Salida, Colorado is the highest, driest, coldest, windiest and probably, based on per capita income, the poorest place I’ve ever lived.
So, how the heck did I end up here anyway?
Partly it was because, unlike many other mountain communities in Colorado, I was actually able to afford to buy a house in town after moving here from Durango in the Fall of 2001. Colorado’s more desirable zip codes were quickly being priced out of proportion to the average income base. Durango among them.
I ended up purchasing a small old railroader’s house, a fixer-upper built in 1904, and situated in a convenient neighborhood. I can ride my bike or walk to downtown or to Highway 50, allowing me to park my car for days at a time. My neighborhood is full of wonderful old historic homes and I only need to walk half a block to have access to the green open space at the nearby school.
The proximity to hiking and biking trails, right from my doorstep, is just another enticement to keep the car parked, but when I do decide to hit the road, every directional point offers what I can only describe as magnificence. To the north lies the Collegiate Peaks range of the Sawatch Mountains, an astounding array of fourteeners threading their way up to Leadville and the Mosquito Range. Head due south for about 20 minutes and you behold the San Luis Valley, the largest high mountain valley in North America, the Sangre De Christo mountains rising like a knife-edge on the eastern side, and the majestic San Juans to the west. Head west over Monarch Pass to the Continental Divide for a feast of alpine terrain and, also about 20 minutes from Salida, Ski Monarch, the best non-resort ski area in Colorado with a great variety of runs, magnificent scenery and short lift lines.
Head east down along the Arkansas River and you’ll find yourself in Bighorn Sheep Canyon, twisting and winding along towering masses of colorful rock following the Sangres on their east side.
And then there is the town itself. There aren’t many places I know of like Salida. For one thing, it still has a vibrant downtown, not lost to strip-mail, suburban development (although we did lose our downtown hardware store last year, and it is sorely missed.)
From organic veggies to a shining new pair of snowshoes, the shops are mostly owned by locals so you know your dollars are sticking around. People are generally quite friendly and glad to help out in a pinch. Politically it is pretty evenly split but most folks don’t wear their politics on their sleeves. Even the political yard signs don’t allude to the candidate’s party.
We may be somewhat lacking in the cinema department but we do have a vibrant music scene, thanks in large part to the Salida Café, which is gaining a national reputation among musicians as a great room to play. We have a wonderful theater venue in the SteamPlant as well as a talented local stage troupe.
Crime here is minimal. The economy, though not so great at the moment, is hanging tough, much like the residents who have seen much worse times as recently as 15 years ago. We have a community radio station, a dog park, a skate park and a whitewater park. Heck, Salida even has its own magazine. That’s reason enough for me to stick around.
– Mike Rosso
