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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 22, 2013 - 09:29pm PT
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Yup....Yosemite is a place for superlatives. Best climbing on the planet and right up there for the worst hang.
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bergbryce
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Dec 27, 2013 - 01:09am PT
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School me on Lodi.
There is a possibility I could be moving to the central valley for school at some point in time which would take place in Stockton. Everyone says Stockton is dangerous and I need to live in Lodi or somewhere else nearby.
Suggestions besides going to school somewhere else?
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Dec 27, 2013 - 03:50am PT
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San Jose is 3.5 hours from the Valley.
San Jose must have moved, 'cause I lived in San Jose for many years and it never took less than 5-1/2 hours. And I drove to the Valley almost every weekend for years.
One time I made it in 4 hours hitch-hiking. I hitched a ride in San Jose with a guy who was trying to get to his brother's wedding on time (in 3 hours). I was so terrified of how fast he was driving I closed my eyes and pretended to go to sleep so that I wouldn't have to look.
If you leave San Jose at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night, at 11:00 p.m. you'll still be trying to get out of the Bay Area traffic.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned how bad the crime is in San Jose and the central valley (Frezno, Modesto, etc.). I guess you guys are all just accustomed to living in high crime areas.
Bishop has my vote. Bishop rules.
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Harvey Manfrenjensen
Big Wall climber
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Dec 27, 2013 - 04:02am PT
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After 57 posts by the locals telling you how shitty that area is to live in...
Live somewhere you like and road trip it.
I dunno
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Dec 27, 2013 - 04:39am PT
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Hmm, if you leave San Jose at 6pm on Friday, it might well take you 5.5 hours.
Especially if it was in the years before 101 was widened south of San Jose - that used to be quite a bottleneck. Or before 205 at Tracy went to 6 lanes.
I've done the drive many times in 3.5 hours from Palo Alto,
but usually I leave at 7:30, 8pm or later.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Dec 27, 2013 - 08:28am PT
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Harry gets it. Crime is the stopper for many settlers in the Central Valley.
Where ya land is where ya land.
If you HAVE a choice,
STAY OUT of the Central Valley plains, where you could get mugged, knifed, rolled, car-jacked, die of lung disease, get run over by a Budweiser truck, die in a drive-by or gang shooting, a police shooting, or a domestic beef with your significant one;
find no job for months on end if you get laid off, fight traffic lights, ignorant drivers, fog, miles and miles of flat, open fields, miles and miles of having no view for the f*#king orchards;
and Taco wagons every third block in some neighborhoods, Armenian colonials, Hmong colonials, Jalisco colonials, Sonora colonials, a world of colonials;
methamphetamine farms, pot farms, low-riders, cowboy wannabes, oil patchers, The CHP, homeless by the score in many places, more Mexican radio stations than in Mexico itself;
Mouse from Merced, the HEAT, the bad air for days and days, and maybe in-laws if you are truly out of favor with the Lord.
On the other hand, there's the whole Sierra Nevada, not just Yosemite, to play in when time permits.
And Oakdale. Can't forget Oakdale. Get to Oakdale for the Climbing Festival and look around. (It's looking better than Merced to me right now.)
I've lived in the Valley and the Valley and I'd not hesitate to choose the Valley over the Valley.
It's a no-brainer.
The City just plain isn't in it.
[Click to View YouTube Video]It all works out.
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JerryA
Mountain climber
Sacramento,CA
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Dec 27, 2013 - 12:09pm PT
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In January my son & I visited Louisville for the Cyclocross World Championships and noticed how much the restaurants were like those in the San Francisco Bay Area .Right now I think that is where you would find a great outdoor & people place to move to. Good luck !
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Dec 27, 2013 - 12:39pm PT
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everybody knows those SF to Valley drive times start at Altamont and end at the Iron door.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 27, 2013 - 03:59pm PT
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Crawford, Co.....sweet little town next to the West Elk Wilderness. Okay, it's not near Yosemite but it is right next to the Black Canyon....a Yosemite like experience with a little more spice, few people and no ranger hassles.
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John M
climber
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Dec 27, 2013 - 04:31pm PT
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I think bergbryce is still waiting for someone to tell him about Lodi. I don't know it at all.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 27, 2013 - 04:36pm PT
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Montecito.....a little distance but if you can afford to live there you probably have a helicopter option.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 27, 2013 - 05:30pm PT
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^^^^OK, Jim. Now the whole office is trying to figure out why I can't stop laughing.
John
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Ryan Tetz
Trad climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Dec 28, 2013 - 01:49pm PT
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Over the last 2 decades, I've lived in Sonora, Placerville, Napa Valley, Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows, Flagstaff, and Bishop/Mammoth Lakes. I've pretty much been based in Bishop the last 3 years. I have to say, Bishop has a good thing going for it as far as getting out in general. There is a good vibe here because the people that move here like to get out and do things; that's why a lot of them moved here! This is my second "climbing town". I've skied more here than any of the other places on the list. I've got deep into endurance road biking. I'm invited to go bouldering about every other day year round. I've had to get used to constantly turning down partners most weeks because days off are already doing something else fun! The weather is unbeatable year round (I thought Flag had it good!). The social scene is different, but pretty cool because most of the folks you know end up being 20-40 something climber/mountain folks. There are always a few folks stoked on sport climbing at the gorge (although it only goes up to a handful of 5.13's and the routes tend to be tech/endurofests more than steep sport style. The mainstream sport climbing road tripper scene has mostly moved on so town definitely tends to be a bouldering crew town). Tuolumne Meadows is pretty darn close in the summer. It's probably the best day trip choice in Yosemite in general. There is really good fishing and alpine climbing opportunities in the summer as well. There isn't good airport access here without driving 4-6 hours in any direction. Gas and groceries cost more $$$ because of the distance isolation.
We tend to miss out pretty hard on the spring Yose season waiting for the pass to open up. There are a few short weeks of climbable weather in the Valley immediately after the pass opens, most locals get 1 or 2 trips in, then we wait till fall. The valley cools down sometime between sept/oct with the pass closing around Nov so that's another 6-10 weeks of doable weather in the valley... So 2-3 months of good Yosemite weather access a year if you can hang with that! I try to get on walls during the hot season or occasionally early start really long routes to get some Valley mileage in during July/Aug etc. It does hurt a little bit sometimes thinking about the t shirt climbing weather I've had there in February that is off limits to us. We generally hurt for trad climbing access out here. It can be found, but not tons close for regular cragging days!
So far I really like it here overall! I would say move to a climbing town with decent year round weather if at all possible if that is really what you want to do! As far as this list is concerned, I'd say Sonora is probably the best bet for being real close to the Valley year round if that is #1. There is some steep sport and bouldering there too!
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