Arrival in Durango, CO

I’ve been here since September 21.  That’s not even three weeks, but it feels like longer.  I spent the first few days cruising craigslist for a job and a place to stay.  The work came only four days after I arrived.  I am working with a local contractor who does many different building projects, but a significant part of his work is installing snow melt systems on roofs.  We’ve been working at Durango Mountain Resort, aka Purgatory, the local ski resort, which has provided the most beautiful scenery in the mountains at 8k ft. above sea level just 25 miles north of town.  Besides the weekend I spent in Phoenix at my cousin’s wedding, I have spent the nights either camping in the San Juan National Forest or in my car.  The housing situation here is tough.  Rent is more than I am used to, and I have a feeling there are more people looking for a place to stay than there are open rentals.  The weather has been sunny with highs in the 60’s to 70 with the exception of a few stormy days.  Some highlights so far have been seeing a mountain lion less than half a mile from where I sleep on a mountain, having a black bear visit us for lunch on the jobsite, and watching the snow fall outside as I am writing this.  The trees have turned color, and the air is getting crisp.  So far, I am loving it here.