2012 Montana Conditions, Stoke and Whatev Thread

[Norseman]

Anyone else notice the bright green streak down the bottom of the Gallatin all the way to MM 54?

I haven't been upstream in a while but a friend who floated from Doe Creek mentioned how slimy the rocks and bottom were.

Too many septic systems for the area to handle?

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper made some posts about excessive nutrient load causing the algae bloom downstream of the West Fork... yeah, too much shit in the river. Nukes the oxygen levels when it dies and breaks down, exacerbating stress on trout already suckin hard on warm water.

[Bunion 2020]

Odd thing is, no bright green streak in the west fork.

@ Blackalps, without getting into too much detail, when you say working at Big Sky or Y/C do you mean working for those resort operations?

Because they don't pay enough to allow you to live in Big Sky so you commute from oh so affordable Bozeman. Plan to add 2 hours to each day of work.

A couple of things to consider.

Big Sky # 1. Don't believe the 400" bullshit, that is utter fantasy. Big Sky gets lots of small storms and very few 2x digit accumulations, it is high and cold/windy. There is a lot of excellent terrain.

Y/C has similar conditions is about 1000' lower and has some really excellent terrain. It does get crowded these days.

Bridger: North of town, totally different weather patterns, north south trending mountain range that gets orographic storms that can drop a lot of snow in 12 hours. Lots of really good skiers on the upper mountain, lots of families on the lower mountain. Very technical terrain for the most part.

[blackalps]

Odd thing is, no bright green streak in the west fork.

@ Blackalps, without getting into too much detail, when you say working at Big Sky or Y/C do you mean working for those resort operations?

Because they don't pay enough to allow you to live in Big Sky so you commute from oh so affordable Bozeman. Plan to add 2 hours to each day of work.

A couple of things to consider.

Big Sky # 1. Don't believe the 400" bullshit, that is utter fantasy. Big Sky gets lots of small storms and very few 2x digit accumulations, it is high and cold/windy. There is a lot of excellent terrain.

Y/C has similar conditions is about 1000' lower and has some really excellent terrain. It does get crowded these days.

Bridger: North of town, totally different weather patterns, north south trending mountain range that gets orographic storms that can drop a lot of snow in 12 hours. Lots of really good skiers on the upper mountain, lots of families on the lower mountain. Very technical terrain for the most part.

Thank you. That’s helpful. I have a friend that works at YC so I’ve already heard about the commute thing.


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[Bunion 2020]

Yeah, we all live it. This summer in Big Sky they are resurfacing the two little shitty bridges that everyone needs to drive over to get to wherever the fuck they are going. Traffic is a fucking nightmare. Can they work any slower? On really good days I need to drive over those fucking bridges 4 times.

The winter commute isn't nearly as bad in spite of the black ice, cold and dark and occasional whiteout, I have had some really great conversations and made some great friends on those drives.

I think I am a fair representative of what people think here (Bozeman) and my best advice is if you move here, ditch the CO plates. Most people dislike the Colorado newbies more than even California.

Something about how they keep talking about how fucking great Colorado is. Which leads to the inevitable question....


This November will be 30 years here for me. Good luck.

[blackalps]

I think I am a fair representative of what people think here (Bozeman) and my best advice is if you move here, ditch the CO plates. Most people dislike the Colorado newbies more than even California.

Something about how they keep talking about how fucking great Colorado is. Which leads to the inevitable question....


This November will be 30 years here for me. Good luck.

thanks. i've already heard that a few times about the plates. the other part is how I feel about people from Texas in CO. I'm not a native here (not native anywhere. been nomadic my whole life), but holy fuck I get tired of people from Texas talking about how amazing Texas is. WTF do you live in CO then? I lived in Houston and worked in Austin. Lasted about 10 months, couldn't get out of there fast enough.

I think CO is ok. Love things about it, dislike things about it, dont really hate anything about it except the attitudes you get out on the trail or on the lift sometimes, and i70 when I was stuck being a weekend warrior last season for the 5 days I got to ski between healing from injury and the early end of the season. I like it lot better outside of Denver. There's nothing really "wrong" with it, per se, it's just never felt like a good fit. But I don't smoke weed or drink microbrewery beer. or any beer. but i've had lots of good times in the mountains biking, offroading, hiking, and skiing, to be sure. If I could find work in Salida or Ouray or CB, I'd probably be ok with staying in CO. Mostly I'm just tired of living in cities. pandemic killed my industry (trade shows) so I don't have an excuse to stay in one anymore.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Bunion is the real deal long-timer who is actually nice to noobs like me. Actually most are nice, they just pretend to be jaded on the internet.


FYI everyone, I was in Summit and Eagle Counties in CO over the weekend for the first time in 10 years. If you want a reality check go down there. Holy shit. Enjoy it while we got it and hope this winter is like 3 months of below zero to scare some people back south

[idahospud]

Bunion is the real deal long-timer who is actually nice to noobs like me. Actually most are nice, they just pretend to be jaded on the internet.

This entire statement is 100% factual.

[Bunion 2020]

Just trying to pay back for how I was welcomed in both Park City and then Big Sky.

[toastybroski]

Yeah, we all live it. This summer in Big Sky they are resurfacing the two little shitty bridges that everyone needs to drive over to get to wherever the fuck they are going. Traffic is a fucking nightmare. Can they work any slower? On really good days I need to drive over those fucking bridges 4 times.

The winter commute isn't nearly as bad in spite of the black ice, cold and dark and occasional whiteout, I have had some really great conversations and made some great friends on those drives.

I think I am a fair representative of what people think here (Bozeman) and my best advice is if you move here, ditch the CO plates. Most people dislike the Colorado newbies more than even California.

Something about how they keep talking about how fucking great Colorado is. Which leads to the inevitable question....


This November will be 30 years here for me. Good luck.

I have been getting some absolutely nasty looks with Colorado plates after moving a few weeks ago in Helena. If I loved Colorado so much then I wouldn't have left.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

I have been getting some absolutely nasty looks with Colorado plates after moving a few weeks ago in Helena. If I loved Colorado so much then I wouldn't have left.

Dude, everyone with out of state plates is getting the look right now. Folks are getting pretty crunchy.

[toastybroski]

Dude, everyone with out of state plates is getting the look right now. Folks are getting pretty crunchy.

Twice we were pulling out of a spot and an old truck just stops and blocks us and just stares for 30+ seconds. It was beyond ridiculous, especially since it wasn't a one off thing.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Twice we were pulling out of a spot and an old truck just stops and blocks us and just stares for 30+ seconds. It was beyond ridiculous, especially since it wasn't a one off thing.

Sorry, man. Like I said, people are getting pretty crunchy. I know I am. Maybe I need to start smoking pot again.

[yeahman]

Talked to a real estate buddy who lives in Missoula last night, same thing going on there as in Bozeman. People buying up properties sight unseen, making crazy offers, like sometimes a dozen offers within a day for a new house coming on the market. He said they were from all over, but one place he particularly noted was Denver. (Mags, of course, are always welcome.) I wasn't born here but I do have 30+ years in Montana. If I hadn't taken a 7-year break to live in Washington, I'd be coming up on 40 years. Crazy. Sucks getting old but there's no place I'd rather do it than here.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

I was just at a stop light at 19th and I was surrounded by out of state plates. Michigan, Ohio, California, Nevada, Utah.

The vast majority of my clients are coming in from Seattle, Denver/Boulder and texass.

[blackalps]

Talked to a real estate buddy who lives in Missoula last night, same thing going on there as in Bozeman. People buying up properties sight unseen, making crazy offers, like sometimes a dozen offers within a day for a new house coming on the market. He said they were from all over, but one place he particularly noted was Denver. (Mags, of course, are always welcome.) I wasn't born here but I do have 30+ years in Montana. If I hadn't taken a 7-year break to live in Washington, I'd be coming up on 40 years. Crazy. Sucks getting old but there's no place I'd rather do it than here.

that's at least partly because buying a house in Denver is insane. I tried to buy one about a year ago. I put in offers on 7 different houses, all within the first 12-24 hours the house was on the market, all at about $30k over asking. All 7 houses, I lost out to people that paid $50k or $60k over asking, in 100% cash. This was for houses around 1k sq ft that were listed at $350k to $400k. This spring, my landlord sold the duplex I was living in. 1911 building with foundation problems, bad plumbing, and aesthetically kind of ugly. Decent yard, in a desirable hood. 600 sq ft per side. He sold the building or $500k in 4 days with one exterior picture on the listing, no description, no sign in front of the house. The people that bought it flipped it for $740k 3 months later.

[Hodgge]

I hope they realize winter is an every day thing here, not just a "drive a few hours to get to it when we want it." I've talked to a remarkable number of people from west coast cities and Denver that are taken by surprise when it's cold and snowing in town.

[skaredshtles]

I was just at a stop light at 19th and I was surrounded by out of state plates. Michigan, Ohio, California, Nevada, Utah.

Well, it *is* move-in week at MSU. And because of "The Issue" it is way more drawn out this year than in the past. We will be coming into town with CO plates on Thursday and not leaving until Monday (because one kid has a move-in "appointment" Thu evening and the other one is not until Sunday morning).

But in the local folks' defense - they don't know if any of those out of state plates are:

1) MSU students/families
2) Newly-arrived residents that haven't gotten MT plates yet
3) Complete douchebags that are trying to "escape" their Midwestern/Southern Hellhole.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

As part of my services I give a quick education on Montana winter living to the warm climate people. I get some wide eyes.. My lovely wife just rep'd some techies from the bay area, bought up in Bridger canyon. They've already burned some bridges with new neighbors and don't have a clue what winter is going to be like for them up there. That house will be back on the market in two years tops.

[Hodgge]

Funny. I've never lived anywhere that wasn't cold and snowy, but outside of the usual brutal cold snaps we get here, I think winter is pretty easy going. The gray, cold, humid days you get elsewhere for months on end are really brutal.

[total_immortal]

Bridger season pass sales cap rumor is still going around so I bought my pass so I don't miss out. Gonna be a shit show if all the Big Sky defectors and new arrivals are planning on skiing at Bridger...

[SUPERIOR]

If anyone has a line on some decent work going through Fall, I’d be interested.

My career fell apart due to “the situation,” and my unemployment ran out about a month ago.

I’m taking an EMT course in September, and hoping I can use that in some fashion, whether it’s in a hospital / clinic / ambulance / ski patrol.

[BobbyBill]

Moved here in '94 (at least I came from somewhere with a fairly good rep- Maine) and it is amazing to behold what has happened and is happening here in terms of growth. Seems to have really ramped up/accelerated in the past few years obviously. So lucky to have bought in '03 ( I married well) and to have sold last year and moved 20 min out of town to a little cabin with 5 acres closer to Bridger. Grew up in rural western Maine and its nice to be out of town again and in the woods a bit. Amazed by the fancy people with fancy clothes and fancy cars that would have stuck out like sore thumbs 20 years ago but are now seemingly everywhere. Still a great place and can't really think of anyplace else I'd rather be, but am so glad to be a bit removed from town proper and the rampant craziness that reigns.

[Bronco]

I have to wonder if the Yellowstone series is partially to blame. It's fun for me to watch the show from the safety of zombie apocalypse western Washington where nobody wants to move right now.

But it's sad to see the old Bozeman days are gone when "town" stopped at 7th and Bridger was mostly old doubles. I'm sure most of the folks giving out-of-staters the judgy look are probably transplants themselves. Mind your business and be respectful to your neighbors, you may need their help at some point...

[yeahman]

Well, it *is* move-in week at MSU. And because of "The Issue" it is way more drawn out this year than in the past. We will be coming into town with CO plates on Thursday and not leaving until Monday (because one kid has a move-in "appointment" Thu evening and the other one is not until Sunday morning).

But in the local folks' defense - they don't know if any of those out of state plates are:

1) MSU students/families
2) Newly-arrived residents that haven't gotten MT plates yet
3) Complete douchebags that are trying to "escape" their Midwestern/Southern Hellhole.

That is true, move-in time is always filled with out of state plates. Fuck I remember how much I loved that time of year when I was at college in Missoula. Checking out the new crop of freshman girls, the bars were crazy (drinking age 19), giant blowouts at the frat houses every night for anybody who wanted to drink free beer. Money in the pocket from working all summer, just nothing to look forward to but a great year of partying, skiing, and studying (in that order). Makes me nostalgic. I don't think I could live in Missoula or Bozeman with all the hot college girls running around these days. I'd go nuts.

[glademaster]

I have to wonder if the Yellowstone series is partially to blame. It's fun for me to watch the show from the safety of zombie apocalypse western Washington where nobody wants to move right now.

But it's sad to see the old Bozeman days are gone when "town" stopped at 7th and Bridger was mostly old doubles. I'm sure most of the folks giving out-of-staters the judgy look are probably transplants themselves. Mind your business and be respectful to your neighbors, you may need their help at some point...

What are you talking about? They're raping every last square inch of buildable land in WWA to put up more houses for the thousands of tech workers who flock here every month.