I was thinking about this because I'm going move here in the next year and half. The states you typically hear of the best mountain ultra runners coming from in the US are usually Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Arizona. But those tend to be more pricey as far as housing and cost of living. I was thinking maybe Maine, West Virginia or New Mexico could be pretty good. What are y'all thoughts?
Pennsylvania. Or maybe Switzerland. But definitely not Ohio. Not a state, but Ithaca is nice in the fall. And in the spring I like to visit Santa Monica. There's a really cool little outdoor shopping area - I think it's on Third Street (if memory serves...I haven't been there in years!). I like to walk along there and then go to the pier. People there walk so slow! It's hard to get used to for an East Coaster. Like you just get stuck behind a whole family that's all walking like they have nowhere to be and there just isn't room on the sidewalk to get around them. People from that area drive like they're in the Indy 500 and walk like geriatric patients! It can be infuriating, but I try to calm down and not worry about it because otherwise I really like it there. Maybe some day I'll buy a little place there near the water. Not a big place. Not my primary residence or anything. Just a place to go in the spring when I want to walk along 3rd Street and then the pier. I'll always come back to the East Coast, though, where people know how to walk more than 3 mph and don't dawdle along like they have nowhere to be.
I’ve heard good things about Santa Fe. Plus it’s at altitude
Santa Fe isn't cheap though. Depending on what you do for work, plenty of smaller mountain towns in NM with low cost of housing, but limited job opportunities.
The Albuquerque area itself has some access to mountains without having to travel too far, decent mountain areas as a few hours drive away.
I’ve heard good things about Santa Fe. Plus it’s at altitude
Santa Fe isn't cheap though. Depending on what you do for work, plenty of smaller mountain towns in NM with low cost of housing, but limited job opportunities.
The Albuquerque area itself has some access to mountains without having to travel too far, decent mountain areas as a few hours drive away.
My sister is a runner who has lived in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and... Las Cruces. She actually lived in LC first and has now moved back due to the cost of living. She loves it there. Personally, I live in the Portland area so have a totally different preference of climate and culture, but that's just me (I need rain, trees, ocean). So if you're looking at New Mexico, maybe check out Las Cruces.
I was thinking about this because I'm going move here in the next year and half. The states you typically hear of the best mountain ultra runners coming from in the US are usually Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Arizona. But those tend to be more pricey as far as housing and cost of living. I was thinking maybe Maine, West Virginia or New Mexico could be pretty good. What are y'all thoughts?
There is no such thing. All the nice places got discovered a long time ago. They are all very expensive and have their own set of problems because of that. You also need a trail system for running.
I was thinking about this because I'm going move here in the next year and half. The states you typically hear of the best mountain ultra runners coming from in the US are usually Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Arizona. But those tend to be more pricey as far as housing and cost of living. I was thinking maybe Maine, West Virginia or New Mexico could be pretty good. What are y'all thoughts?
I have done alot of trail running in WV. Primarily pocahontas and greenbrier counties in the Monongahela NF. Also Seneca State forest and Watoga state park.
Unless you have ran out there it is hard to appreciate how remote and isolated it is despite being "only" 4 hours from DC and pittsburgh.
But anyways, the biggest problem for me is finding trails. There are trails everywhere actually. They are just so lightly traveled it can be hard to find information on them. I have ran strava segments that only 2 people have ever ran, me and the guy who made it. You really have to dig deep for maps and info.
The logical way to approach this would to search for places with the lowest costs of living and see which ones are in the mountains. These places will likely be economically depressed, that's what makes them cheap to live in. Someone mentioned Pennsylvania. Yes, I'd definitely check there especially in the Laurel Mountains, most places north of I-80 and in Franklin and Cumberland Counties. I'd look at upstate New York, at West Virginia, and western Virginia. More broadly, look anywhere in Appalachia. The whole region is sort of defined for being economically distressed and mountainous.
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