HELP PICKING A RESORT TOWN TO CALL HOME!!!!

[Harvey44]

Recent article by Powder: http://www.powder.com/stories/smog-lake-city/

[NWSkier]

Attachment 164264

^^fuck

[Jax]

Aspen>PC , especially knowing what you are willing to pay for a rental. Go to Aspen. You won't regret it.

[jed peters]

Why is this a discussion? Bozeman, all day, every day.

[yeahman]

Hell, I can drive two hours standing on my head. Leave home at 6 a.m., arrive back at 6 p.m., with six or seven hours of world class skiing in between. Vat's da problem? Half the time I'm in line for first chair before the locals even stumble out of bed.

Sure, I'd live in Bozeman if I had 500k to spend on a rundown shack with a postage-stamp yard. But in Helena you can get 10 acres and a 2500 sq. ft. house for less than 300k, about 15 minutes from downtown. That's a no brainer.

Helena, Montana, voted Best Ski Town in America by the readers of Powder magazine. Google it if you don't believe me.

[kevin267]

I know Americans that live in Whistler, must be a way to make it work but I guess everyone's situation is different

[givethepigeye]

I'll just put my $0.02 in. I cover clients from the Rockies and west. I have been down this road - SLC or PC is the only logical choice. I don't know how long you have been traveling for work, but those connections, missed flights all take their toll -trust me. I've averaged over 100k miles a year for going on 15 years now. Long-term, want to live in a hub city. You could use DEN to fly into/out of - but as others have said - counting on landing planes in mountains in bad weather is a crap shoot. (JAC, ASE, EGE). Also, crews "time out" in bad weather and there isn't a pool to draw from in those satellite city's like at SLC or DEN. I-70 can be soul crushing when you can't pick your travel times - ie to catch a plane.

Never looked at Reno - so don't know.

However, if you are just going into this for "a season" it doesn't matter - just pick one. Frequency of travel and time you intend to have this arrangement are key.

[galibier_numero_un]

Attachment 164264

It's really scary-bad. I literally felt intoxicated (and had a metallic taste in my mouth) after 45 minutes of driving around in the valley in January. The smog level just about reached Snowbird. Looks about the same as the photo.

After being stuck in the ozone and pesticide pollution of the Sacramento valley for 4 years, I promised myself that I'd be kind to my upper respiratory system from that point forward.

Cheers,
Thom

[Sirshredalot]

Hell, I can drive two hours standing on my head. Leave home at 6 a.m., arrive back at 6 p.m., with six or seven hours of world class skiing in between. Vat's da problem? Half the time I'm in line for first chair before the locals even stumble out of bed.

Sure, I'd live in Bozeman if I had 500k to spend on a rundown shack with a postage-stamp yard. But in Helena you can get 10 acres and a 2500 sq. ft. house for less than 300k, about 15 minutes from downtown. That's a no brainer.

Helena, Montana, voted Best Ski Town in America by the readers of Powder magazine. Google it if you don't believe me.

Dude, I am a MSU Bobcat married to a UM Grizzly. We are former Bridger and Snowbowl employees. Muckety-mucks from a number of Montana ski areas were in our wedding party. We both love Helena. Helena is not a ski town. For reals. Great biking town. 2 hours to good skiing if you have a lead foot and an iron bladder and the weather and roads are good.

Just stop.

Seriously.

[Skidog]

What about up near the mouths of LCC or BCC? Smog still bad?

its a NON ISSUE in PC.....or up in LCC/BCC nearer to the top. In the valley it can SOOO suck sometimes, but for the roughly 2 months (not in a row) total we have to deal with that crap ill for sure take the other 10 months, and its never more than a drive up canyon to get out of it.

[Marshall Tucker]

Any thoughts among the collective for grand junction? went there once, May for a week / business, thought it was just an incredible place. georgeious green valley, mesa natl for bike / running (I do latter) etc. Pretty decent sized city -

[Shredhead]

Any thoughts among the collective for grand junction? -

Nice place, great biking and really good produce. Long way from good skiing and not very good air service.
Cheap.

[Lonnie]

Recent article by Powder: http://www.powder.com/stories/smog-lake-city/

And now, a real article by real scientists...

http://www.airquality.utah.gov/docs/...port_FINAL.pdf

Pay attention to the sections on PM10 and PM2.5

[Canada1]

And now, a real article by real scientists...

http://www.airquality.utah.gov/docs/...port_FINAL.pdf

Pay attention to the sections on PM10 and PM2.5

Which can be summed up by looking at the photo above. The reality is the air is so bad on some days it looks like fog, and you have to turn on your wippers. It is disgusting. Think Los Angeles in the 70's if you were around then.

[creaky fossil]

Governmental enviro entities tend to be servants of the businesses they "regulate," though. "Political reality," and all that follows. Eh? So likely worse than impressively formatted document suggests. If AQ board were competent and truly overseeing things scientifically based, the sick amounts of dev't that have caused SLC's ground-level ozone, NOx, PM-x would never have been approved. Money dictates what otherwise is called "enviro regulation's" efficacy.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

Helena, Montana, voted Best Ski Town in America by the readers of Powder magazine. Google it if you don't believe me.

Googled it. Turned up nada. If you have the link I'd be curious to read it.

[muted]

Governmental enviro entities tend to be servants of the businesses they "regulate," though. "Political reality," and all that follows. Eh? So likely worse than impressively formatted document suggests. If AQ board were competent and truly overseeing things scientifically based, the sick amounts of dev't that have caused SLC's ground-level ozone, NOx, PM-x would never have been approved. Money dictates what otherwise is called "enviro regulation's" efficacy.

Nice article from today: http://utahpoliticalcapitol.com/2015...ondescension/#

Explains a bit on who is on the board (oil, mining, manufacturing reps) and what power they have. It's all fucked.

[Harvey44]

And now, a real article by real scientists...

http://www.airquality.utah.gov/docs/...port_FINAL.pdf

Pay attention to the sections on PM10 and PM2.5

I'm not educated enough to understand the scientific report. Still thought it was interesting that Powder would throw SLC under the bus, regardless of the truth.

One thing about pollution traps like SLC, Denver or LA... if every part of the country was like the EC where smog blows out to sea, progress on air quality would be a lot slower. Pollution only survives if it can be dispersed. Imagine if tailpipe emissions had to be pumped back into the passenger compartment or cigarette smokers had to wear a plastic box on their head.

[yeahman]

Just stop.

Seriously.

Why? It's fun.

You don't need a lead foot and an iron bladder. You do need a one-hitter, cup of coffee, and some good tunes.

On the way there you're buzzed with anticipation. On the way home you're buzzed from doing 8 or 10 tram laps. Life is good. Vat's da problem? Just don't slide off the road into the river. Studded snow tires are a must if you want to live in Helena and chase powder--wherever it falls. Look at the reports in the morning and make your decision, you're not locked into any one area. THAT is a ski town.

But seriously, what is a ski town? After 30 years out west I've redefined it. Somebody wants to shell out mega bucks to live at the base of the lift, good for them. But if you're a normal person of normal means, you have to look at the big picture. Jobs, affordable housing, access to skiing. Somebody needs to come up with an equation.

It also helps to have friends with a condo at Big Sky who will rent you a room for the season cheap. But you're still not locked into Big Sky when it's storming elsewhere. Your options are open. Just don't forget the one-hitter.

[Skidog]

Big polluting companies suck.
Politicians suck.
Lobbyists suck.

I still think the pros outweigh the con's in slc area. OP wants to be up in the hills the slc crap won't bother as much up there.

The Indians didnt call this the smokey valley for nothing and that was way before industrym.

[galibier_numero_un]

I'm not educated enough to understand the scientific report. Still thought it was interesting that Powder would throw SLC under the bus, regardless of the truth.

One thing about pollution traps like SLC, Denver or LA... if every part of the country was like the EC where smog blows out to sea, progress on air quality would be a lot slower. Pollution only survives if it can be dispersed. Imagine if tailpipe emissions had to be pumped back into the passenger compartment or cigarette smokers had to wear a plastic box on their head.

Excellent point about it not blowing off to sea & the resultant head in sand approach to the problem.

The PDF file - page 7&8 Non-attainment & Maintenance areas. No technical comprehension required. Of course, the assumption here is that the criteria & methodologies for failing these standards is recognized as being valid. Anecdotally, I'd have to say they are (valid), but I too, can't weed through the data.

On the topic of the effects of living in a toxic basin, I know someone who nearly died on multiple occasions from living in an area like SLC. The symptoms set in at about the two year point, with them developing multiple chemical sensitivities in conjunction with an immune system breakdown. This person was still rebuilding their life some 20 years later. It makes winning runs on the Freeride World Tour seem like chickenshit in comparison.

BTW, Denver is much, much, MUCH cleaner than SLC. If you've been to Denver on a bad day in the Winter (which ain't all that great) and thought that was bad, your head would explode in SLC

Cheers,
Thom

[Skidog]

Moved to slc 7+ years ago from northeast. Live in Sandy and had 2 children here. None of us have experienced any noticeable ill effects from the pollution. Course I can't comment long term, just saying.

[Canada1]

The fact that the refineries are directly upwind of the LDS temple and the population center of the city says a bit about the lack of understanding two generations ago. The fact that they aren't moved out of the bowl while big efforts are being made to do away with fire places says a lot about the distribution of power. I've read somewhere that autism rates are significantly higher in Utah? Might have something to do with the fact that for several weeks of the year you might as well live in the median of a crowded interstate. If you love skiing, and are on the slopes here, you won't experience it. I live in Park City because the inversion was in in 2002 when we came here house hunting. Thank god it was.

yeah man, by your standards any place in the west is a ski town. I can only think of a couple places where I can't get to a place to ski by driving fast for two hours. The fact that your talking about doing it stoned on a public interface is just stupid. Reminds me of a kid who talked about camping stoned on a kayaking site and showed up to court where the judge had a copy of his posts.

[yeahman]

The fact yeah man, by your standards any place in the west is a ski town. I can only think of a couple places where I can't get to a place to ski by driving fast for two hours. The fact that your talking about doing it stoned on a public interface is just stupid. Reminds me of a kid who talked about camping stoned on a kayaking site and showed up to court where the judge had a copy of his posts.

Lighten up, Francis.

[digitaldeath]

Choose aspen. Leave now and be set up for me Sunday/Monday. I'll guide you.