Where to move to....? HELP!!!

[sklag]

So, I've been to WA, and I've fallen in love with the summers and the mountains there... But, there's another "lady".

Let's call her Colorado, not Colo"RAD"o. Anywho, I'm wanting to push my alpine rock climbing, ice, and overall ability year round... Here's the question: If you had to do it all over again, where would you move to??

 

[pcg]

BC. Colorado is full.

Edited June 6, 2011 by pcg

[boadman]

Chamonix?

[sklag]

I'm doing Anesthesia, namely I'm going to be a nurse anesthetist... maybe I could contract out to the military, but...

I

[JosephH]

Would be good to learn about Anesthesia and Pheochromocytoma then...

 

http://www.metrohealthanesthesia.com/edu/endocrine/pheo1.htm

 

Undiagnosed Pheochromocytoma: The Anesthesiologist Nightmare

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069072/

 

...in case you run into it. My sister-in-law died in an outpatient / nurse anesthetist setting up in Seattle a few years back due to one and the person on the gas not knowing how to respond. Rare, but there are people walking around with them without knowing it.

[billcoe]

Are you thinking US only? I'd be near Yos, maybe south so that a winter Joshua Tree or Red Rocks trip would be easy as well. Europe would be in there too if I could. I think it's cool you are looking to self-actualize and maximise what makes you happy. That's probably for you to decide. Ain't none of us getting any younger.

[mneagle]

As a doctor and a climber I was choosing between Fort Collins, CO and Bellingham, WA 6 years ago when looking for a destination after finishing my fellowship in pulmonary medicine. I chose Colorado and have no regrets.

 

As you may or may not know, medicine in WA is pretty messed up. Seattle isn't so bad, if you can get a job at Harborview or the U but the rest of the state is pretty bad. Reimbursement is low, insurance is high and the scene is dominated by onerous multi-specialty groups and managed care. As a result, both pay and autonomy are low. I don't want to work in a place where some guy in a blazer won't let me take care of someone just because they are poor. I trained and worked at Harborview too long to be that unethical. Ironically, here in Colorado I take care of lots of underserved people and yet get paid more. Nurse anesthetists are totally accepted here. The ones I know seem to be happy.

 

As for climbing, the rock climbing is top notch. We basically have every kind of rock to train on. Plenty of cragging all over and some pretty big stuff up in RMNP and the like. The ice cilmbing is good but involves a little more effort, unless you end up in the southwestern part of the state. One thing we don't have is glaciers, which I sorely miss. Three hundred plus days of sunshine has made up for it though. The skiing kicks ass both in and out of bounds.

[Dane]

Three hundred plus days of sunshine

 

Cash, credit card, check or the gold standard...none of them will buy half that in sunny days in the west side of the state.

 

Colorado or Chamonix. Nice little hospital in Cham as well

[AlpineK]

 

As for climbing, the rock climbing is top notch. We basically have every kind of rock to train on. Plenty of cragging all over and some pretty big stuff up in RMNP and the like. The ice cilmbing is good but involves a little more effort, unless you end up in the southwestern part of the state. One thing we don't have is glaciers, which I sorely miss. Three hundred plus days of sunshine has made up for it though. The skiing kicks ass both in and out of bounds.

 

I agree rock climbing in Colorado is good. I never did enough ice climbing to comment. The things that are named glaciers in Colorado will make most folks from the NW laugh.

 

Colorado skiing is an interesting subject. Ski areas do open early, but the, "snow," is 95-percent man made. You'll ride on a lift looking down at trees, logs, and rocks but lacking more than a dusting of snow. Until the lift goes over the managed ski run that is. Then you'll see snow makers and icy man made snow.

 

Temperatures drop in late fall and the ground freezes. Then the winds start pumping. When it does snow you'll see the wind scraping off all the snow that landed on the mountains. This pattern continues till January. At some time in late January or February winds die down a bit and the mountains receive their dumps of natural snow.

 

All these factors make avalanche conditions in the backcountry hairball for most of the winter. If you do go out in the backcountry mid winter be careful.

 

I remember a lift ride at A-Basin. The other guys on the lift found out I was from Washington. They commented about how I must love the snow in Colorado. My response was, "Yeah the powder here in Colorado kicks ass. I love it, but ya know you ain't got no base."

 

Be prepared to spend time and money at ski shops getting the bases of your skis fixed several times a winter.

 

Powder skiing can be really good in February and March, but that's about it. Spring skiing, and or safer bc skiing continues on for a bit after that. It does get warm in the State and snow goes away quickly. The region around SW Colorado does get a better dump than the Front Range.

 

In terms of 300 days of sunshine. I like sunshine, but with little if any variation in the weather it starts to get boring. Changing weather provides free entertainment.

[Buckaroo]

In order of preference

 

Califa

Colorado

WA.

 

I think WA has the best climbing with CA a close second, the only best climbing in CO is waterfall ice. That said there's still a lot of good climbing in CO. I did Blanca Peak in winter back when I lived in NM, really pretty area in the SW corner, a dry cold, -40F wasn't too bad.

 

CO has the best weather followed closely by CA, and WA of course bringing up the rear.

Edited June 7, 2011 by Buckaroo

[banos]

I'm doing Anesthesia, namely I'm going to be a nurse anesthetist... maybe I could contract out to the military, but...

I

 

Sklag... Prov Hosp in Everett uses CRNAs... St Joe Hosp Bellingham does not, nor does Skagit in Mt Vernon... Naval Hosp @ NAS Whidbey utilizes CRNAs, as does I believe Whidbey Gen (Coupeville).. Island Hosp in Anacortes does not.. Cascade Valley Hosp in Arlington also uses CRNAs.. Seattle and the immediate surounding area I am not sure of anymore... tho I am sure there are many Anes Depts utilizing CRNAs in that vast area..

 

Congatulations on your medical profession choice.. I have been a CRNA for.. my God, over 20 yrs now.. It has been and continues to be a very rewarding yet challenging profession.. in which I feel very fortunate to be a practicing professional. As was mentioned above, reimbursments in WA are unjustifiably low... but the vast majority of staff CRNA packages are still very competative...

 

The very best of luck to you in your position search and your practice.

Edited June 7, 2011 by banos

[Rad]

Nobody mentioned Utah. I've never lived there but it sounds like it's got sunshine, rock, ice, and snow in abundance. True?

[mneagle]

I lived there for 3 years(Utah)...great access, but not worth it in my opinion.

 

You will be happy with the climbing in any of these places. It's really the job satisfaction which will make or break the deal.

Edited June 7, 2011 by mneagle

[mccallboater]

Do not rule out Idaho. There is always a need for folks with your skills, plus all your outdoor vices are attended to.

 

Twin Falls, Boise, Idaho Falls and Pocatello all fit the bill. Coeur d'ALene and parts north are too dark and rainy in the winter for my taste, though a sunny day in the Selkirks is hard to beat.

 

For smaller towns, I think McCall is perfect. But when I faced the same question 11 years ago, Invermere, Nelson, Cranbrook, Whitefish, and Sandpoint were contenders. Ketchum would also fit, but it's kind of expensive. Plus the vib there is more East coast than small town Idaho.

[Choada_Boy]

Ask Layton. He's got maps with circles, driving distances, climb grades, time to trail heads, etc, plugged into a super-algorithm for deciding where to live.

[j_b]

Revelstoke if you don't care about being near a big city, otherwise Seattle.

[Kimmo]

Does your profession travel across international borders?

 

If so, Canmore.

[el jefe]

pick colorado, not washington. much longer climbing season with more options. ice and mixed are more available and there are more rock climbing areas as well. cascades alpinism tends to be a long hike for a short climb and shitty weather to boot.

[j_b]

Colorado is too dry, too far from BC

[Hugh Conway]

Does your profession travel across international borders?

 

If so, Canmore.

 

Good luck buying a house there. Work and the people you surround yourself with are the most important. Despite being near Yosemite I can't think of a place in the Central Valley that I'd want to work in Health Care... unless you like violence, meth and heartbreak.

[Lisa_D]

I was in Squamish, BC, the other day and started thinking about how there are miles of mtb trails, Whistler just up the road, amazing climbing, hiking, glaciers, ferries, 2 colleges, access to a world-class city and airport, and islands. It rains a lot, but if your job is satisfying and home is cozy, and you can be happy with mtn biking or trail running in the rain, or heading up to ski, it could work.

 

The problem is getting into Canada. Often, you need an employer to sponsor you. I've heard that, in general, you need to have qualifications that another Canadian can't fill. (I haven't looked into this in-depth, but this is just what I've heard from some friends who got dual citizenship.)

 

Penticton, BC looks pretty good too. Dryer, good cragging, closer to the Bugaboos and the Rockies, big tri scene, lots of mountain biking. And peaches and wine country.