Colorado 101: Rocky Mountains, Weed Legalization, and Outdoor Lifestyle

Geography and Climate: Rocky Mountains, High Altitude, 300 Days Sun

Understanding Colorado's landscape:

Size and elevation:

Eighth largest state:

• 104,000 square miles
• Population: 5.8 million (21st—growing rapidly)
• Highest average elevation U.S.: 6,800 ft (mile-high state)
• 58 peaks over 14,000 ft ("fourteeners"—climbers' bucket list)
• 36% public land (national forests, parks, BLM)

Three regions:

Front Range (urban corridor—85% population):

• Cities: Denver (3 million metro), Colorado Springs (750K), Fort Collins (350K)
• Geography: Eastern edge of Rockies, high plains
• Elevation: 5,000-6,500 ft (Denver 5,280 ft—"Mile High City")
• Economy: Tech, aerospace, healthcare, cannabis, outdoor industry
• Vibe: Urban sprawl, traffic, expensive, active lifestyle

Rocky Mountains (ski country):

• Towns: Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Telluride, Steamboat
• Geography: Continental Divide, alpine peaks, ski resorts
• Elevation: 8,000-14,000 ft
• Economy: Tourism (skiing, hiking), hospitality, construction
• Vibe: Wealthy resort towns, ski bums, seasonal workers

Western Slope (rural):

• Cities: Grand Junction (65K), Durango (19K)
• Geography: High desert, canyons, mesas
• Elevation: 4,500-7,500 ft
• Economy: Agriculture, energy (oil, gas, coal), tourism
• Vibe: Conservative, rural, affordable (relatively)

Climate (high altitude = unique):

Denver:

• Summer: 85-95°F (hot days, cool nights—60°F)
• Winter: 30-50°F (mild days, cold nights—15°F)
• Snow: 60 inches/year (but melts fast—intense sun)
• Sunshine: 300 days/year (more than San Diego, Miami)
• Low humidity: 30-40% (dry—chapstick essential)

Key features:

• Temperature swings: 40°F difference day to night (80°F afternoon, 40°F midnight)
• Rapid weather changes: 70°F sunny, then blizzard 2 hours later
• Intense sun: UV rays stronger at altitude (sunburn in 15 minutes, sunscreen essential)

Mountains:

• Colder (10-15°F cooler per 1,000 ft elevation)
• Snow: 300-500 inches/year ski resorts (world-class powder)
• Summer: 60-75°F (perfect hiking weather)

Altitude effects (real):

• First 2-4 weeks: Headaches, nausea, exhaustion, insomnia
• Solution: Hydrate (2× normal water), limit alcohol, rest
• Permanent: Breathless climbing stairs (less oxygen—body adjusts 3-6 months)
• Cooking: Water boils 203°F (not 212°F—pasta takes longer)

Natural disasters:

• Wildfires: Annual (dry forests, lightning, human-caused)
• Flash floods: Monsoons (mountain runoff, dry washes)
• Blizzards: Winter (I-70 closures—stranded skiers)
• Avalanches: Backcountry (60+ deaths yearly—dangerous)

Housing Crisis: California Transplants and Skyrocketing Prices

The affordability collapse:

Home prices:

Denver metro:

• Median: $625,000 (up from $400,000 in 2019—56% increase)
• Neighborhoods:
  • Capitol Hill, RiNo (River North Art District): $700,000-900,000
  • Highlands, Wash Park: $750,000-1 million
  • Suburbs (Aurora, Arvada, Thornton): $550,000-650,000

Boulder:

• Median: $850,000 (college town, liberal, expensive)
• Near Denver (30 miles), CU Boulder, tech hub
• Trust-fund college students, wealthy retirees, tech workers

Colorado Springs:

• Median: $475,000 (most affordable Front Range city)
• Conservative (military—Air Force Academy, bases)
• Growing fast (Denver refugees seeking affordability)

Mountain towns:

• Aspen: $5-10 million+ (billionaire playground)
• Vail, Telluride: $2-5 million (millionaire towns)
• Breckenridge, Steamboat: $800K-1.5 million (resort workers can't afford—commute 60+ miles)

Rent:

• Denver 1-bedroom: $1,800-2,300
• Boulder: $2,000-2,500
• Colorado Springs: $1,500-1,800

Who's moving here?

Californians (40% of transplants):

• Sell Bay Area home $1.5 million → buy Denver $625,000 cash
• Pocket $875,000
• Keep tech job remote ($150,000+ salaries)
• Drive up prices (locals can't compete)

Result:

• "Don't California My Colorado" (bumper stickers, resentment)
• Traffic worsens (CA driving habits—aggressive)
• Culture shifts (hustle mentality vs laid-back ski-bum ethos)

But:

• Californians fund economy (tax revenue, spending)
• Tech jobs created (companies follow talent)
• Double-edged sword

Local resentment:

Old Colorado:

• Affordable (ski bums worked winter, lived cheap, skied 100 days)
• Chill (nobody cared about career—outdoors > ambition)
• Community (knew neighbors, lifelong friendships)

New Colorado:

• Expensive (ski bums priced out, move to Montana, Wyoming)
• Hustle (tech bros optimize everything—Strava stats, gear flexing)
• Transient (people move for job, leave after 3-5 years—no roots)

Locals lament: "Colorado isn't Colorado anymore—it's California-lite"

Outdoor Recreation: The Reason Everyone Moves Here

Unmatched access:

Skiing and snowboarding:

World-class resorts (28 total):

• Vail: Largest ski area U.S. (5,300 acres)
• Aspen: Four mountains (Snowmass, Highlands, Buttermilk, Ajax), celebrities, wealthy
• Breckenridge: Highest lift North America (13,000 ft), accessible (90 min Denver)
• Steamboat: "Champagne powder" (dry, light), less crowded
• Telluride: Remote, stunning, expert terrain

Costs:

• Epic Pass (Vail Resorts): $900-1,000 (Vail, Breck, Keystone, Crested Butte)
• Ikon Pass (Alterra): $1,200-1,400 (Aspen, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper)
• Day tickets: $200-250 (without pass—prohibitive)

Reality:

• Crowded (I-70 parking lot weekends, 3-hour drive becomes 6 hours)
• Expensive (lift tickets, lodging, food, gear)
• Pass required (skiing 10+ days/year to break even—otherwise unaffordable)

Hiking and climbing:

Fourteeners (58 peaks over 14,000 ft):

• Bucket list (Coloradans climb all 58—badge of honor)
• Easiest: Quandary Peak, Mt. Bierstadt (beginner-friendly)
• Hardest: Capitol Peak, Little Bear (technical, dangerous)

Trails everywhere:

• Rocky Mountain National Park (415 square miles, alpine lakes, wildlife)
• Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs—red rock formations, free)
• Maroon Bells (Aspen—most photographed peaks U.S.)

Rock climbing:

• Eldorado Canyon (Boulder—world-class trad climbing)
• Clear Creek Canyon (sport climbing)

Mountain biking:

Trails:

• Crested Butte (mountain biking birthplace—1970s)
• Fruita (desert slickrock, technical)
• Winter Park (lift-accessed downhill)

Camping and backpacking:

Wilderness areas:

• Indian Peaks, Maroon Bells-Snowmass, Weminuche
• Backcountry camping (free, permits required some areas)

The lifestyle:

Active culture:

• Lowest obesity rate U.S. (23% vs national 42%)
• Everyone hikes, bikes, skis, climbs (peer pressure to be fit)
• Outdoor gear addiction (REI Colorado's spiritual home—6 stores Denver metro)
• Dogs everywhere (most dog-friendly state—trails, breweries, offices)

Cannabis Legalization: First State to Legalize (2012)

The experiment:

How it works:

Legal since 2014:

• Adults 21+ buy recreational (dispensaries everywhere—3× more dispensaries than Starbucks Denver)
• Possession: 1 oz legal
• Growing: 6 plants/person (12 per household)

Tax revenue:

• $423 million (2022—funds schools, infrastructure)

Culture:

Normalized:

• Not taboo (smoke openly parks, concerts—but not driving, public buildings)
• Tourists (cannabis tourism—$600 million industry)
• Edibles popular (gummies, chocolates—10mg THC standard)

But:

• Not everyone partakes (50% never use—myth that everyone smokes)
• Driving under influence illegal (DUI laws apply)

Downsides:

Black market persists:

• High taxes (15% excise + 15% sales = 30% total)
• Cheaper buying illegally (still exists)

Youth use:

• Teen use flat (didn't increase as feared—but didn't decrease)

Homeless issues:

• Some argue cannabis attracts homeless (correlation, not causation—affordable housing bigger factor)

Jobs and Economy: Tech, Aerospace, Cannabis, Outdoor Industry

Diversified economy:

Tech (growing "Silicon Mountain"):

Companies:

• Google (Boulder—1,500 employees)
• Amazon (Denver—warehouses, tech)
• Startups (Guild Education, Ibotta, SendGrid)

Salaries:

• Software engineer: $120,000-180,000 (lower than Bay Area $200-350K, but housing cheaper)

Aerospace:

Companies:

• Lockheed Martin (Denver—7,000 employees, space systems)
• Ball Aerospace (Boulder—satellites)
• United Launch Alliance (rockets)

Why Colorado?

• High altitude (easier launching)
• Military bases (Air Force Academy, Schriever, Peterson, Buckley)

Salaries:

• Engineers: $80,000-140,000

Cannabis industry:

Jobs:

• Budtenders: $30,000-40,000 + tips
• Growers: $40,000-60,000
• Chemists (testing labs): $50,000-80,000

Business opportunities:

• Dispensaries, edibles, grow operations
• Competitive (saturated market—profit margins shrinking)

Outdoor industry:

Headquarters:

• VF Corp (North Face, Vans—Broomfield)
• Black Diamond, Big Agnes (climbing, camping gear)

Why Colorado?

• Testing grounds (mountains nearby—R&D)
• Lifestyle (attracts outdoor enthusiasts—employees)

Tourism:

Revenue: $24 billion/year

• Skiing, hiking, cannabis tourism
• Jobs: $35,000-55,000 (hospitality, guides)

Income:

Median household: $85,000 (above national $75,000)

• But housing costs 30-50% higher (so relative purchasing power lower)

Politics: Purple State, Urban vs. Rural Divide

Colorado's political identity:

Swing state (trending blue):

Recent elections:

• 2020: Biden +13.5%
• 2024: Harris +8.5%
• Governor, both senators Democrat

Why blue shift?

• Urban growth (Denver, Boulder progressive)
• Transplants (California, Seattle—liberal)
• Young educated (millennials, Gen Z)

But:

• Rural areas deep red (Western Slope, Eastern Plains)
• Colorado Springs conservative (military, evangelicals)

Issues:

Water:

• Colorado River overallocated (7 states share, drought severe)
• Denver gets 50% water from snowpack (climate change threatens)

Environment:

• Renewable energy (37% electricity from renewables—wind, solar)
• Oil and gas (Western Slope—fracking controversial)

Guns:

• Red flag law (2019—remove guns from dangerous individuals)
• Divided (urban support, rural oppose)

Mountain Town Worker Crisis

The ugly secret:

Resort workers can't afford living where they work:

Example: Vail

• Median home: $2 million
• Worker wages: $15-20/hour (lift operators, servers, housekeepers)
• Can't afford rent ($2,500+ one-bedroom)

Solution:

• Commute 60-90 minutes (live Leadville, Rifle—cheaper towns)
• Staff housing (employer-provided dorms—limited, waitlists)
• Live in vans, RVs (parking lot dwelling—common)

Result:

• Worker shortage (resorts can't staff fully)
• Service quality declines (undertrained, overworked staff)
• Locals resentful (wealthy tourists, struggling workers)

Traffic and I-70 Nightmare

The price of popularity:

I-70 (ski traffic):

Problem:

• Only highway to mountains (Eisenhower Tunnel—bottleneck)
• Weekends: 6-hour drives (normally 90 minutes Denver to Vail)
• Accidents close tunnel (stranded hours)

Solutions proposed:

• Train (decades debated, never built—too expensive)
• Tolls (dynamic pricing discourage driving—unpopular)
• Carpooling (HOV lanes—underutilized)

Reality: No solution—traffic worsens yearly

Denver metro:

I-25, I-70, I-225:

• Congested rush hour (90-minute commutes common)
• Public transit: RTD light rail (limited coverage, slow)
• Car-dependent (suburbs sprawl, no walkability)

Colorado offers outdoor-paradise 58-fourteeners hiking Rocky-Mountain-National-Park Garden-of-the-Gods, world-class-skiing 28-resorts Vail-Aspen-Breckenridge 300-500-inches-snow Epic-Ikon-passes $900-1,400 I-70-traffic-nightmare 6-hour-drives-weekends Eisenhower-Tunnel-bottleneck, legal-cannabis-2012 normalized-culture dispensaries-everywhere 3× Starbucks $423M-tax-revenue funding-schools, active-lifestyle lowest-obesity-23% everyone-hikes-bikes-skis-climbs outdoor-gear-addiction REI-spiritual-home dogs-everywhere but housing-crisis Denver-$625K up-56% from-$400K-2019 California-transplants driving-prices sell-Bay-Area-$1.5M buy-Denver-$625K-cash pocket-$875K locals-priced-out "Don't-California-My-Colorado" resentment ski-bums-can't-afford mountain-towns Vail-$2M median-home workers-$15-20-hour commute-60-90-minutes staff-housing-dorms van-dwelling-parking-lots worker-shortage service-quality-declines. Altitude-effects 5,280-ft-Denver 6,800-ft-average headaches-nausea-exhaustion first-2-4-weeks hydrate-2×-normal limit-alcohol breathless-stairs-3-6-months-adjustment intense-sun-UV-rays-stronger sunburn-15-minutes-sunscreen-essential. Traffic-I-25-congested 90-minute-commutes RTD-light-rail-limited car-dependent-sprawl, tech-jobs Silicon-Mountain Google-Boulder Amazon-Denver salaries-$120-180K aerospace-Lockheed-Ball-United-Launch-Alliance $80-140K engineers cannabis-industry-$30-60K outdoor-industry-VF-Corp-Black-Diamond, median-income-$85K above-national but housing-30-50%-higher relative-purchasing-power-lower. Purple-state trending-blue Biden-13.5% urban-Denver-Boulder-progressive transplants-California-Seattle-liberal versus rural-Western-Slope-deep-red Colorado-Springs-conservative-military water-scarcity Colorado-River-overallocated snowpack-climate-change-threatens determining old-Colorado affordable laid-back ski-bum-culture vanished new-Colorado expensive transient tech-bro-hustle requiring strategic-timing location-choices realistic-budgeting accessing dream paradise-discovered-becomes-overcrowded growth-strains-trails-resorts-infrastructure accepting-trade-offs-justifies unmatched-natural-beauty active-community outdoor-access.