Moving From Wisconsin to Colorado

There are a number of Colorado surveyors here on the board.?ÿ Guess you caught them when they were all doing other things.?ÿ Be patient, they'll be back!

My wife is from Wisconsin and her family still lives there in Milwaukee not too far from Union Grove.?ÿ?ÿ I love to visit there, especially to escape the hot Oklahoma summers.?ÿ But last time I was up there (Jan 2018) it was 12 below with a wind off the lake. Even though I spent a good deal of my childhood in Colorado I was uncomfortable in temps like that.?ÿ I'd hate to work in that winter environment.?ÿ Okie winters suit this old goat just fine.

Like I said, some of the CO guys will be around here, just give them time.?ÿ Good luck.?ÿ

Ted Dura....

And you may need to learn scale factors real well.

And, get a real modern GPS.

N

My family and I just returned from vacationing in Estes Park. Beautiful mountains, fresh air, and mellow people! I noticed a number of IRCs set by Van Horn Engineering & Surveying. Best of luck to you & your family!

The flash bulletin must not be traveling as fast as they said it would.?ÿ I regret to inform you CO is full LOL.?ÿ I'm kidding of course and I'm sure you'll love it here.?ÿ The Springs economy is solid being anchored by the Air Force Academy, Peterson AFB & Fort Carson but is also experiencing pretty rapid growth as people are able to find more reasonably priced homes there and commute to the Denver Metro area for employment.?ÿ The north side of CS is developing fast and farther north every day.?ÿ There is a ton of interstate construction happening between Denver and CS which has turned it into a miserable commute for the foreseeable future.?ÿ I have a number of projects going on down there at the moment but am going against the traffic flow for the most part so it's manageable.?ÿ?ÿIf that's where you land I would suggest finding work or throwing your shingle out down there unless 60 miles of brake lights is what blows up your skirt.?ÿ Good luck on your home sale and travels.?ÿ Look me up when you get here and we'll grab a bite.?ÿ Cheers!?ÿ?ÿ?ÿ?ÿ

Hello, I live and work in Colorado Springs.?ÿ The economy is doing very well here so if you haven't done any job searching yet, I wouldn't fret about it.?ÿ One thing is that the cost of living is really high right now as far as houses and apartments go.?ÿ ?ÿReal estate market is booming so everything has skyrocketed.?ÿ ?ÿJust let me know if you have any questions and I'll be glad to help.?ÿ

I live in the Denver Metro area.?ÿ After reading your post, I am presuming that you are retiring from surveying and looking for a nice place to retire.?ÿ If so, I'd suggest looking anywhere other than the Front Range.?ÿ There are many beautiful areas with lower cost of living than the Front Range.?ÿ I'd suggest looking at the San Luis Valley or the Western Slope (away from the ski resorts and oil and gas areas).?ÿ Not that I'm anti oil and gas, it is rather that those areas have seen surges in the housing market.

If you are closing up shop in Wisconsin and hoping to hire on or open shop in Colorado I suggest a wee bit more planning than you indicate in your opening post.?ÿ

If you do decide to move out here, there is a big cultural event happening from October 21, 2019 through February 2, 2020.?ÿ The Denver Art Museum will be the only venue in North America for a large exhibit of Claude Monet's paintings (over 125 of his paintings).?ÿ If you are into that type of art, here is a link to the exhibit.

Claude Monet - The Truth of Nature

If you make it to the Denver Metro area give me a PM ahead of time and we'll talk surveying (I'll get Cameron to pay for lunch).?ÿ ?????ÿ

I saw those control points also - the ones glued to rocks, right?.. and at least three Trimble base stations! I was there in January, ate at Claires in Estes Park - highly recommended and we were lucky enough to get a table at a window!   Yes, beautiful area!

No, not to rocks. These were set flush in sidewalks. Now that you mention it, they could've been just caps glued in place. Guess they wouldn't be a trip hazard like a nail & disc would be. I saw some sporadic building construction around town. The road adjacent to our hotel was being milled. I saw a number of "Help Wanted" signs around town.

Oh, THOSE!  Yes, I saw a few on the north side of 'main' street... further to the west end of town if I remember correctly.  The control prisms I saw glued to rocks were on Hwy 34, we were coming up from Loveland.  Nice area.

41 years ago this month I packed up my 1965 cornbinder and left SE Wisconsin heading west after a winter where it didn't get above 0?ø for 30 some days. I guess I miss ice fishing a little bit.

I wish you well and hope your landing is as good as mine was.?ÿ

I do plan on getting a GPS. I think I will have to start out by slugging it with a total station. Once I’m cooking with gas, I will purchase a new (ish) GPS. Maybe a Javad?

Thank you Cameron, looking forward to meeting you.

I do have a plan in place. Main thing is to get there, then decide on getting a gig, or starting my own thing. Main thing I’m looking at is finding an area that’s a good fit for my family. Im married with two young daughters.

I moved to Colorado Springs in 2006 and lived there for 2 years.?ÿ I loved it there.?ÿ I would have stayed but I wanted to go to college and a school in Denver had a survey program so I moved up there.?ÿ I lived there for 6 years and couldn't wait to get out.?ÿ Typical bigger city traffic, bad driving Californians moving there by the thousands, big government programs robbing your paychecks, housing shortage and related price gouging, etc.?ÿ It's a pretty nice city though, especially for that size.

It's too bad if Colorado Springs is getting like that too.?ÿ When I got out of school a couple years ago the springs was one of my top 2 places to move to.

Yeah, I did the same.?ÿ I left NE Illinois for Colorado about 38 years ago.?ÿ Left 4 years after to go back to the Midwest.?ÿ I missed the Midwest (it's a bit more egalitarian), Colorado is a bit different.?ÿ Lots of transients that you are going to have to compete with.?ÿ If I had to do it all over again I would have stopped in Cheyenne.?ÿ

I came in the black and left in the Red.?ÿ Took a financial bath.?ÿ

I should add if you're moving to Colorado for the weather keep in mind that the winters are milder but the Springs and Autumns are not.?ÿ If you get moisture in Colorado between Sept 1st and May 31st it will be in the form of snow.?ÿ The mildest place in Colorado is the West Slope, Grand Junction to Durango.?ÿ If you want warmth go to Nevada, or New Mexico or Arizona.?ÿ One of the worst blizzards I was ever in was when I lived in the burbs of Denver.?ÿ One heck of a High Plains Blizzard.

Update:

Our house got an accepted offer in 48 hrs. Buyers are fast tracking the financing. Looks like we will close on our home September 6th. ?ÿWe plan on renting a furnished space for a few weeks while we explore Colorado Springs area and begin the home search. ?ÿIƒ??d love to set up some lunch meeting with any fellow Colorado Surveyors and get to know one another.

I just sent my records to the state and applied for the Colorado PLS. Waiting to hear back on the next steps.?ÿ

Any ideas and or tips for prepping for the state test? I am compiling a binder of printed copies of the relevant statues. I also got a pdf of DVDƒ??s available for purchase through the state society. Iƒ??m leaning towards the Colorado law 1 and 2, and maybe the ethics course.?ÿ

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Any other her sources I can use for the state exam?

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Thanks!

Danny

@drratiug-survey

I'm in Castle Rock, halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs.  Grew up in CS and traveled to Denver all the time to visit family.  I guess my apples didn't fall too far from the tree....

Started my survey career in CS with H.J. Kraettli, PE/LS 2154 in 1976.  You'll still find his caps around town.

The last metro-Denver survey I did was an existing conditions survey circa-1997 prior to the design and construction of what is now known as the Downtown Aquarium, Denver.

Was in CS last night for dinner with my father who still lives there.

Happy to discuss whatever you want to talk about.

Perhaps you, Gene, Cameron, Vern and others could all join me for a meal and libations at the Rockyard Brewing Company in Castle Rock.  That's my hangout now....

Cheers!

Iƒ??m game for a meetup. Looking forward to it!

UPDATE:

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My family and I recently bought a house in Colorado Springs.?ÿ Its nice here. Milder winter than Wisconsin, that's for sure.?ÿ I landed a sweet gig at a firm in Colorado Springs.?ÿ I plan on attending the Colorado Surveyor Summit.?ÿ Anyone else (other than Gene, whom I believe is presenting a CFED Course at the Summit) planning on attending??ÿ Be nice to meet some fellow surveyors.

Danny