Mountain Buzz banner

Help me understand this West Slope vs. Front Range stuff

18K views 58 replies 38 participants last post by  DMAX 
#1 ·
In the interest of livening things up, and hopefully not flare too many passions, here's my take of this West Slope vs. Front Range resentment you occaisionally see. I am a Front Ranger trying to understand this stuff.

A lot of Front Range people are there because of jobs. Since we kayak, we like the outdoors and we'd probably want to live in a neater place, but the jobs lock us down. Many of these jobs are a bit of pain and the cost of living is a bit high, but its generally an OK trade off. Yea, the density of people and the traffic is a bit much, but Colorado is a great place and you can be some place nice to enjoy the outdoors with a bit of effort. It's a free country so no problems. Yea, the Front Range soaks up some water, but the urban areas soak up less than the east slope farmers and the people would soak up the water whether they lived in Denver or Grand Junction.

The West Slope people like living away from masses of people and many have chosen to deliberately live away from urban areas. Perhaps they could make more money in an urban area, but the West Slope offers more quality of life. Some of these people can't stand the density of urban areas. Perhaps some of these people want a simpler life. The outdoors are important and they don't want them spoiled. They feel nervous when development encroaches on them because it threatens how they want to live. And, they don't want the urban areas to impact them very much. Tourists are a love them/hate them relationship since a lot of West Slope economy is based on them yet they can encroach on the way of life.

Front Rangers probably have more stress in their life and don't feel as close to their fellow man--rules should help organize things. West Slopers have a closer connection to their fellow man and think common sense and just being courteous will organize things fine.
 
See less See more
#7 ·
As I sit here trying to think up something smart, witty and funny. I come to sad realization that I am not any of thee above. But any whoo a six pack of Fat Tire(a front range brew) to the first west sloper that can keep up with me on teleskis. sj
 
#11 ·
Geez. Y'all sound like a bunch of bored boaters looking for something to waste their time on, waiting for the rivers to thaw...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2tomcat2
#13 ·
I have a confession.

I am a former East coaster who is a former Front Ranger and now a West Sloper. I am being driven farther away from people (been thinking about BC lateley).

I have no job to speak of, not much money left - but won't go back.

Why you ask. I dunno.

d
 
#19 ·
Timing

It is interesting that I saw this thread this morning. My wife ad I were laughing about this last night. I was once a front ranger and am now an extreme west sloper, living at a Utah ski area. When I met my wife she was an instructor up in Breckinridge, and I was a front ranger. When I talk to this, I'm speaking in massive generalizations, so don't take it personal.
Front Rangers are people who moved to Colorado for the lifestyle, and have a job that allows them to be able to travel to the mountains and enjoy the opportunities offered.
Western Slopers fall into multiple categories:
1: High school partiers who moved to the mountains to live at a resort, and consider themselves very hard core. Typically very heavy into substance and seeking a rep job, which they will never get. While they use the Ski or Kayak in a fashion better than most, they present in a fashion which prohibits marketing departments wanting them as their front man. So, they end up working for mountain taxi, citimarket or another similar spot, and loving their life, but living a subsistence existence that makes it tough for them to have a family, exists in mainstream society, etc. I'm frankly envious of these guy's. They are confortable living in conditions that I no longer am willing to. Their biggest worry is who they'll meet at the bar that night.

2.) Parties who have lived on the western slope for their whole life and have stable jobs at banks, etc, and are great and open to front rangers. They recognize their existence is dependent on the tourism pouring their way.

3.) People who are going there for a year or two for fun, and then are getting back to it somewhere else.

I think the resentments that exists, exists everywhere. When I lived in Northern New Mexico we didn't like the Texans, In Wisconsin it's FIB's. When you’re just getting by to live in a place, you validate your poverty by saying how stupid everyone else is who doesn't have what you have.

Either way, we all get along pretty well on the river.

Peace,
Ken
 
#25 ·
I agree with CaverDan. Its pretty seldom that us older folks give a crap about whether the person we're boating with is from the Front Range or them thar hills. After a while you realize that no matter where they're from, the spectrum ranges from real pricks to great folks. The key is to avoid the pricks and surround yourself with folks that have good attitudes.

Also, its not like the "city slickers" we meet here on the river are some kind of stereotypical Noo Joisey types. I've found that folks from the Northeastern concrete jungle I meet on the river, or slopes, are usually trying to get AWAY from that city slicker mentality.

A person's attitude is what's most important. If you've got good attitude, it doesn't matter where you're from.

...unless you're from Texas. :D

SYOTR,

--Andy
 
#26 ·
nobody has been called a "doosh-bag" in this thread yet. i live in washington now, so you are all doosh-bags to me, regardless of what side of the slope you are on, and ESPECIALLY if you are from the 505. if you get tired of all that tasty pow, bring your drysuit up this way, dooshbags.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top