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im currently living in panama city, florida, because of my job, but will be moving back to colorado in 2 years...i've mountain climbed, rock climbed, and skied all of my life. i have no rocks, no mountains, no snow within hundreds of miles of me, i need some advice on what to do to stay in shape, to not lose my mind, to keep up my skills, and to abate idle time,... are there any avalanche courses i can do online or anything of the like? i now live for that once or twice a year trip,.. and it sucks, i need to keep my head in that mountains while im physically here in florida, so when i move back to colorado, i'll feel like i havent missed a beat, and i'll be ready to get back into the climbing/guiding game!!??

Sailing, diving and swimming are pretty cool.

Pull plastic and do crossfit.

Weatherfords( http://www.weatherfordsoutback.com/rockwalls.html )in Pensacola-looks limited but, as bird says, you can pull plastic. Also, you might hook up with like minded people for weekend climbing forays into Alabama. Any local colleges? They sometimes have climbing structures. Or take up kayaking and explore the waterways (and feed your rat hanging out on SummitPost )

You always have to take advantage of what your area offers. Just need put up with the area's April-November monsoon season.

Kayaking (already mentioned above): From what I remember there's a few waterways protected from the open ocean in the Panama City area, so why not try it?. Great for the upper body. Start off renting a sea kayak to get a feel for it, see if its for you. Maybe a few overnight kayak trips (if any coastal campgrounds), then incorporate some trips utilizing the open ocean.

Surfing. Don't know how the waves are in that area, but its worth a try. Somewhat like snowboarding, but you can do it all year.

Bicycling. Pretty universal. Try some multi-day tours, maybe with a few camping stops.

Don't make the same mistake that I made. I had to live in Pensacola for a few years. All I did was piss and moan about how much I missed the mountains. Wrong attitude.

1. The beaches there are incredible. As are the beach bimbos... Take advantage of the local "resources" while you can!!!!

2. Take up scuba diving. This is your chance.

3. Running is difficult in that heat and humidity. Find a course that takes you from one garden hose to another to cool off.

4. Caving. You're near TAG country (Tennessee-Alabama-Georgia), the best vertical caving area of the USA, get it while you can. Nothing like dropping down a 500-foot deep pit into a cave.... Contact the nearest "grotto" (club) of the National Speleological Society. http://www.nssio.org/Find_Grotto.cfm

5. Sailing is great fun. Take some lessons. Or maybe wind surfing.

Forget about the mountains for a couple of years. Living in Panama City if a wonderful opportunity for you. DO NOT SQUANDER THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Caving in TAG country

I voted for "F'n hate the beach in all ways shapes and forms" option, but at the same time can't disagree with all what SLR said...

i really appreciate everybodies replies and information, i especially love your reply SLR, i didnt realize caving was so big down here, im originally from arkansas, and there are some good caves there as well,..in my area though all ive been able to find are tour guided, wheelchair accessible caves!

Firstly:

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Secondly:

I live a 20 minute bike from the beach, have lived here all my life, lifeguard at the beach during summer. The girls are awesome and the sea is pretty comparable to the mountains in the way it can attract you, challenge you, and hook you. Seriously, you can spend a lifetime learning about the ocean just as you can the mountains. Gulf coast of Florida doesn't get much surf very often, but there's fishing to be had, excellent diving and spear fishing, and awesome Florida culture. You like Nascar?

It's funny though living here at the beach I'm constantly thinking about snow and the mountains but I know that if I were to make the move higher I'd just be missing the beach. And at 24 years old the beach trumps mountains any time for what counts: girls. To stay in shape I recommend a road bike. Going for a long bike ride at night by myself is one of the more cathartic things I do. When you're really feeling like hitting the mountains but you know you can't it helps to get on the bike and just freakin' go until you're too tired to worry about the mountains. I'll get a mile into the ride and start thinking about how the harder I pedal the stronger my legs will be for the next time I'm out there.

Torreya park has good ups and downs and you go to doak cambell stadium in Tally for some exercise.