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bell
Trad climber
Scotland
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 9, 2012 - 05:36pm PT
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hoping to move to north america sometime in the next year. where should i go? my main activities are trad climbing and split-boarding and I would hope that anywhere there is a university i should be able to get a job...
my first choices so far are boulder and vancouver.....
Salt lake city, portland or seattle and san fransisco also look pretty sweet.
all thoughts appreciated! cheers
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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How big a city?
Bishop has a junior college.
just sayin.
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bell
Trad climber
Scotland
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 05:55pm PT
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im a research scientist specialising in molecular biology, so i need somwhere with a reasonably big research dept. but most places have some sort of medical research centre.....
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bell
Trad climber
Scotland
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 06:03pm PT
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nice, that'll do!
have to say had not really thought of the smaller towns, guess although id spend most of me time in the hills would still want some stuff goin on...?
is reno a nice place/good atmosphere and social scene?
cheers
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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hahaha.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Not San Francisco and not Boulder.
Both are do-able but not ideal. You'll have to make some sacrifices if you really want the goods in your back yard.
Salt Lake City and Reno are seriously some of the best choices when you put access ahead of all the other $hit.
Molecular biology?
Seems you should start with the list of places you can find work and go from there. I'd choose Seattle over SF or Boulder (from a climbing/skiing perspective) and Vancouver over Seattle. I think Salt Lake has burgeoning molecular Bio sector as well.
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA
TRUCKEE, CA
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Both Vancouver and Seattle have good trad rock climbing nearby in the summer, and plenty of snow in the mountains in the winter.
In terms of research opportunities for a molecular biologist, both cities have the kind of academic situations you'd expect in places of that size, but Seattle has Paul Allen, one of the two founders of Microsoft, who's goal seems to be to make Seattle the molecular biology capital of the world.
Which might be of some interest to you.
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kwit
climber
california
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hey:
pm me. i know someone who is hiring in your field here in the bay area. and he's actually a climber. he might even lurk here, but i doubt it.
k
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bell
Trad climber
Scotland
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 06:48pm PT
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im heading to SLC beginning of march for 10days so will def check it out, a freind of mines uncle works at the uni there so that might be a way in.
seattle and vancouver definately have good work and good mountains - but what about the rain? does this seriously affect climbing in the summer??
why not boulder?
cheers for all your comments!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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^^^ what DMT says
Vancouver is to rain as san diego is to sunny
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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+1 for Reno.
It's what you make of it socially, and the access is great.
Similar access as SLC, but I'd take Reno over SLC in a heartbeat.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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You're from Scotland, and you're asking about the rain? (just pulling your leg - par for the course on ST).
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sac
Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
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Powell River B.C.... imo.
Wooohooo!
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Boulder certainly is good for climbing, no one will argue that... but you want backcountry "boarding" too right? Boulder is on the front range and in order to get into them thar hills, you'll probably have to deal with the I-70 corridor which when it snows (when everyone else who lives on the front range wants to go to the mts) that corridor is a nightmare. It's rivaled in it's nightmarishness only by I-80 that runs from the SF Bay area to Tahoe.
Somebody please tell me this is wrong, there is good, accessible bc skiing to the west of Boulder and maybe up towards Estes Park??
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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You can commute to UNR from Truckee in ~ 30-45 minutes, depending on what part of town you live in. I'm in Glenshire, and I could do it in just about 25 minutes from my driveway to my office/building, including parking and a short walk, if pressed for time. And it's a lovely commute down and up the canyon, too.
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Moen
Trad climber
Bishop, Ca
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Comments on a few places that you mentioned:
For a medium sized city with a decent university and close access to great skiing and climbing, Salt Lake City is unbeatable. Skiing and climbing are accessible, reliable, and really really good. The city has some cultural challenges, though. Winters in the city can be kind of gross, with smog and inversions. The quality of the climbing and skiing that you have access to would make it worth it, though.
Reno offers similar things to Salt Lake, but is inferior in most ways. The skiing is a bit farther away, the snow is heavier, the climbing is not as varied (only one rock type, as opposed to many), and the city is kind of seedy. Still an ok option, though, but not the best. I don't think I'd want to live there.
Boulder is a great place if you are looking for a university with tons of climbing nearby. Ski access isn't as good though. It is definitely more of a climbing town. Extremely quick access to climbing; this is a plus when you are working full time. Expensive, with a culture that annoys some people.
Seattle is an incredible city, and the university there is top rate. My favorite city in the US. Good skiing and climbing an hour away. Beautiful place. Rain and clouds are the biggest problem there, but you can probably cope since you are from Scotland. You generally won't be able to climb in the winter because of rain, but with the ski-climb combo you can keep busy most of the year. Lots of snow most winters in the mountains.
Vancouver (BC) has similar things to offer as Seattle. The climbing and skiing, if anything, are a step up from Seattle (Squamish!) The city has a very different feel; it feels bigger and more cosmopolitan than Seattle.
Portland (Oregon) is a really nice medium-sized city (unique and very progressive culture). It offers some similar things to Seattle, but is smaller (and has more hipsters). The climbing and skiing immediately around Portland isn't as good as what can be found around Seattle and Vancouver (BC).
San Francisco (plus Berkeley, Oakland, and the rest of the Bay Area) is a beautiful city within a gigantic metro area with great culture and great weather. There is great climbing and skiing 4 hours away...but it is 4 hours away. I would not recommend SF if you want to make much of a priority of climbing and skiing. If you want to get out regularly, you lose some much time to driving that it is hard to have a full time job, climb/ski enough, and still have a some free time for social life. If you do end up in the Bay Area, I'd recommend Berkeley for its unique culture and because its positioning on the east side of the Bay makes it easier to escape the city and head towards the mountains. SF is nice too, of course, but you have to deal with more bridges and traffic if you want to make it out. Avoid the south Bay (San Jose, Palo Alto, etc.) like the plague; it is a cultural wasteland.
One last area to consider is New England. Nice small towns, many universities, and some decent climbing and skiing among its (much smaller) mountains. Dartmouth has a fantastic medical research center, is in a nice town, and has good access to climbing and skiing. Burlington (VT) is another great town with a good university.
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bell
Trad climber
Scotland
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 08:11pm PT
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i am indeed from scotland, and i want to get away from rain! but when everyone says it rains on the pacific coast does it rain everyday, every otherday or once a week?
i did go on an expedition this summer in the Taku border range BC/Alaska and it rained solid for 18days. i dont need to leave home if i want that!
so no to boulder and that goes for denver too i guess?
right now its reno and SLC pulling into the lead, if i can get a job, otherwise vancouver or seattle??
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bell
Trad climber
Scotland
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 08:17pm PT
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thanks Moen! very helpful summary!
want to be right there or within an hrs drive really so that makes the Bay area not so good
guess seattle/vancouver if it does rain can go mtn biking....
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Social climber
Retired to Appalachia
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There is no such thing a good boarding, so I think you're out of luck.
Now if you wanna talk about places for good climbing and skiing, I would say that Colorado is the place to go. Access and snow are excellent, as is the climbing. I used to spend 120 days on skis every year living in Colo Spgs.
The PNW is a great place but the snow is soggy and the approaches can be brutal. Seattle or Bellingham are great places for PNW stuff, but the PNW just doesn't compare to Colorado when it comes to skiing. If you're looking for big mountain and glacier adventures, then Seattle is it. You might consider further north like Bellingham - you're closer to the Cascade Highway, Mt. Baker is great for lift-served skiing, and Vancouver is within striking distance.
The eastern Sierra is a near second best if you consider skiing primarily. I think the Sierra wins hands-down for climbing, and the skiing is pretty damn good. But the skiing in Colorado is just awesome.
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