The next best mountain towns to live in

So what ya think? It doesn't have to be all about the skiing either.

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/06/11/the-top-5-towns-for-ski-bums-on-a-budget/

I have a buddy who lives in Boise and raves about ID

I think I'd have to check ID out based on what he tells me.

Pocatello, Idaho. 20 miles from Pebble Creek Ski area - 2200 vert/1100 acres, 2-3 hours from Snow Basin, Powder Mtn, Park City, Sun Valley, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole

Glenwood Springs, Co. 12 miles from Sunlight Mtn - 2010 vert, 680 acres, 35 minutes to Snowmass a few more minutes to B/T, Highlands, Aspen, 1 hour to Beaver Creek and a few more minutes to Vail

some other areas  - Spokane, Reno, Carson City

I found one this winter, much closer to the goods than any of those mentioned, (Bozeman and Ogden are not ski towns, no matter how hard you squint. And, ask yourself. Do you want to wake up in Ogden every morning?) but, I would have to kill you if I told you.

Taos is sorta ok, but, everyone has to drive 20 miles or so to the hill, because there's no place up there to live. Little too much crime in that town for my taste, too.

Boise kinda sucks for skiing. Bogus is bogus, and that's it. Mountain biking is awesome, though.
They were giving away houses after the crash in '08, don't know if that market came back. Bet it's still kinda cheap, though.

I have 3 on my retirement town short list.  
My wants are
great skiing but not a mega resort and plenty of snow.  Not too corporate of a ski area to teach part time at.
Reasonable real estate prices
Plenty of top quality summer golf where a membership is reasonably priced
Good health care and shopping a reasonable drive but not too big of a town
A decent craft brewery

My 3 currently are

Driggs ID - love targhe with best snow period.  Cool small but not too small town.  Incredible views of Tetons from just about every home in the area

Eden UT - small town with Ogden 20 mins away.  Choice of Snowbasin or Pow.  Tons of reasonably priced condos.  A nice lake for summer and golf.  Con 3.2 beer and no local craft brewery.  Least Mormon Valley in Utah is a pro.

Sunriver OR - bend is a city.  Too big for me.  This is a little closer to Bachelor with top notch golf and beer.  Long season for both ski and golf with overlap Con is Its too liberal for me in OR.  UT and ID fit me better politically.

I'd bet Sunriver itself is not liberal.

The issue I have is that I'm a road biker, and most, if not all western ski towns suck for that. The East is much much better, and, after all, I spend a lot more time on the bike than skiing.

I'd live in Driggs in a flash if it wasn't for that.

 
Sunriver OR - bend is a city.  Too big for me.  This is a little closer to Bachelor with top notch golf and beer.  Long season for both ski and golf with overlap Con is Its too liberal for me in OR.  UT and ID fit me better politically.



Bend is a city ?!??!   No offense Z , but you have been living in the sticks too long..

Back to the original question....
I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

JasonWx wrote

I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

And it's not Florida.

JasonWx wrote

 

Back to the original question....
I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

Thinking something very similar is in my future as well. Maybe Florida.

JasonWx wrote

I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

I've heard good things about Asheville.  Kind of funny, though, my stepfather thinks South Carolina is the worst place in N. America.  He says it's not warm enough in the winter and too hot in the summer.

Bend currently is over 90k in population and growing rapidly.  To me that is a city.  It's 20+ miles to the nearest stop light from my house.  I live on a dirt (really sand) road.  That is what I like.

If I had to pick right now I'd say I'd go with a condo in Eden and split my time between the Daks and there when I retire.  

Harvey wrote

JasonWx wrote

I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

And it's not Florida.

No FLA!!! I like Key West and the fishing..But can't handle the whole 55 and older community scene..
If you have the money to have a home or condo right on the water, Fla is tolerable..

I could probably get lost in southwest Colorado.  I like where I am but would be interested in some overlap in sports so I don't have down time.

JasonWx wrote

Bend is a city ?!??!   No offense Z , but you have been living in the sticks too long..

Back to the original question....
I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

Ashville is expensensivo right now.

D.B. Cooper wrote

JasonWx wrote

I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

I've heard good things about Asheville.  Kind of funny, though, my stepfather thinks South Carolina is the worst place in N. America.  He says it's not warm enough in the winter and too hot in the summer.

I know someone who lives in SC but spends part of the winter in VT for real skiing.  The problem with skiing in the NC mountains is that there are more people than you might expect who drive there from FL, SC, GA, TN, and central NC.  Weekends are crazy in NC.  WV and VA too.

The place that comes to mind if considering SE/MidA as a possibility is Charlottesville, VA.  Wintergreen midweek is more fun than Cataloochee or Wolf.  But like Asheville, Charlottesville is a lot more expensive now than 10-20 years ago.  A lot of retirees moved in who wanted to live somewhere with 4 seasons not too far from a major airport.

x10003q wrote

JasonWx wrote

Bend is a city ?!??!   No offense Z , but you have been living in the sticks too long..

Back to the original question....
I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..

Ashville is expensensivo right now.

You are right X, but  most nice places are , things are usually cheap for a reason..

I realize skiing is more of a novelty , I'm more about the MTB and the cultural scene..

A great place to live with a cool ski hill 15 minutes from town... my house is going on the market next year... it's 4 miles from the Mission Ridge Parking lot...

JasonWx wrote

Sunriver OR - bend is a city.  Too big for me.  This is a little closer to Bachelor with top notch golf and beer.  Long season for both ski and golf with overlap Con is Its too liberal for me in OR.  UT and ID fit me better politically.

Bend is a city ?!??!   No offense Z , but you have been living in the sticks too long..

Back to the original question....
I am going to scope out Ashville, NC...
Great breweries, unreal food scene, world class mountain biking and great weather...There is even crappy skiing..



Dude, this is a ski forum. I mean, why even bother? Burlington would be a much better place. For a skier. Pretty much has everything Asheville has.
And, the weather? Its probably 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity there today, and the winter is, basically, miserable cold rain with a few snow events every now and then.