I live in Denver and think that -- maybe -- I can afford to get a small cabin in the mountains. I'm looking for suggested places. The ideal spot would be: within a couple of hours of Denver, not too expensive, reasonably near (say, within a 30 minute drive) a ski resort, near a town with nice enough amenities (a decent restaurant or two, shops, coffee shops, etc.), access to climbing, cycling, etc. I'd like to get a place in Frisco, but I think it's a little more than I can afford. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

We love the Salida area. Way better weather than the I70 corridor, and great climbing, biking, and rafting. Monarch is good family ski area, but not world class.

There are not a lot of 'trophy homes' in the valley, and we like it that way. Downside is that the job market is not good.

Roger

+1 on Salida, Buena Vista looks nice, screw Denver and live in Durango.