'd say the bottom line is if you can deal with gloomy weather for a good part of the year and urban living, odds are you'll like Seattle. If you're going to be working in Capital Hill try to live nearby. If you can walk or bike to work you'll be much happier than if you need to drive.

As a recent transplant to Seattle. I can say that I am really impressed by the amount of and easy access to good backcountry. There is a reason turns-all-year.com are mostly based in the area.

Skiing aside, the mountain biking is great. There are a few options around here including Duthie park which is a series of short loops around a central area- the riding has a ton of jumps and most everyone has a full suspension it seems.

http://evergreenmtb.org/home/index.php

Moving to the city means you have a ton of options in terms of where to live. Are you looking to buy? Rent? I live in Wallingford, and frankly its is little quiet for me. The Central District is close to everything including downtown and Capitol Hill.

Check out www.thestranger.com for a little more on the citys arts and culture. Everything I have found in this city, I found in there. Join up with Groupon and buy this thing called the Chinook Book. It is $15 and has a zillion real coupons to legit businesses in Seattle.

Seattle is basically a bunch of smaller towns jammed into one. Its great, and not overwhelming.

PM me if you want more info, and I'd be glad to take you for a spin if you want to check things in the area out.

do some searches right here on ole tgr about seattle ittes,
we are passive aggresive and extremely moody as a population,
yearround outdoors adventures in backyard or as far as the eye can see.
bobbyf

Thanks for all the helpful info! Sounds like if I can take some rain, it's a sweet place. I appreciate all the input.

Its not so much the rain, but not seeing the sun for LONG periods of time. It's a struggle for me. I grew up there and can't imagine going back for that reason alone, despite preferring it there in ALL other aspects. Good luck. Hope you aren't one of my kind!

The weather here from the 2nd week of July through September is usually pretty darned nice. When I hear about other areas of the country dealing with 100+ temps and 80%+ humidity it makes me really glad that I'm here and enjoying mid 70s with no appreciable humidity.

Dealing with winter is just a state of mind. My coworkers think I'm weird because I'll be grinning like a lobotomized cheshire cat when it's 42 degrees, the pouring rain is running down my back, and everyone's soaked and cold. I'm happy when it's like that because I know it's dumping in the mts. and when the weekend rolls around I'll be skiing sweet pow, either somewhere in the BC (there's almost no limit to it, and quite a bit with easy access) or at Alpy, Crystal, Stevens or Baker. I also realize that this is preferable to 0 degrees with windchill.

I have a little bit of SAD but I deal with it by being outdoors as much as absolutely possible. Fortunately, I often work outdoors too, which helps. I don't mind the cold and wet, it's the lack of daylight from December through the end of February that gets to me. By March the days are getting noticeably longer again.

There are a lot of nice neighborhoods to choose from for places to live. The cost of living is pretty high here though. Seattle is in the top 10 nationwide in cost of living and traffic congestion.

All good points. I transplanted here 8 years ago. The downside . grey weather and short days in the winter. I like the rain and cool weather so that doesnt bother me. Also passive aggressive types that camp in the left lane (never seen anything like it). Cost of living is also high.
The upside
Year round skiing
Stable snow pack that sticks to steeps and settles quickly.
Mountain biking is out of this world
You are by the ocean . surfing, salt water sailing are nearby
more backcountry skiing than you could do in a lifetime.
The desert is only a few hours away if you want a change of scenery
British Columbia & all that it has to offer is within a days drive
Lots of good casinos if you like that.
If you can get past the weather and plan your vacations to sunny places a few times in the winter as you will not want to leave here in the summer time, you will love it here.
I would not live anywhere else.

Originally Posted by timeo

Crystal - way bigger mountain than Alp, more vertical and higher. Generally more and better quality snow.

Just not true; Alpental gets much more snow. It can rain more frequently @ Alpie, but when it snows the quality's about the same as Crustal.

Access is generally better than I-70, but both I-90 (Alpental/Snoqualmie) and US2 (Stevens) can be a mess in a storm like this one. But the skiing is really, really first rate. Nobody vacations here because it's not sunny, it snows too much and there's no ski towns. In the rockies, there's a lot of towns at elevation. Not so in the PNW; all mountain towns died out because of too much snow, so no real ski "resorts". Yes teh snow is heavier, but a bit of the buxom is rewarding instead of that anorexic CO blower.

The on hill crowds are getting bad. The population has quadrupled in the last 25 years with only a very small addition to lift served skiable acreage at Stevens. But the skiing is great, especially if you can do some weekdays. BC access is also really good up any of the 3 routes, US2, I90 or 410.

Access to Whistler/BC and a lot of other BritColum areas is great. It's 7 hours to Nelson where the opportunities for skiing are awesome at Red (Rossland) or Whitewater as well as the cat/heli areas.

The gray doesn't bother me; I go to the mountains in the winter.

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

The population has quadrupled in the last 25 years with only a very small addition to lift served skiable acreage at Stevens.

I would consider the Northway lift at Crystal an addition to lift served acreage, too. Also the lift capacity has increased substantially even if total acreage has not, but yeah, no question it's crowded everywhere on the weekends.

Originally Posted by The AD

I would consider the Northway lift at Crystal an addition to lift served acreage, too. Also the lift capacity has increased substantially even if total acreage has not, but yeah, no question it's crowded everywhere on the weekends.

It is most definAtely not. Northback was always controlled and available with a 5 minute flat walk or an easy traverse to Paradise or the 2 minute herringbone around the back of NW Peak. It's just that one either had to ski Lower Northway or take one of the most gruelling traverses in skidom back (an old Altard I know complained after 4 laps). In fact, now that the shuttle bus no longer runs from Lower Northway, there is actually less acreage than before. That lift ruined Northback.

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

I That lift ruined Northback.

I totally agree with this.

And OP, you should move if it is a positive job change and you're open to moving. Snow is great, there are neighborhoods in town you can find that are less urban if that is what you are looking for.

Buster, your points are all correct, but the Northway lift has spread skiers around Crystal's acreage. No question the skier densities in that area are up dramatically since the lift went in--for better or for worse.

Originally Posted by The AD

Buster, your points are all correct, but the Northway lift has spread skiers around Crystal's acreage. No question the skier densities in that area are up dramatically since the lift went in--for better or for worse.

Right, the lift didn't increase the skiable acreage, but it did put a lot of people into places they never went before.

Admittedly the pressure on 6 has been somewhat decreased.

And I know a lot of people who love the NW lift, and that's fine. I grant that my dislike for it is an opinion.

But we really need more lift served acreage in the PNW. What's weird is how the logging industry manages to get the treehuggers panties all twisted when the topic of new lifts in the PNW occurs. I believe there's a chapter in "The Prince" about that right?

I agree with most things that have been said.

And if you find you really need sunshine, just drive 2 hours east from Seattle and go mountain biking/climbing/hiking/backcountry skiing on the eastside of the cascades.

Hot, sunny days (rare but they do happen) are hard to beat in the Puget Sound region

that lift ruined northway like starbucks ruined sonics hoops
bf

Actually, there aren't any ski towns because all the land surrounding the ski areas are National Forest. Same is true in Oregon. Development really isn't allowed on the areas, considering most are on FS leases.

Otherwise, Seattle is a rad town.

Originally Posted by Lindahl

Its not so much the rain, but not seeing the sun for LONG periods of time.

No. It's that the sun comes out M-F and rarely ever on weekends. Which sucks if you are a weekend warrior.

Half the people on the interwebz proclaim Seattle "the big city". It isn't a big city. There's "downtown" but the area is more a collection of burbs and small urban centers interconnected with sometimes traffic chocked arteries.

Key points not touched on:
LOTS of easily accessible hot young tail
LOTS of easily accessible great herb
traffic suuuuuuuucks

just move there...you'll love it. I would recommend living in the city, in a surrounding neighborhood that is...cap hill, ballard, fremont, queen anne, etc. You'll get way more out of the place

Originally Posted by juanbendedknee

... The Central District is close to everything including downtown and Capitol Hill. ...

It sure is!

There are a few great old houses for sale on 23rd & Union-ish right next to the Collins Gold Exchange. Sure, it'll take a pioneering spirit and a 55 gallon drum of TSP, but you could help out the rampant gentrification of that area and make a buck or 2 in the process!

I've never been to Boulder, but I imagine it to be a little less "urban" than Seattle's CD...

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

Half the people on the interwebz proclaim Seattle "the big city". It isn't a big city. There's "downtown" but the area is more a collection of burbs and small urban centers interconnected with sometimes traffic chocked arteries.

I agree. Most places in Seattle don't really feel like you're in a big city. For example, here's a photo I took of the lake across the street from my house. This is in Seattle proper (Haller Lake). I-5 is a couple hundred yards away.

Haller Lake is in Seattle now? What is that, like near Lynnwood or something??? Hahahahhaha, we had soccer games up there in the olden days and it felt like we were driving to Bellingham...