Girdwood<->Anchorage Daily Commute? (Eagle: ski resort, real estate)

[XuSpartanGoduX]

Hello all first post on here and just trying to get some advice before making any big decisions.

My wife and I are moving to Alaska in the near future for a change of scenery and to start out family.

I will likely be working in the Anchorage area as an volcanologist and we are looking for a small town in the area that gets a good amount of snow because we enjoy winter sports.

Of course not being an Alaska native I do not know all of the areas, how much snow they get, what their commutes are like, and price ranges.

So I suppose getting to the real question were currently interested in moving to Girdwood and just commuting to Anchorage daily. However I've read a few things that say that making that commute is just playing with the odds and its bound to be a suicide run and others that have said that its not that bad so I'm just attempting to get an idea of how it is.

If it is that bad advice on other small town areas with decent snow totals is appreciated! We have a household income of around $180,000 a year so we aren't doing that bad.

Thanks

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by XuSpartanGoduX

around $180,000 a year so we aren't doing that bad.

LOL, wait till you move to Alaska!

What exactly do you consider "decent snow totals"? This is Alaska - it snows everywhere in the winter.

Have you looked at real estate prices in Girdwood? I'm assuming you want to live in a real house, not a vacation Cabin.

Also, assuming your job requires working in Anchorage, there's really nothing more that Girdwood has to offer in the winter sports area over Anchorage other than a big, over-priced ski resort. Everything else (winter trails, hiking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, etc) is also readily available in the greater Anchorage/Eagle River area without the illogical commute.

My advice FWIW - buy a nice house in South Anchorage or the Hillside area with killer view and a low stress 15-20 min daily commute, then drive to Girdwood on nice, sunny winter days when you feel the need for some downhill skiing - as opposed to being forced to drive an hour each way into Anchorage, every day, even in the winter dark, in frequent winter storms, in hurricane force 90+ mph Turnagain Arm winds, with blowing snow, zero visibility, on icy roads, battling clueless drivers, braving sneaky Moose, rock slides, avalanches...need I continue...?

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

as opposed to being forced to drive an hour each way into Anchorage, every day, even in the winter dark, in frequent winter storms, in hurricane force 90+ mph Turnagain Arm winds, with blowing snow, zero visibility, on icy roads, battling clueless drivers, braving sneaky Moose, rock slides, avalanches...need I continue...?

I think Mr. Moose works as a welcomer for the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. http://www.babywonderland.com/images...0wagonboy2.jpg

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by XuSpartanGoduX

Hello all first post on here and just trying to get some advice before making any big decisions.

My wife and I are moving to Alaska in the near future for a change of scenery and to start out family.

I will likely be working in the Anchorage area as an volcanologist and we are looking for a small town in the area that gets a good amount of snow because we enjoy winter sports.

Of course not being an Alaska native I do not know all of the areas, how much snow they get, what their commutes are like, and price ranges.

So I suppose getting to the real question were currently interested in moving to Girdwood and just commuting to Anchorage daily. However I've read a few things that say that making that commute is just playing with the odds and its bound to be a suicide run and others that have said that its not that bad so I'm just attempting to get an idea of how it is.

If it is that bad advice on other small town areas with decent snow totals is appreciated! We have a household income of around $180,000 a year so we aren't doing that bad.

Thanks

Girdwood is a very nice place to live verses Anchorage per say. The people are friendly, but the drive to Anchorage is insane, pretty much like the drive in from the valley. Just less cars on mostly a two lane highway, where coming in from the valley is four then to six after Eagle River.

Since you have a good income, I would look at the Subdivision just after Potter's Marsh, it goes up onto the Mountains and is upper end housing, but very good views of the inlet.

What you might want to do for a bit, is just find a rental in the area you want to move to and see how it suits you, Girdwood gets a lot of snow, but they have a very good ski slope there as well which does get packed at times, but is still first class.

If your hours to work are early to town and early back then the drive isn't too bad, but during the normal 8 to 5 traffic is does get a bit bad. Most of the Avalanches are controlled by cannon fire by the state now so you don't get monster road blocks like in years past! But they do happen. Use to be that people got killed in them, but now they have a pretty aggressive prevention system in place.

Took this in about Feb this year, they block off the road and then start blasting the mountain side......


Avalanche in Turnagain Arm - YouTube