Often times on vacation, after a few days in paradise it’s hard to imagine ever going back to your everyday life. Most people enjoy the beach or the mountains for a week and then head back to the real world. However, there are some of us out there that just couldn’t give up the ski town life. Living in a mountain paradise like Breckenridge seems like bliss; snow days get us out of bed early to hit the slopes and the warmer months bring endless amounts of summer activities. We’re stuck in some sort of heaven on earth and we’re just trying to breathe in each moment while we can.
You will find people in Colorado’s ski towns from all over the world with the same taste for adventure. Old and young come to explore every nook and cranny of the back country. A good amount of late teens make their way to an array of ski towns after high school to either spend their winter season working as a lifty to get a free pass, or to attend one of the many branches of Colorado Mountain College scattered throughout the Rockies. The turnover of mountain town residents is insane, with some just staying a few months for the winter season and others planting themselves for a handful years to embrace the good life.
Ski Town Pros
You live in a breathtaking utopia with Mother Nature’s greatest playground right out your back door. There are plenty of people with the same hobbies and interests as you, so you’re bound to meet some lifelong friends no matter how long you decide to stick around. Another pro is bragging rights, of course. You live where others vacation… how could you complain? Not to mention the fresh morning tracks on powder days when everyone is stuck in traffic on i70 and you can just hop right from the bus onto the gondola.
Ski Town Cons
First things first: living in the mountains is EXPENSIVE. Everything from housing to groceries is much more costly than anywhere on Colorado’s front range. Most jobs you find are working in the tourist or outdoor industry, and the spring and fall mud seasons are a rough time for the majority of laborers. Half of the employers shut down for a month during those dead times between peak seasons, so you either have to be great at money management or have a backup plan if you are hoping to stay in town year round. Breckenridge is known to be one of the colder ski towns in Colorado’s Rockies, hence it’s nickname: Breckenfridge. Subzero temps and a large workload may scare some off from the ski town life, but to us it’s all worth it.
No matter why you end up a ski townie (or ski bum), it’s hard to go wrong. Breckenridge, along with all the other ski towns in Colorado, are incredible places to live. With nearly every outdoor activity imaginable in the area as well as events and festivals to accentuate their small mountain town vibes, it’s hard to not feel right at home from the second you arrive.
