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Moving to PNW


swaterfall

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Winter is almost over in CO and I'm itching to head to the land of the volcanos and big glaciers. I work from home so I can live wherever I want. Right now I'm thinking that Bend has the best access to (in order of importance) mountaineering, spring skiing, rock and social life. My question... where would you go if you were moving to the N West?

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Winter is almost over in CO and I'm itching to head to the land of the volcanos and big glaciers. I work from home so I can live wherever I want. Right now I'm thinking that Bend has the best access to (in order of importance) mountaineering, spring skiing, rock and social life. My question... where would you go if you were moving to the N West?

 

Bend is a cool town, but Bend is way too far from the great alpine stuff in the central and north Cascades. At least for my taste. Its not that close the volcanoes either. At least not closer than many other areas. And Hood gets really crappy in the summer. Hood is best climbed in the later winter or spring...like right now.

 

So if you’re moving soon and will be here most of spring and really want to hit Smith. . .Bend rocks. But if your focus is mountaineering and/or alpine climbing I’d be further north so you can hit the North Cascades.

 

I guess Bend would have good access to spring skiing.

 

2 cents

 

 

Good luck. wave.gif

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Bellingham probably fits the bill better for the things you listed. Ouray is pretty good in the summer though. Mountaineering in surrounding peaks, tons of rock climbing-sport climbing in town(good granite in Unaweep Canyon, and long routes in the Black Canyon) and awsome spring skiing (powder skiing until early may last year), no real social life though. If you can figure out a way to work, Canada is the way to go.

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Unless you like long drives, boring hills (aside from hood) stay away from oregon...

 

one choice only...

BELLINGHAM. Second would be Seattle if you want a big city.

BELLINGHAM owns.

 

big second, or third i reckon...i too moved to the pnw recently for climbing purposes, but couldn't get further north than vancouver...er, vancouver, washington that is. i'd have loved to have gotten north of seattle. the volocanoes are there if you want, plus sweet rock (the smiff stuff is cool, but totally unalpine feeling), plus ice (won't see much of that in oregon). just stay the hell away from tacoma.

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I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ritzville. The town is as cool as the name implies. Besides it's nice central location in Washington ensures that you are only a couple hours from everything (and anything). Still, despite it's name, it's relatively undiscovered and not overly ritzy--yet. Think Aspen 30 years ago. Once you get to the great PNW, take a road trip to Ritzville and behold the potential.

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Squamish is awesome, as is NW Washington (think Olympics and N Cascades and everything in between) but it rains so much that you better have a hell of a nice raincoat. Either that or cable TV, a stack of videos and a hot girlfriend for all the time you'll spend inside off the rocks and not outdoors.

 

If mountaineering is more attractive to you than pure rock climbing, thse would be the prefered locations IMO.

 

For primarily rockclimbing, Bend.

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Ridgeway is NW of Ouray and has a better sociaL scene... Geek_em8.gif

 

Seriously, rent a place in Squamish and check it out, then try B'ham, then try Bend. Then get a boat and try the San Juans and you will find that you can live wherever you want. Or get an Airstream trailer.

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leavenworth might be good, lots of rock and alpine

 

 

After living in Ouray, Levenworth will weem cosmopolitan, a pretty scary thought.

 

Actually L-worth is a really good idea. thumbs_up.gif Close to Seattle, yet right in the heart of good crag climbing and the entrance to some GREAT alpine trad and mountaineering, and close to the volcanoes for mountaineering. I could think of a lot worse places. For a few months to a year, L-Worth would rock. rockband.gif

 

How about spring skiing? When do the local areas shut down? Stevens?

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