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skitch
Trad climber
pdx
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 19, 2012 - 01:09pm PT
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I recently graduated with a Masters in Environmental/Civil Engineering, but since I have consistently taken shitty jobs so I could live in rad places (mechanic in Yosemite, toilet cleaner in the Bighorns, Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize) I have practically no engineering experience. So now I'm trying to find a job where I can at least get a few years of experience, but all of the places I want to live have really high unemployment.
North Dakota has a really low unemployment due to the oil industry, which means I might be able to get a public sector job that would get my foot into the forest service, while building my work experience, but there isn't a lot of climbing in Bismark!!!
Any experienced engineers have any advice on how I should go forward with my career?
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skitch
Trad climber
pdx
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 19, 2012 - 01:18pm PT
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I am quite sick of sitting inside for 6 months at a time! So it's really a last resort type of thing.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Mar 19, 2012 - 01:22pm PT
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i bet you can get an engineering job in Anchorage, AK.
I was looking at a short gig in Grand Forks, ND in February and I asked a "good 'ol boy" what it was going to be like... His reply "it's gonna be a windy, cold, sonbitch".
All the Minnesotans and Dokotans in Alaska wear t-shirts in the winter because in Anchorage, it's comparatively warm.
Jobs aren't everything, enjoyment of life is more important, imho.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Mar 19, 2012 - 01:47pm PT
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In John Sherman's humorous slide show about his goal of climbing in all 50 US states, I believe that North Dakota was the second-to-worst (after Louisiana) in potential.
Western South Dakota on the other hand has a bunch, and perhaps that's within weekend range?
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
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Mar 19, 2012 - 01:54pm PT
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Give up on the "do good" jobs and head into mining and solid waste? Might be more opportunities.......In better states.....
Erik
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Mar 19, 2012 - 01:57pm PT
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skitch,
send me an email at gbohome@yahoo.com.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Mar 19, 2012 - 01:59pm PT
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The climbing there sucks beyond the pale.
At least the mountain biking is off-the-charts good. i.e., the Mah Daah Hey trail, which you can ride for the 2 week long summer.
There is good coin to be made in the Williston Basin though. That is if you can find an available trailer to rent.
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bentelbow
climber
spud state
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Mar 19, 2012 - 02:13pm PT
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I spent 5 years growing up in Fargo. Nothing to do there but to do drugs and get your girlfriend pregnant. Cold,flat and barren. Watch out for snirt storms.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:13pm PT
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It can't be that bad - it's next door to Saskatchewan, the Canadian heartland.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:14pm PT
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Bob Dylan loved that place,
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ncrockclimber
climber
The Desert Oven
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:24pm PT
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I lived in Bismarck, ND for 1.5 years. I have lived in multiple locations in Asia and all over the US. Bismarck (and the rest of ND) was the worst place i have ever lived BY FAR.
Start with the weather; it is terrible 6 months of the year, bad for 4 months and ok for 2. The wind blows had all the time. There is NOTHING to do there other than hunt, fish or snow-mobile. Even if you are into those activities, the climate is so harsh that it significantly detracts from your ability to enjoy those activities the majority of the year.
The majority of the state if totally flat and consists of farm-land. As part of my job I regularly flew from one side of the state to the other in a chartered private plane and was able to see a great deal of the state from the air. It is absolutely shocking how little natural land there is there. The vast majority of the state is cultivated. The far western part of the state has some natural landscape left, but it is either flat plains or rolling hills.
There is no climbing there. NONE.
Finally, there is the culture, or lack there of. I found ND to be the most insular, myopic and generally unfriendly place I have ever been. The vast majority of the population is from ND, never wants to leave, thinks the place is awesome, thinks the rest of the US sucks and doesn't want you there. The majority of the population is white and that is the way that they like it. I have lived in the south and Arizona, and found ND to be far more racist and racially exclusive than either of those places. Don't even think about getting good ethnic food there.
I want to be balanced, but am hard pressed to say anything good about ND.
To put it another way, there is no way that I would ever return work in ND, regardless of the money. EVER!!!
If you want more info, shoot me a PM. I will do my best to answer any questions you might have.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:32pm PT
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I worked in Fargo for a few months during the winter in the late 90's.
It was an awesome opportunity for me to learn of another place I never wanted to live.
The wind... the wind.. the GOD-DAMN WIND!
I like wind too but the wind in ND will drive you f'ing insane. It NEVER STOPS.
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plund
Social climber
OD, MN
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:43pm PT
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The answer is.....pretty (horrible).
On the other hand, you CAN get a damn good chicken fried steak in Bismarck
(along with mountains & hot springs the only thing missing here in MN)
My old AFA roomie drove tankers...he was stationed in Fargo, not even the hinterlands...returned from a Mideast deployment (think tent living, 120-degree sandstorm-style)in December to a post-blizzard -40-degree winter wonderland. Got to his rental home (after one trip into the ditch, rescued by bypassing pickup) to find the lee side one GIANT snowdrift to the peak of the roof. Return to base, stay in BOQ, hire a payloader to excavate so he could enter his digs....ahhhh, ND livin!
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:47pm PT
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I spent one winter in the Sahara Desert.
Buttfukin hotter then hell.
The next winter I get sent to North of Duluth Minnesota right next door to North Dakota.
Buttfukin cold. There were days -64 with wind chill.
Yep the wind!!! the fukin wind.
Aaarrrggggggg !!!!!
But, the people up there are awesome ......
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:49pm PT
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You should read Wolf Willow, by Wallace Stegner. It'll tell you something about the unique nature of the area and its climate, and even about its culture - although it is set almost a century ago.
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plund
Social climber
OD, MN
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
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WB - geography check - Duloot is on the east side of state, ND on west....what town were you in? just wondering...
Did you get a chance to check out the North Shore?
thread drift apology!!
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Mar 19, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
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North Dakota is awesome!
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 19, 2012 - 04:04pm PT
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I was on the North Shore. Someplace north of Split Rock Lighthouse.
Right on it.
Freezing ass cold .....
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Mar 19, 2012 - 05:10pm PT
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Welcome to North Dakota
Mountain removal project complete
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Mar 19, 2012 - 06:18pm PT
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North Dakota is awesome!
Bruce, you are sick.
As to the question "How horrible is North Dakota", the answer is: "Horrible beyond your ability to understand horrible."
I spent my first twenty-three years living north of North Dakota, in the Canadian city of Saskatoon. Do you want to know what the absolute best thing is about living in Saskatoon? It's not in North Dakota!
Everyone is telling you about the horrible weather, but the reality is that you'd adapt to the weather. Yeah it's cold in the winter, and windy, but I'd ten times rather have that than some place that's hot and muggy most of the time. No, the real problem -- which one poster mentioned above -- is that it is the worst cultural wasteland that you can imagine. In fact, you probably can't imagine how horrible it will be in that regard. And there is no way to get away from it. No rocks, no mountains, no nothing.
If you move there, you will go mad, and we will read about the messy way you killed yourself.
Obviously, if you're starving, and need a job tomorrow, well, you take what you can get. But what you'll get in ND is probably worse than starving, so don't do it.
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