Too Many Tourists In Colorado

[TahoeJ]

Dude, really, Victor? How the fuck do you make a living in Victor? That's my point.

What fucking year do you think it is, dumbass? Ever heard of telecommuting? There are a LOT of jobs like this nowadays and more every year. I can live anywhere I want so long as I have an internet connection... and I'm hardly unique in that sense.

Also, Benny, fire fighters / EMS make a lot more than you seem to think, especially when you factor in long overtime stretches fighting fires getting paid around the clock while working 24 on / 24 off shifts.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Hey, let's get this down to numbers, ok, because, ultimately, it's the numbers. How much did this awesome fire fighting gig pay? What was you top salary? How many years?
Wife work? How much did, does, she make. How long?

Your gig is wearing me down. I told you I'd give you the specifics and I got my tax return right here.

In 2015 my S corp's income including compensation of officers (me) was $60K. My wife's W2 income is around $50K working for the County. She works 32hrs (4 days) a week and has about 30 paid days off. I work about an average of 50hrs a week. In 2016 I have taken one 4week vacation to the Grand Canyon and am about to talk a 2.5week road trip. I ride my bike/fish/kayak about 2x week. I only miss powder days when I have work deadlines.

We max out her immediately vested 401K match at 4%. I get on the County insurance at $190/mo. Our only debt is our mortgage at $1,500/mo. inclusive of tax, insurance, HOA etc. We live is a too big too nice 3bd.,3ba., 15mins from the ski area.

I've got a bachelor's I paid for and a masters my employer paid for when I lived in Denver. I busted my ass for 5 years playing the game and hating it. I got a little financial security, a house I still own that is a nice rental property and a realization that the city life ain't for me.

So here I am, mid 40s living comfortably in the mountains having earned everything I got. Any other questions?

[hatchgreenchile]

guys out west living the dream:

The dream is living man....

[Foggy_Goggles]

I thought this was a thread about dealing with tourism in mountain towns? Now it's about Benny justifying east coast city life, of which there are exactly 1,000 threads on TGR already. Pity, because the original conversation was interesting.

Honestly, it is kinda related. I think that the misconceptions about who "we" are feed into this whole cycle of development and tourism with little benefit to the true community. I think if the residents of the tourist towns did a better job communicating the pride we have in our communities and that we are just regular people living pretty regular lives, I think the visitors would have a little better respect and understanding of the concept that this pretty little valley is actually someones home.

[Benny Profane]

Numbers, numbers. Money taks, bullshit walks.

[Meadow Skipper]

Dude, really, Victor? How the fuck do you make a living in Victor? That's my point.

Work for the forest service or the county, construction, guide, open a law office, drive across the pass and work in a business in JH…etc.

Edit to bring it back on-topic: sell shit to tourists, open a restaurant for them.

The point is that you're ignorant of the large segment of mountain towns that is working class/middle class. We're middle class and made it work. Lots and lots of people do, and most importantly you don't know shit.

[Benny Profane]

I still don't see any numbers.

Open a restaurant. You're now officially retarted, asshole.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Numbers, numbers. Money taks, bullshit walks.

They are up there ^^^ guy. I'm usually not real defensive, but you hit a nerve when you look at what I got and think I grew up with a silverspoon. My circle of friends is full of some of the most genuine, hardworking regular folk you'd ever meet.

You asked an honest question about how people in the mountains make it work. I gave you the numbers you requested. Are you going to process that information or are you just going to come up with some other BS misconception about what society in a mountain town is?

Put up or shut up!

[Lindahl]

Open a restaurant. You're now officially retarted, asshole.

While I don't agree with Benny, this one is true. Like working in the ski industry, the best way to get a small fortune in restaurants is to start with a large one.

By the way Benny, I'll be able to move to the mountains full time somewhere around 40 (when I have kids). Telecommute for the win. Would've done it sooner but the non-telecommute work is just too fun to pass up and worth the commute to ski (~none to bike) when paired with city interests that one takes advantage of without kids. I'm solidly in the 6 figures and will drop to the low 6 figures when I move. Sounds like you have a business degree though. Bad degree/career choices = hamstrung to city life.

[Benny Profane]

They are up there ^^^ guy. I'm usually not real defensive, but you hit a nerve when you look at what I got and think I grew up with a silverspoon. My circle of friends is full of some of the most genuine, hardworking regular folk you'd ever meet.

You asked an honest question about how people in the mountains make it work. I gave you the numbers you requested. Are you going to process that information or are you just going to come up with some other BS misconception about what society in a mountain town is?

Put up or shut up!

Nor you man. You have a biz. I want to hear Skippy's numbers.

[Meadow Skipper]

While I don't agree with Benny, this one is true. Like working in the ski industry, the best way to get a small fortune in restaurants is to start with a large one.

There are restaurants here making pretty fair bank, at least judging by their longevity (20 years or more), especially the ones catering to tourists.

[zartagen]

Numbers, numbers. Money taks, bullshit walks.

Then shut up and walk, Benny.

[Meadow Skipper]

Nor you man. You have a biz. I want to hear Skippy's numbers.

I gave you enough to know my numbers - go look up GS scale wages, fuckface. Don't forget to factor in overtime.

[Benny Profane]

Blah fucking blah. Living the dream indeed. You should write for Outside. Such bullshit.

Seasonal fire work. Right.

[Meadow Skipper]

So fucking weak.

Blah fucking blah. Living the dream indeed. You should write for Outside. Such bullshit.

Certainly you can see the irony here, right?

Seasonal fire work. Right.

Again, your ignorance is appalling. Besides my mentioning that I got into management, do you know of any double-digit GS that are seasonal?

Consider saving some face by shutting the fuck up.

[Meadow Skipper]

Govt jobs are getting more and more attractive as benefits erode elsewhere. Even with hindsight you got a nice setup, congrats.

I know, thanks. I landed on my ass in butter.

[Sirshredalot]

Govt jobs are getting more and more attractive as benefits erode elsewhere. Even with hindsight you got a nice setup, congrats.

Unfortunately, federal salaries have gone downhill. Getting in now and getting a 1% raise every other year in a 2% inflation environment is going to leave you eating cat food by the time you retire. That's why I left.

[PNWbrit]

Blah fucking blah. Living the dream indeed. You should write for Outside. Such bullshit.

He's like the AARP grinch.

[AdironRider]

I run a manufacturing company that does about 1.25 mil in revenue a year. My wife is middle management at the ski corp. We just barely cleared 6 figures last year.

My best friend here is an electrician. Makes about 27.50 an hour.

I have several accountant buds, all on salary, making between 40 and 150k a year, with the CPA's being on the higher end. Maybe even higher than that

We all live in Victor, our commutes are 25 to 45 minutes each way. Yes over the pass. No it is not hard.

Benny seems to think on the East Coast you make 100k+ guaranteed. I don't think the majority of EC guys are doing much better in reality. Maybe 5-10k difference IME on average (early 30's cohorts of mine). They spend the difference driving to mountains (or the beach), where I live here already.

Everyone starts out doing bullshit jobs, mountain town or not. Just like in the city, the ones who work hardest, and are the most motivated, make it work and live the dream. Plenty settle for a decent full time gig with enough to get by. Plenty are drunk 20 somethings. I see no difference between mountain town USA and regular USA in terms of demographics. People are just doing accounting for hotels opposed to pharmaceutical companies.

[summit]

And my insurance is better than yours.

Oh man.... oh MAN! Them's fightin words!

[doebedoe]

I for one am glad that for every Meadow Skipper making it work in the mountains, there are 1000 Benny's on the East coast who can't prioritize their shit, or have the balls to move west and live what they claim are fool-hearted dreams. Else we'd not just have a tourist problem, but an overcrowded mountain-town problem.

[doebedoe]

While I don't agree with Benny, this one is true. Like working in the ski industry, the best way to get a small fortune in restaurants is to start with a large one...

The problem isn't just the industry. The problem is everyone and their mom thinks they would be good at it and many of those people have a go at it. If you've got the money to start, no-one is telling you you cant. Hence you see a ton of failures. The good ones make ample money. But they work way harder than 95% of the ski industry and they are talented.

[summit]

It is honestly not that hard for DINK to make 80-100K with a few years positioning, hard work, and some skills/edu. They do well in the high country living dang close (Dillon, Basalt, Fraser) to the hill. It's only truly tough if you are trying to live in Aspen/Breck/etc.

The people I am most impressed with are the couples who still live it up with 2 kids without having to move to a bedroom community like Alma, Kremmling, Gypsum, or Silt.
Now that is hard to do.

There is a high country middle class, it is just much smaller than in the cities because high country middle class requires more money and there are fewer opportunities. But it exists.

I always said, if you want to do OK up here, stop drinking every night, don't show up to work high, be on time, and do more than the minimum. If you can add some skill/education to that mix, you can do well in the high country, and you can have 70-100 day seasons. Hey, but all those things are easier said than done and you have to realize some years you are going to have to drive a long way to work and that you and your wife are going to have a 40 year old 1000sqft 2br condo instead of the 8 year old 3000sqft 4 bedroom house in the burbs of Phoenix or Charleston.

I see people do it the hard way too: 25 years of patrolling/construction/odd jobs can get you in a good spot if you are tight with the cash.

So does Benny contribute more to the overcrowding since he comes 1 month a year?

[summit]

I drew a picture of Benny ripping Hogan Bowl:

[Lindahl]

There are restaurants here making pretty fair bank, at least judging by their longevity (20 years or more), especially the ones catering to tourists.

The successful ones do. How many did it take before the location was successful? Most restaurants out here are owned by restaurant groups. People with loads of cash (no property loans and can remodel to exactly what they want and bring in top talenf) and tons experience in building successful restaurants. To do that, you need a decent amount of money and look at it as a capital investment that you'll make back out when you sell. Its not for the random person dropping into the industry.

Its a terrible choice unless your its solely a capital investment, and if thats what you're doing, rental properties are way more lucrative for the layperson.