Living in the Boulder County High Country  Can be  Wonderful,  But is it Right for You?

By Ron Rovtar
Ecobroker® Certified
303.473.1926

Living in the Rocky Mountains around Boulder, Colorado, can be an exhilarating experience. 

But mountian living offers different lifestyle than most people are used to. You should look at both the positive and negative sides of the equation before deciding to live in the mountains.

Though many people (including the author of this article) are perfectly contented with mountain life, a surprising number of would-be mountain dwellers move back to town in fairly short order.

On the positive side, mountain living definitely puts you in closer contact with nature, offers breathtaking views on a daily basis and lets you participate in a slower, quieter lifestyle.

Neighbors will be there to help you when you need it, but also will respect your privacy. 

There are few things more enjoyable than standing on your deck with your morning cup of coffee and watching a doe and her fawns, a fox or some wild turkeys as they forage! Abert squirrels, with their oddly tufted ears, always seem to stimulate a smile.

Sometimes it seems the ever-changing light on the mountains is never exactly the same twice. You will never get fully accustomed to the remarkable interplay of light and land and sky.

But, there are issues. The ride to town can become tedious. The range of wildlife also includes bears and cougars.

Bears occasionally break into kitchens as they fatten up for hibernation.

Mountain lions take pets as well as wildlife. If you have children or grandchildren, you will want them close as the sun sets and afterward. Cougar attacks on humans are rare, but occasional interactions between people and the big cats do occur.

In most cases, you will maintain a septic system and a water well.

Boulder County's SepticSmart program will ensure you move into a home with a good septic system, but you may have maintenance issues later. You should have your tank pumped every couple of years.

Wells occasionally stop producing water for no obvious reason.  Like all mechanical systems, periodic maintenance is required.

You probably will heat with propane, which will be trucked to a tank at your home on a regular basis.  This is a minor inconvenience.

The forest has become overgrown since people arrived in the west, making fire more of a danger. Some forest pests take advantage of this situation, damaging or killing trees.

Responsible mountain residents spend time and money thinning trees and watching for mistletoe, pine beetles and other parasites. If your trees become infected, you will want to take action before the problem spreads.

Boulder County does a wonderful job of clearing the main roads so the school buses get through in the morning and afternoon. This usually makes getting to town in the winter relatively easy except in the worst weather.

You will have to do something about clearing snow from your own driveway. Some people hire a plowing service. Others do it themselves. If your residence is  far from the road, you will occasionally stay home for a day or two.

Weather knocks out power lines a little more often in the mountains and it sometimes takes repair crews a bit longer to service mountain outages. They rightly want to address problems in more populated areas first.

Many of these issues are fairly rare. But, they do concern some people and you should consider them before moving to the mountains.

If these seriously concern you, you can explore some compromise solutions. For example, you can reduce drive time by moving closer to Boulder City.

Or you can move to an area that is a bit more developed.

Pine Brook Hills, for example, has natural gas lines and its own water system. There are fire hydrants for emergencies. Pine Brook also is closer to the city. However, you will have your own septic system and your lot may be smaller than elsewhere in the mountains.

As you can see, it is best that you pay attention to all aspects of mountain living before making any final decisions. But if you are ready for this adventurous and fulfilling lifestyle, please feel free to contact me at 303.473.1926 with all your questions.

This article and accompanying photo copyright Ron Rovtar. All Rights Reserved.

 

Contact Ron Rovtar at 303.473.1926 or info@rovtar.com