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AlWille
Apr 12, 2009, 10:36 PM
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Hello,
My boyfriend and I have been planning on moving to Bend, OR. We visited last September and loved Smith Rock State Park, the feel of the town, the proximity to climbing and the idea of cutting our teeth mountaineering. Unfortunately the UE rate is almost 13% there. I want to live some where with these characteristics but a little more chance of landing a decent job.
So Salt Lake City, Utah caught my interest. From the research I have done it appears there is a lot of climbing close to the city (among a ton of other outdoor activities).
Does anyone have experience in living in both or either of these places? I would really love to hear about learning to mountaineer near Salt Lake City and what the life style is like there.
Thanks!
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rschap
Apr 13, 2009, 2:06 AM
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I can’t help you with Bend but I live in Grand Junction Co, about 4 hours from Salt lick. The climbing out here is great, being in Salt Lick you’ll also be closer to Idaho climbing like city of rocks. There is good mountaineering around here, but I started mountaineering in the Eastern Sierras so I’m a little disappointed with the stuff out here, not bad just different, I miss the 2000ft granite faces.
(This post was edited by rschap on Apr 13, 2009, 2:07 AM)
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caleb_danner
Apr 13, 2009, 2:20 AM
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AlWille wrote: Hello, My boyfriend and I have been planning on moving to Bend, OR. We visited last September and loved Smith Rock State Park, the feel of the town, the proximity to climbing and the idea of cutting our teeth mountaineering. Unfortunately the UE rate is almost 13% there. I want to live some where with these characteristics but a little more chance of landing a decent job. So Salt Lake City, Utah caught my interest. From the research I have done it appears there is a lot of climbing close to the city (among a ton of other outdoor activities). Does anyone have experience in living in both or either of these places? I would really love to hear about learning to mountaineer near Salt Lake City and what the life style is like there. Thanks!
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milesenoell
Apr 13, 2009, 2:37 AM
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I have no idea what sort of social environment you are looking for but Oregon and Utah are near opposite ends of the sociopolitical spectrum. I have lived in Oregon most of my life and look forward to moving back, and while Utah is a great place to visit, Oregon is way better of a place to live (IMHO). Polygamists or pot-heads? The choice is yours.
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geogoddess
Apr 13, 2009, 3:01 AM
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milesenoell wrote: I have no idea what sort of social environment you are looking for but Oregon and Utah are near opposite ends of the sociopolitical spectrum. I have lived in Oregon most of my life and look forward to moving back, and while Utah is a great place to visit, Oregon is way better of a place to live (IMHO). Polygamists or pot-heads? The choice is yours.
??? you should get out more. Personally I run into alot more of the latter, and very, very, very few of the former.
although you may have a point. where else but Utah can you find a town named "Toquerville" located mere miles from the bastion of fundamentalist polygamy (and under-age, forced marriages), Colorado City?
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geogoddess
Apr 13, 2009, 3:22 AM
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It really does depend on how you want to live.
I moved to Utah from California by way of a dinky town in Idaho, Pocatello, where I spent 3 years in graduate school. By the time I got my MS degree, I was forever cured of being able to tolerate the dense California lifestyle. I had to choose between a job in California, one in SL City, and a brief teaching stint in Pokey. That was 17 years ago.
I have been impressed by easy access to superb mtn biking- in pine & aspen forests or sagebrush, you pick; often you ride thru all 3 in one ride. I am 20 minutes to Alta & Snowbird. I can climb on granite, quartzite or limestone, or drive 4 hrs to Zion or Indian Creek and climb spectacular sandstone. City of Rocks is a few hrs away.
The mountaineering is pretty good- you can day hike to moderate granite peaks in the Wasatch, or backpack into high alpine lakes and remote country around Lone Peak or the Uintahs. A little-explored range is a bit farther south- the Tushars. the Wasatch Mtns are not the Sierras- they just aren't that big- but I've been here for 17 years and have not exhausted my possibilities for outings. When you need to branch out, jackson Hole, The Wind Rivers, and the Ruby Mtns all deserve some of your time.
The Utah economy is weathering this downturn pretty well. We have a solid economic base and a well-educated workforce.
It does feel more like a bigger city here, now than it used to. I find smaller towns more alluring as well, but the fact is, I need a reasonable cost of living and a steady source of work.
There is a big outdoor population here, but our best-kept secret is that some 1/2 of the populace couldn't care less about going into the mountains. So it does kind of thin the crowds out a bit. You get the benefits of a bigger city with unlimited open space out your back door.
You are jsut going to have to visit both places, and decide. Remember that sometimes, where you are is just a stepping stone to where you are supposed to be. When I left Pocatello, I did move back to California. Waiting at endless traffic lights made me realize that I needed much, much more open space. Fortunately, the company I worked for offered to transfer me to Salt Lake City. I have been here ever since- happily.
i do dream of moving to Revelstoke, though :)
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poedoe
Apr 13, 2009, 3:36 AM
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Ok I'll bite.
SLC has a lifetime of climbing in the immediate area from trad to sport to bouldering or alpine climbing on beautifull granite, limestone, quartzite, ect. Have to work at 10 AM and want to go work your 5.10/5.13 trad or sport climb, or maybe it's your v10 boulder problem, before you go to work? It's possible there. However I would not consider SLC to be a 'destination' area for road tripping. Now in addition to the abunance of rock in the immediate area you have areas such as city of rocks, moab, Zion, Joshua tree (it's a stretch I know), red rocks, and most importantly Indian Creek (a one of a kind area, need I say more). You'll also have more options to climb year long due to the close proximity to the desert.
You can also find non-climbing pursuits in Utah as well. Now on to my rebuke of one of the previous responses mentioning potheads and poligomy. I believe this is an ignorant response to the mormon population. While it is true that there is a high mormon population in SLC, you will find it easy to satisfy your desires to buy 'the dank', yes it is difficult to buy schwag in SLC. And if you're looking for more, well, surprise surprise anything else is easy to find as well.
Ive never been to Oregon and have spend a lot of time in Utah and the surrounding areas (I live in St George these days) and find I just don't have enought time to climb as much of the amazing rock around because there are just to many fantastic places to go.
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ptrendler
Apr 13, 2009, 4:13 AM
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i've been living in bend for the last five years. i dig it. today i started out with a trail run, went to work, and still had time to go to one of my favorite bouldering spots in this area. i finished off the day by grabbing a hop henge from deschutes brewery.
i feel feel however that utah definitely has bend beat when it comes to the variety of rock types. it is mostly basalt around here, with the exception of the ash tuff at smith. where as utah has the full gamut of rock. but if you like a good beer, oregon is king. and to reply to the herb reponses from above, i didn't smoke schwag in utah, but comparing it to oregon...let's just say i'm happy to be here.
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builttospill
Apr 13, 2009, 7:17 AM
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The mormon situation is not nearly as stifling in Salt Lake as one may think. Avoid Utah County (the county to the south) and you'll be fine. Salt Lake itself becoming more cosmopolitan each year, but the outdoor opportunities stay excellent.
The Winds and Tetons being so close make it better than California in my view, and certainly superior to Bend if you want to get into mountaineering.
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AlWille
Apr 13, 2009, 12:18 PM
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Thank you so much. Your post is packed with stuff I wanted to know:) We've already checked out OR first hand. I think we'll most likely head to SLC/Ogden in June to check it out.
I am going to have to look up where Revelstoke is;)
Do you know if the Ice Tower in Ogden been completed?
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AlWille
Apr 13, 2009, 12:33 PM
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Thanks for your reply. I appreciate all the info I can get before I decide to fly out there and check it out myself :)
Any opinions on Ogden?
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shockabuku
Apr 13, 2009, 1:06 PM
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How's the air pollution in SLC?
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brownie710
Apr 13, 2009, 1:33 PM
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Having lived in OR and reports of friends,etc who have lived in SLC I would recommend OR. I would suggest you psuedo-move by spending a week or two in each place going through the motions of looking for a place, inquiring about clubs, jobs,etc to really get a flavor for what it would be like. My wife and I have done this in the past and it highlight the difference and takes you to parts of the city you would not see while vacationing
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krusher4
Apr 13, 2009, 1:45 PM
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shockabuku wrote: How's the air pollution in SLC?
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AlWille
Apr 13, 2009, 4:16 PM
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Good suggestions. Did it in Bend already...
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atg200
Apr 13, 2009, 5:59 PM
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The air pollution in SLC isn't all that bad - it looks much worse than it is because high pressure traps clouds in the valleys. The inversions can be really depressing in the winter, but they are easy enough to escape by just going up a thousand feet or so. I ended up moving to Park City at the end of my stay in Utah in part to escape the inversions. Bend will have SLC completely beat on air quality though.
There are also essentially no traffic issues in SLC - that is a really puzzling comment from someone living on the front range. Salt Lake has the fewest traffic problems of any city of that size i have ever been in.
I really like both Bend and SLC - you really can't go wrong in either place. For me, access to skiing and the desert are really important so Utah has the edge. I could very happily live in Bend, Hood River, or Portland though.
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wilcox510
Apr 13, 2009, 6:47 PM
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I've been in SLC for 4 years. The Mormon thing isn't really an issue. Every Mormon I know is very nice, and none have ever tried to convert me or told me I'm going to hell because I'm not Mormon (can't say the same about many Christians I know...). Some people I know are worried about having their children in schools where there seems to be a lot of Mormon influence, I can't really comment on that yet. Depending on where you live and work, there can be some traffic issues , but they are nothing compared to around Boulder and Denver (where I have also lived).
We have somewhat frequent inversions when the air quality is bad, really bad, as in worst in the nation for a few days at a time. The majority of the time the air quality is not a big issue.
Lots of good climbing right here, not as good as climbig around Boulder for example, but pretty good. Lots of close road trip options. Probably the second best skiing in the country (after Jackson).
It is a city and we struggle with that. But considering the availability of good jobs, affordable housing, and proximity to all sorts of recreation its a pretty good location. Never been to Bend, so I can't really compare.
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shockabuku
Apr 13, 2009, 6:49 PM
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atg200 wrote: The air pollution in SLC isn't all that bad - it looks much worse than it is...
Not sure what you mean by that. How is it not as bad as it looks?
My experience with it is very minor. I spent 3 days in SLC in January and the air quality definitely effected my entire family; coughing, sinus issues, etc. It looked bad and the effect was bad.
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geogoddess
Apr 13, 2009, 10:31 PM
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AIWillie - Glad my post helped.
We really only have 2 bad inversion periods per year. The inversion thing can last up to 2 weeks. If you are unlucky to be visiting during one of them, and you're not staying up in the canyons, it could be pretty alarming. January is one of the worst, as we typically have a no-snow lull during January and it can get pretty depressing, because... well, there is no fresh pow  . (We usually have at least one epic storm cycle in December, so a lull in January feels like a huge let-down). I live at the very edge of the valley so for about the 1st half I watch it creep across the valley... then when it migrates over to my neighborhood, I try to spend a few days in Park City on the skate track (did I mention XC skiing is well represented, we have a local Nordic group, TUNA). This is also a great time to go ice climbing: Maple Cyn, Ogden, Provo Cyn, Joe's Valley....
Would the inversions make me leave SLC? Not by a long shot.
They just don't last that long, but on the other hand, I live & work above most of the dank when its here.
The ice tower in Ogden is not completed, they are looking for additional funding.
Reportedly there is a Via Ferrata up in the mtns above there, also but I have never been up to it. You know, the Lowe bros grew up around there and they didn't fare too badly....
Interesting you mention Ogden, it has become somewhat of a hot-bed for outdoor recreation and manufacturing companies. They love the workforce, recreational opportunities for their staff, cost of living, cost of supplies, shipping'/rail lines, etc. Park City it aint' but Ogden has brew pubs, clubs, and a few hip restaurants.
In response to someone's comment about a dearth of bars in SLC- huh?
All the places below will be packed on Th-Friday-Sat pm: (If you want to go clubbing on a Tuesday night, consider moving to New York).
The Bayou is a favorite. Urban Lounge, The Depot, USANA amphitheater, Kingsbury Hall and Red Butte Gardens all bring in frequent and high-quality live music. I can't afford to go see all the live concerts I'd like to.
And, the one thing that has brightened my day, every single day since I moved here, is our much-loved public radio station KRCL. This is hands-down the best radio station I have ever listened to (KFAT being a close 2nd). They keep my socks rockin'. RADIO FREE UTAH, baby!
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milesenoell
Apr 13, 2009, 11:27 PM
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OK, it seems I need to qualify my remark earlier about Polygamists and Pot-heads. Oregon is well-known for being tolerant of herb, and has a great medical marijuana program ( ), and several colleges and universities to maintain a large population of students and hippies BUT, BUT, BUT, that's only the side that everyone seems to talk about. Oregon has a large (nearly 50%) conservative population, with most of the liberals living west of the Cascades, and most of the conservatives living east of the Cascades (Bend being east of the Cascades). My experiences in Utah have all been fantastic, but then I was always outside where like-minded folks are plentiful, not living there and interacting with the city dwellers. Mormons may follow a faith I think is far-fetched but I group them with every other organized religion.
Oregon is not really populated with significantly more pot-heads than anywhere else I've been (other than China) and Mormons don't dominate the social scenes I've encountered in Utah, but they are the mascots of our communities. Sorry if anybody thought I was slamming them, it was supposed to be a joke.
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gosharks
Apr 14, 2009, 12:09 AM
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krusher4 wrote: .The Air Pollution in SLC is really bad, traffic is also really bad, its not a large area and there are just too many people.
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Khoi
Apr 14, 2009, 1:13 AM
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milesenoell wrote: Oregon has a large (nearly 50%) conservative population, with most of the liberals living west of the Cascades, and most of the conservatives living east of the Cascades (Bend being east of the Cascades).
True, but I found Bend to be a relatively liberal oasis in the conservative lands east of the Cascades. The cultural climate of Bend is in stark contrast to the areas 40ish miles north where the local radio stations were talking about how Obama is the Anti-Chrst.
(This post was edited by Khoi on Apr 14, 2009, 1:15 AM)
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altelis
Apr 15, 2009, 2:52 AM
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What's interesting to me is that if you do this:
Khoi wrote: True, but I found Salt Lake City Bend to be a relatively liberal oasis in the conservative lands east of the Cascades. The cultural climate of SLC Bend is in stark contrast to the areas 40ish miles south north where the local radio stations were talking about how Obama is the Anti-Chrst.
It holds equally true.....coincidence?
Probably. But interesting none the less.
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atg200
Apr 15, 2009, 11:09 AM
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shockabuku wrote: atg200 wrote: The air pollution in SLC isn't all that bad - it looks much worse than it is... Not sure what you mean by that. How is it not as bad as it looks? My experience with it is very minor. I spent 3 days in SLC in January and the air quality definitely effected my entire family; coughing, sinus issues, etc. It looked bad and the effect was bad.
The inversions look horrible - like LA on a bad day bad - but they are mostly just clouds trapped by high pressure between mountain ranges. This is not to say that there isn't pollution and the high pressure does trap vehicle and industrial emissions too, but you see the same inversions up in the cache valley that doesn't have the population and industry that SLC has. Denver has similar inversions, but the effects aren't as pronounced because it dissipates more easily since Denver isn't ringed by mountains. I always tried to limit my time outside in town during the inversions, but the nice thing is within 20 minutes you can be completely above them if you head up any of the canyons.
SLC has plenty of pollution, but it is similar to or maybe slightly worse than other equivalently sized car-centric cities. Bend is going to be much nicer than SLC in that respect, but Bend is also an isolated small town so they aren't really comparable.
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sspssp
Apr 15, 2009, 6:05 PM
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milesenoell wrote: Oregon is not really populated with significantly more pot-heads than anywhere else I've been (other than China) and Mormons don't dominate the social scenes I've encountered in Utah, but they are the mascots of our communities. Sorry if anybody thought I was slamming them, it was supposed to be a joke.
The Mormons are reasonably laid back concerning the non-Mormons (they don't drink but they sure don't mind owning resturants that sell beer...).
But even given that both Bend and SLC are going to have their share of pot-heads, I would sure rather get busted for pot in Oregon than Utah (the laws and how they are applied vary a lot between the liberal coast and the conservative basin range).
I can't speak to the mountaineering, but for rock climbing only, I would choose Utah. Longer climbing season with more options at different elevations etc. Plenty of overhanging sport. Indian Creek within a [fairly reasonable] weekend drive distance.
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