Durango

(Durango Mountain Resort)

Long term ski town living takes more than just access to pow and a few cheap bars. Which is why we think we could settle down in Durango for a while.

By most ski town standards, Durango, Colorado, doesn’t hold up to the dramatic proximity of, say, an Aspen or Telluride, where slopes stare you in the face just leaving the grocery store. But what makes this southwestern town (pop.16,000) so dreamy is what it’s not. There’s no gondola you can catch just outside a sushi joint, but look north, where the 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains form a serrated horizon, where acres upon acres of lift, snowcat, backcounty and heli-accessed skiing provide nearly year-round opportunities. No, Durango is not technically a ski town (unless of course you count city-run Chapman Hill, the in-town double rope tow slope where kids learn to ski under the lights). Rather a mountain-biking, kayaking, rock climbing, fly-fishing, hiking town with nearby access to some of the best skiing in the U.S.

Why? Year-Round Sports Haven

(Durango Mountain Resort)

In most ski towns, if it doesn’t snow, you get a lot of downright depressed people…and businesses. In Durango, if it doesn’t snow, residents aren’t that bothered. Because they’re probably getting a jump start on training for the Iron Horse Classic- one of the largest bikes races held in the United States - a 47 mile, 5,550 feet climb from Durango to Silverton. But when it does snow, skiers point their dirty Subaru’s north to Durango Mountain Resort (DMR).

The little-known secret about DMR is the cat operation based there. San Juan Ski Company serves almost 60 square miles behind the resort, making it North America's second largest snow cat skiing operation, and Colorado’s largest. The lines are endless, and first tracks weeks after it’s snowed are far from scarce. Visiting skiers can get their legs under them at DMR and with San Juan Ski Company before traveling even further north to Silverton. And if those three aren’t enough to wet your whistle, consider the backcountry access and stellar lines found in La Plata Canyon, 10 miles south of Durango, and from Coal Bank and Molas Passes en route to Silverton. But don’t forget your beacon, the San Juan’s are notorious for their avalanche danger.

And life doesn’t end when the snow melts in Durango, either. Run-off spills into the mighty Animas River, which runs from Silverton through the heart of downtown. In spring, Durango’s in-town kayak park boasts multiple features, consistent flows, and a large local contingency. The river offers something as gnarly as a class four plus run from Silverton to town, or the Fort Lewis College classic: a beer-and-inner tube float from one side of town to the other. Hop off the river and a short peddle from town spits you onto over 2,000 miles of mountain bike trails. Either that, or head to X Rock for some sport climbing.

Jobs and Housing

The Classified Section: Job Market ReportThe joke around town is how many jobs people have (I have four). No one lives in Durango to get rich. However, while many ski towns experience “off-seasons” when businesses close, and employees head to Moab to climb, Durango barely skips a beat. From the run of the mill restaurant jobs to larger employers including Mercury Payment Systems (credit card processing), and Mercy Regional Medical Care (a Level III Trauma Center, with a new breast care center) – both generalized and specialized job seekers will find opportunity here.

Raising The Roof: Cost of HousingThe good news is the La Plata County residential real estate market is recovering from the bottom of the market. Real estate sales for the 3rd quarter through September 2011 totaled 528 transactions with a median price of $308,000, according to Bree Adamian, Broker Associate at Coldwell Banker Heritage House Realtors. But it’s still not exactly cheap. Durango homebuyers can expect to drop anywhere from $250,000 to $600,000 for a decent multi-bedroom home in town (or as affordable as $150,000 in Silverton), or pay around $700 month in rent. Hence the multiple, mainly low-paying jobs.

After Hours

As diverse as the outdoor activities are in Durango, the dining and nightlife options are just as varied. The Ore House, a staple since the 1970s, has the best steaks in town, and feature locally raised meat and local produce. Steaks can be done in true southwest style: topped with melted white cheddar and hatch green chilies. For nationally acclaimed Mediterranean cuisine, the Cyprus Café offers seasonal specials—and the warm duck salad is almost as good as a fresh 12 inches.

Beer lovers will find themselves in the land of plenty with several award-winning breweries calling Durango home. The ultimate après snack/beer combo can be found at Steamworks Brewery. The Ignachios, a nacho plate to beat the band, paired with a Backside Stout (Gold Medal, 2010 Great American Beer Festival) will make you reconsider that flight home. While down the road, you can saddle up to the bar at Ska for a signature True Blonde Ale or a Mexican Logger.

For those with legs still ready to boogie down late-night, The Abbey Theatre right in the heart of downtown is Durango’s biggest nightclub, and features a range of live music and movie screenings including ski films. If you’re looking to get a little country, the Wild Horse Saloon durangowildhorsesaloon.com goes big on weekend nights – don’t forget your bolo tie.

Notable Local: Sven Brunso

The story of this ski local starts the same as many but ends a little different. Brunso came to Durango to spend a summer playing in the sun (Durango gets an average of 300 days of sunshine annually), and never left. Encouraged by his dad to follow his dreams of skiing, Brunso has landed on 50 magazine covers (including Skiing), and has globe trotted on the Pro Mogul Tour and later as a Pro Freeskier. Today, in addition to still skiing professional, juggling 20 sponsors, a wife and two kids, he is also the VP of Sales and Marketing at DMR. (Yup, multiple jobs).

“I like the variety of having a great ski hill right up the road, or going another 6 miles up on the pass, plus having an airport here means I can travel easily to ski elsewhere. At DMR we don’t have that ‘powder hour’ where everything get tracked out right away, on a weekday you can ski powder all day and even two days after a storm if you know where to look,” he says.

So no, maybe not a ski town per se, maybe better.

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