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  Thinking About Moving to Pagosa? Assorted Things You Need to Know By Suzanne Matthiessen, March 2006
Government: Pagosa Springs Town Government: Archuleta County Government:
Hospital: We don't have one yet. The closest hospital is Mercy Medical in Durango. Limited emergency services are available in Pagosa and there is a Flight For Life helicopter based in Farmington, New Mexico that services Pagosa Springs' medical facilities and Wolf Creek Ski Area. Wings and Prayers Aviation Service offers prepaid emergency air/ground transportation services 24/7 for members.970-264-5037
Airport: No commercial flights are available at Pagosa's Stevens Fields airport located on Piedra Road. The closest commercial airport is in Durango, but flights to and from there are often expensive. Many locals opt to fly out of Albuquerque, Denver or Colorado Springs. Schools: Pagosa.com has an extensive section on schools in Pagosa Country: http://www.pagosa.com/schools.htm, (NOTE TO DO: can we link to Norm's school's list too?) Thanks. Utilities: Some require a deposit to establish new service. Our phone company is based in Louisiana, although there is an office in Pagosa Springs. Our electric company is a co-operative based in Durango. ElectricityLa Plata Electric CenturyTel 970-264-4151 Natural GasKinder Morgan, Inc. If your area does not provide natural gas hookups and your home is not run entirely on electricity (either provided by LPEA or through solar collectors and back-up generators), then you will need to have LP (liquefied petroleum) gas delivered to a tank located on your property. Propane works very similarly to natural gas, and no modification to existing gas appliances is necessary. Many people opt to have their propane tank buried or covered by fencing or landscaping, but access has to be freely available. Propane Companies Mesa Propane Pagosa Lakes Area Water & Sanitation Garbage Pick Up Waste Management Four Corners Rocky Mountain Cable Both DirecTV® and Dish Network® are available here, please contact local providers to establish service, Ensignal Radio Shack Internet Water: Not everyone has water delivered to their home – many have to haul it in. Some properties have wells. US Mail: If you had mail delivery at your old house, be prepared to have to fetch it when living in Pagosa Country. If US mail is sent to your home address, it will be returned to sender, unless you sign up at the Post Office for mail delivery at one of the have neighborhood "cluster boxes." Or you can do what many locals do: rent a box at the Post Office or Pack and Mail in Fairfield. Getting your mail is a social event in Pagosa. Delivery of packages via UPS, FedEx and other ground carriers to your home is available – when ordering items to be shipped to your house, make sure how it is being sent and specify your shipping address accordingly. Newspapers: Cell phone service: Currently, our local cell phone providers are Verizon and AllTell, so if you have Cingular/ATT, T-Mobile or another company, it's possible you won't have service here. Also, coverage is spotty depending on where you are. Until recently, there was no service at Wolf Creek Ski Area, but that has now changed – but please respect other skiers and boarders and turn your cell off while on the slopes! Business licenses: The Town of Pagosa Springs is now considering the requirement of business licenses. Smoking ordinances: Currently, there are so specific smoking ordinances in Pagosa, but many restaurants are voluntarily smoke-free. Liquor laws: You cannot buy packaged liquor in the state of Colorado on Sunday, but restaurants and bars are allowed to serve alcohol. Beer sold in grocery stores is of a lower alcohol content than what is sold in liquor stores. Helmets: No helmets laws exist for motorcyclists, road or mountain bike cyclists, or skiers or snowboarders. Climate: It's dry here. Your hair and skin will suffer if you don't take precautions—a home humidifier really helps. Drinking lots of water is an absolute necessity. Sunshine: We have approximately 298 days of sunshine here annually, and both humans and vehicles need UV protection. With our high altitude and abundant sunshine, it's easy to get burned. Snowfall: Pagosa Country averages 33 inches of snow annually in town, but most of the time the water content is low, hence the term "powder." Wolf Creek Ski Area averages 465 inches annually and uses no man-made snow ever! "Mud Season": If you love to have a spotlessly clean vehicle, you will be washing it daily in Pagosa Country, particularly during "mud season" which directly follows a wet winter and can last for months – and then is revived during monsoon season in late summer. Most locals give up their attachment to a shiny car, truck or SUV shortly upon moving here. Gardens and landscapes: If you want to bring your favorite jasmine plant from "back home" to plant here, forget about it. We live in USDA Zone 3 – 4, and that means plants that cannot survive harsh winters will not make it. We have about 100 frost-free days in Pagosa Country. Our soil is of poor quality and needs lots of amending, and although the growing season short, many plants thrive here. Greenhouses and Growing Domes are the best choice for those who love to have vegetable gardens.
Wildlife: Skunks, bears, deer, elk, rabbits, mice, rats and voles can all show up on your property. Do not feed wildlife! Keep garbage secured. Big Box SuperStores: No Target, Wal-Mart or Home Depot stores are in located in Pagosa Country as of yet. There is a moratorium against building any Big Box store here, but it is being reviewed. Hot Springs: The high sulfur content of our mineral springs will discolor silver jewelry, but if you accidentally climb in with your jewelry on it can be removed with silver cleaner. "Pagosa Time": Many long-time residents operate on a "whenever" time frame, and this can be very frustrating for people used to punctuality.High altitude cooking and baking: Most locals report not having to make any adjustments to their favorite recipes upon moving here, but the CSU Extension Office offers some helpful hints: http://www.cerc.colostate.edu/titles/P41.html Fishing and hunting: You must have license to fish and hunt here. Hunting is only permitted during specified seasons. Please do not trespass on private property. Please visit the fishing and hunting sections of the Adventure Guide to learn more. Swimming: Swimming in Lake Pagosa, Village Lake, Lake Hatcher and Forest Lake is not permitted: $50.00 fine per violation. Search and Rescue Cards: If you spend any time at all hiking in the National Forest or skiing/snowshoeing in the backcountry this is an important item to carry with you. If you don't have a Colorado Search and Rescue (CORSAR) card and you get lost and need to be rescued, you may face massive fines. By purchasing a CORSAR card you are contributing to the Search and Rescue Fund, which will reimburse rescue teams for costs incurred in your search and rescue. The card is not insurance and does not pay for medical transport, including helicopter flights or ground ambulance. Buying a CORSAR card only costs $3 for one year and $12 for five years. They can be purchased at Ponderosa, Switchback and Ski and Bow Rack, by calling 970-248-7310 or online: https://165.127.196.7:8443/search_rescue/main Firewood and "Cut Your Own" Christmas Trees: Permits are required to cut down trees on San Juan Public Lands in SW Colorado for firewood or for Christmas trees. 970- 264-2268. http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan/passes/spec-forest-prods.pdf Dress code: Basically there isn't one, unless you want to have dinner over at Keyah Grande where men are required to wear suit jackets.
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