Needing input on colorado.

Going from below zero altitude to 8000-9000 feet will take a little adjustment in your oxygenation system. Water is going downhill faster than you can imagine. Without flying, you are like 10 million miles from anywhere else.

Colorado Springs is about 6000 feet. I sent time there while in the Army. Seemed like an alright place to me. I've lived at about 6000 feet most of my life. Plenty of air there while I lived there. I suppose the air was thicker in Chanute but the ticks were really bad.

I have a brother in Colorado Springs. He was raised in Mississippi and he seems to like it there, but he's not a surveyor. He says the long winters do take a lot of adjustment, though.

From a little research and having spoken to some people in the area, it seems that pipeline work is drawing all the surveyors away. It sounds to me like someone who is willing to work locally shouldn't have much trouble finding a job.

Things are definitely different in the northwest and mountain states. It is rare to meet an older Surveyor with only one license. Active practice in multiple states is the norm. Of course that is general and some communities are not that way. It is something to keep in mind before you make the jump. Travel may be part of life...
I'll second the altitude and winter comments. I moved to Idaho 15 years ago. The altitude forced me to get healthier or quick working. The winters didn't bother me until the last few years. The extreme temperatures make me hurt. A lot. If I were still in the field I'd be making a move. As it is I'm heading for the Pacific Northwest in about 14 years..
Good Luck, Tom

There may be a low spot, but even the east side is close to 7000 feet. A few miles to the west and it jumps big time. I was told that professional singers coming to town prefer to arrive 10 days to 14 days early to get adjusted before putting on long concerts.

The ski slopes in Colorado are packed with Louisianians during Mardi Gras time.
New Orleans, Lafayette and Baton Rouge folk who are not into parades, beads and partying locally go to Colorado to ski and celebrate Fat Tuesday.
Good Luck in your endeavors.

Well, my decision to move there is based on the fact my wife is medically retiring from the army. She is wanting to live near a army hospital since she will be frequently visiting one because of her injury sustained while serving. Colorado was her choice out of all the places to live. She believes it will be the best place to raise our two daughters. And the cost of living and housing market is more appealing then her other choice of southern California.

Colorado is appealing to me cause I'm an outdoorsy kinda guy. I love hunting and fishing, an offroading is a free time passion of mine. Colorado offers me all these things. I was born and raised in oregon and as much as I love the culture of the south, I just can't stand the humid heat, 3 summers and im still not used to it. Also, I don't think the south is the best place to raise my kids, Louisiana has a horrible education system.

I guess I probably should of stated that I am not licensed surveyor not even close to being one. I'm still a young blood in this profession and have a lot to learn. I have only been in this line of work little over 2 years, But I seem to have a knack for it and have already made my way up to an entry level party chief, and have established myself enough in my current company that they made me a very tempting offer to stay (personal company truck, cellphone, credit/gas card, 2 weeks paid vacation, and a decent not great salary with annual raises based on production/knowledge) and have voiced that they don't want to lose me. I fear though that only 2 years experience is going to be a hamper on my options elsewhere. My bosses said they would give me an amazing reference and make sure potential employers know I would be a asset to any company. But still, all openings I have found require 5+ years field experience.

I guess my fear is that I'm 28 and need to settle into a career and would like it to be surveying. I spent the first 7 years of my adult life doing roofing/construction and thought that was going to be my path. Then I came into surveying and realized that I could be more then just a laborer. I am just hopeing that some members on here where Colorado natives and could give me some assurance that making a career out of surveying won't be a hard thing to attain there. Cause I really enjoy this line of work and don't want it to end when I leave here.

Tell your wife thank you for her service. My retirement community will be partially driven by a good VA facility nearby. Don't let the 2 years experience stop you from applying. In fact, don't be shy about applying to firms that aren't advertising openings. Best of luck getting solid local information. .

Colorado is a lot like Houston in that you have to search to find a true native. The politics no longer represent the native Coloradoan, so be forewarned. Hope you don't view that as a good thing.

Colorado Springs is a good place to live, with plenty of growth, career opportunities and recreation. Not that I've lived there, but have seen enough. The downtown atmosphere is quite active and friendly, almost big city-like, but friendly people all over. I can't think of any other place better to get into surveying other than any boom town. If I was told today that I needed to move there for some reason - I'd have no problem. In my younger days, I would only hesitate because I live 10 miles from world class slpine skiing (WP-MJ) and 1 mile from world class cross country skiing, but I'm too old to worry about that now. Good luck!

ww co pls

- Have a nice day! Or, may your monument prevail over some guy's touchscreen.

That is something I have thought about. I'm affraid I might be to much of an outspoken republican for most Colorado residents. I don't try to push my political beliefs on anybody, but am not affraid to defend them when people try to prosecute me for them. I am a new age republican though, and have a different outlook then most, and am a very excepting person compared to most republicans. So I think I can deal with it.

I will tell her. And my bosses keep telling me to not sell myself short and to realize that years of experience don't add up to job knowledge, and not to be discouraged in selling myself to a new company as a entry level party chief. I have learned quickly that just cause you have been working for a survey company a long time don't mean anything if you haven't retained any knowledge. I work with guys that have been hands at the company for 5+ years but couldn't go out and mark a line let alone do a basic lot survey by themselves. It has also caused tension. Guys don't like having somebody in charge of them that has been only doing a job for 2 years when they have been at it 6. I just hope I won't have to deal with that same tension at a new company.

I look forward to being able to hit the slopes. Lived in the south for 5 years. West Texas for almost 3 and over 2 in Louisiana. I'm ready to get back to cooler climates and moutains. Clean water will be a plus. My is really excited to be able to hit the slopes sitting the winter without driving 12 hours to do it.

Luckily ticks don't seem to like me. Only had 2 burrow into me. But have had hundreds on me. But chiggers... Chiggers freakin love me!

I'm not sure what the survey job market is like at this point. I can say that C/S is a great place to live, come on in, the water's fine.

What field equipment are you familiar with? Any CAD experience?

CAD experience is my downfall. But I have recognized that and have been staying after work the last two weeks to play around with it. It was intimidating at first, but I feel now that I will get the hang of it in the next 2 months before I leave my current company (probably not great, but hopefully decent). I work for great guys that are more then willing to teach me whatever I want to learn.

As for field equipment I have only used a limited amount of equipment. Used tds rangers and nomads, spectra rangers. All with survey pro. Only used three different kinds of GPS equipment, all epoch models. 25, 30, and 50. Used a few different total stations, old sokkia and nikons, and newer leicas (fell in love with its prismless mode). And am pretty confident in my level skills, but I still triple wire everything.

My wife is looking forward to hitting the slopes during the winter*

I'm about 45mis. south of Colo Sprgs. Around 5 yes. ago we tried to hire a survey tech. and got a large no. of applicants, some of them were licensed surveyors and a couple of them LSIs. a couple of yes. ago we advertised again and had a few less applicants by they also included an LSI, PLS, and an EI. We just advertised again this year and had a small no. Of applicants and no experienced survey techs. I think things are picking up in the survey market. There would be a lot more survey firms in CS than here.

Good luck.