The East v. The West

[truepatriot09]

So if you had your druthers, would you prefer to live out west (any state of your choice) or where we all seem to be, The East (I'm thinking either New England or New York)? I know about the differences in hiking and I'm not sure one would be better than the other, simply different. To me the hard things to give up would be the rustic architecture of Northern New England, the proximity to the coast and the quaint downtown areas I've fallen in love with (ie Portsmouth, Dover, Portland, Newburyport etc). However in the west you have more wide open spaces, incredible vistas, solitude that it is more difficult to find and only a few places to find it in the east.

We're thinking of moving out west for a spell, but something in the back of my mind tells me that even though I'm sure it's wonderful, I'll eventually find myself back at Breaking New Grounds in Portsmouth before all is said in done.

What do you think? Has anyone here spent time out west? Is it better to live and hike here and take a ciesta out there?

 

[Warren]

The past few years I've been tossing this very thought back and forth...

I feel that there's a life time of exploring to do in the (North) West, where as I feel that New England is already becoming too familiar to me...

 

[the starchild]

UTAH! UTAH! UTAH! UTAH!

canyonlands area!

nothing like the desert.

....and downtown moab gets down and crazy till the weee hours of 9pm!

 

[Peakbagr]

I grew up just outside of the blue line of the ADKS and have been outdoors in the Adirondacks, Catskills and Whites my entire life.
For a long period of time, I used to organize hiking trips out west every 2-3 years. We'd go for 2 weeks. Canadian Rockies, Colorado (2x or 3x), Washington/Oregon, California (northern, Whites, Sierras), and more.

I love the changing of the seasons, hiking and peakbagging, but with the exception of The Prezzies, Franconias, Katahdin, and a handful of ADK summits, there is nothing back east like the spectacular, above-treeline walking and mountaineering of the American and Canadian west.

Employment and family ties keep me here. There are are so many spectacular places out west I'd like to revist, and new places to hike and climb, I'd be there in a month.

 

[Dalraida]

Been there, done that

I lived in Idaho for a while, then returned back to New Hampshire this spring to live in the White Mountains. I am fully retired, so all this moving was done free of career influences. While there I spent a good bit of time walking about in the bordering states of Utah, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. Talk about mountains! But, here are my observations:

I missed the NE hardwood forests. With the almost total lack of underbrush, the west looked "weedwhacked". I didn't enjoy the rattlesnakes, nor did my dogs. Course above 7,000 feet they usually wern't a problem. Many of the trails are built for pack animals. The grades were mellow, but the lengths were usually went well beyond day hiking. One of my favorites, going up to Deadwood Reservoir from the Banks-Lowman road went 12 miles from the trailhead to the first junction. In Idaho, back country hiking and roads are usually too snowbound until July. Getting passed by horse parties can be a real PITA not to mention the fecal land mines and associated biting flies.

The people were great and the scenery fantastic. One eye opener to me was the signs found posted at trailheads and on bumper stickers advocating the killing of wolves. "kill it, bury it, and don't tell a soul" seems to be a common theme.

I guess that if I were 30 years younger I might have stayed, but I missed our black flies too much.

By the way for you Trout fishermen, the Idaho bag limit for Brookies is 25 fish. And sea run Rainbows (Steelheads) are too short if they are under 30 inches long.

Idaho has more designated Federal Wilderness than the rest of the lower 48 combined.

tw

 

[hillman1]

I lived in Boulder co for a year. I moved back to NY for business reasons. I miss the front range area, and the skiing.I'll probably be back out there within two years. I'd like to finish the NE 115 and my winter 46 though before then.

 

[rhihn]

I lived in Boulder (CO) also, for four years, and Colorado is in fact where I started hiking (at 30!). Although we love the Adirondacks, having to leave CO for NY was the hardest move we've made.

 

[stopher]

I have my druthers. 'Nuff said.

 

[sierra]

west

Interesting thread. I grew up climbing in the Whites, rock, ice, peakbagging but I was getting bored. Thought Id go out to Colorado for a summer and try my hand at the 14ers, that was almost 4 yrs ago. I spend most of my time on the 14ers in CO, but also climb in the Sierras, it was so worth coming out here and now I cant seem to get myself to go back East. The peaks out here are spectacular, Im never at a loss for a mountain I have not done, I love the wide open space and the never ending vistas. I have easy peaks, peaks that can test me to my limits, all those years in the Whites paid off.
Another imporntant change is the lack of the "east coast attitude" now dont get defensive, but people out west are not as anal, there more accepting, friendly and non confrontational in general.
Its tough, I miss my family and my roots in New England are deep, will I stay out west, dont know, but it sure is hard to leave for now, Imight even move to the Sierras next season and bag the 14ers there.

 

[truepatriot09]

Sierra-
How is it that you find yourself on a East coast board? Is it more to keep a connection with what's happening back at home or do you travel back here to hike often?

Also, aside from the people, do you miss the towns and character of New England? I enjoy sitting in a downtown setting at a bar or coffee shop and the architecture of the homes and mills around here are something that I cherish. However, I'm anxious to experience all that you detailed about the west.

 

[Grumpy]

No Contest . . .

Far as I'm concerned.

G.

 

[maineguy]

NO CONTEST

Far as I'm concerned.

G.

Well, I agree. Well, maybe not (depending on what G means). I find it hard to believe that anyone that has lived/hiked out west (and I include the left coast) would not agree the scenery out there is far, far more spectacular, serene, awe inspiring,...insert adjective here.

I have lived/hiked "out there" and although I love the Whites, there is simply no comparison. A comparable job in the West, and I'm gone...(applause)

 

[sierra]

bbs

truepatriot,
Why do I use this site, I guess 2 reasons, I enjoy talking about the outdoors for one, and after 20+ yrs hiking in the whites, I do miss those hills alot, I like to talk about them, hear about them and if I can lend any of my experience to someone new to the Whites thats even better. Besides I havent really found any really good boards talking about western mountains, I use a couple but they are so so.
The only thing I really miss about back east is North Conway, I know its a tourist trap, but I like the downtown area very much, I enjoy hanging a first bridge alot as well. As for the rest of New England, I dont miss much, the buildings and such are not really that impressive to me, nor are the downtowns,( although Portsmouth would be the exception).
I lives in San Fran for a while before CO that put things in perspective as far as architecture and such. I guess what I enjoy the most is the newness of being out here, I still see new towns, mountains, people, I just got bored back east and the constant change is refreshing.
I really think anyone who loves mountains should spend time out west in the Sierras or Rockys of CO or your doing yourself quite a disservice,IMO.

 

[maineguy]

Well, that will surely limit your opportunities...

 

[sierra]

red?

wHAT IS A RED STATE?

 

[Frodo]

If I could ever:

(a) Convince the wife to relocate from her native land, Mass.
(b) Persuade the kids (10 and 6) to give up their friends
(c) Secure a stable job in mechanical engineering
(d) Sell our house rather quickly

We would be on a plane to:

(a) Washington
(b) Oregon
(c) Colorado
(d) N. California

I love (and live) in the Northeast, but the West just blows me away....

 

[mavs00]

My outdoor experiences out west have been limited, but I've traveled though quite a bit of NM, AZ, UT, CO and others. I have to admit, what I have done has been, quite simply, amazing. And the variety of stuff to do is pretty diverse.............. besides peaks, there is canyons, high desert terrain, desert areas, lower elevation mixed forested hills and everything in between to mix it all up and explore. I'd likely spend as much time exploring those places as climbing peaks. Yup, quite remarkable out there.

In particular, areas I've been to that I could see myself (and family) relocating to were St. George's (UT), Moab (UT), Durango (CO), Silver City (NM) and Sedona (AZ). If we had any courage, we'd have picked up and done it years ago.

One thing that I'd REALLY miss would be the lush fragrant GREENS of the eastern woods though, The smell of Balsam just feels like home to me, and that would be tough to give up.

 

[afka_bob]

I love NY

I would miss the lush greenery of the NE, the intimacies of our vistas, the accessibility of our wilderness, the livability (financially and in other ways) of our small towns, the diversity of our people, their intellectual robustness, and besides....I could never live in a Red state!
ecc

"intellectual robustness"?!?

Yow. Don't forget Reason #523 Why I'm Glad I'm Smarter than the Rest of the Country:

"... and dog-gone it, people like me!"

-- Stuart Smalley

Celebratrating the diversity we like (not the kind we don't like)!

 

[Peakbagr]

NO POLITICS...No more red or blue discussions. This is a hiking board.

 

[afka_bob]

Sorry I brought it up...

Oh wait, I didn't!

Celebrating diversity in the backcountry!