wanting to move west. have some questions

[Mainer]

So heres the story. I'm a 19 y.o. kid from the great state of Maine. I love this state but a few years back I fell in love with the west. I'm obviously way into sledding but i also love hunting, fishing and just being outdoors. Until now, moving west has seemed like just a dream that would have to wait but now I I'm begining to think if I don't do this soon it will never happen and I will always wish I had given it a shot. My lease is up in April and I'm thinking about jumping in head first.

So has anyone on here done this? Do you have any advice?

I'm interested in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. All my experience in the west is in Colorado and Utah. I have a friend who guides for elk out of steam boat and I'm really leaning towards that area. What am I looking at for rent price somewhere around there, not necessarily in town? And how is job avalibility?

I have a lot of experience in excavation (family business). What would it take to get a job somewhere out there in this field? I can operate and labor. Is there any kind of liscensing for operators in Colorado? I also worked as a carpenter for a summer and wouldn't mind doing that for now. Do you have any advice on how to look for a job thats so far away?

Thanks to anyone who responds. I would love to get some real opinions and advice and any info I can get on jobs in Colorado would be great. I cant think of a better place to ask about this than here.

 

[XC700116]

You can get an operator's job in the coal fields of Wy or in the oil fields pretty easily if you can show your experience. As far as CO goes the rent thing varies widely depending on the local. Let me know if you do it as I have a spare room that I'm considering renting out in my house.

 

[Mainer]

just wondering what your location is and what 1 room rent is a month usualy? trying to get an idea. pm if you would. thanks

 

[Rmk900rider]

Its not a good time here in Montana for any construction jobs at all. The slowest we have been ever.

 

[SNOW JW]

It's slow in MT but has not stopped. Great place to live the house prices are a little out of hand but that is changing slowly.

 

[Mainer]

so anyone want to give me a job?

keep the info coming. i cant stop thinking about it. its where i want to be.

 

[spring snow hero]

mainer, times are lean out here. if you have plans on making big bux then you better be very good, very lucky and very humble. I wear many hats in the construction industry and I am having to do things I swore I would not do again. I have seen many highly skilled guys tripped for lack of work.....it sux. not trying to burst your bubble, just keeping it real. if you have any payments you prolly want to lose them before heading out here. construction being construction.....you never know what will happen.

 

[FIII_Mtn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonah_Field

http://www.ultrapetroleum.com/prop-greenriver.html

$17-$18 for crap work (no skills necessary) is pretty easy to find. Pinedale is small, but livable. As with all boom areas, prices tend to be on the high side. Good riding up in the area. Kid that loads my truck w/ condensate every day came from Cali just a few months ago, so it's quite doable.

 

[Blu Du]

had a guy move to gillette to work in the coal mines. but i heard that there is a hireing freeze there now.

 

[Mainer]

See theres the thing, I have no attachments to Maine. No payments, no house (after my lease is up) no girl. I'm 19 and I have a dream that I really would love to give a real shot. I always will have a job here in Maine if things don't work out. I'm putting the money together this winter and I'm having the talk with my parents tomorrow night

Keep that info coming. Would really love to find a job that gives me some operating and labor time or at least the opportunity to move up.

Thanks to everyone so far!

 

[joshkoltes]

freeze

i heard of the freeze also, but my friend came out and got a haul truck job at narm almost immediately through manpower. he backed out cause its soo hard to leave mn where we are from, guess he got cold feet like im gonna have on sun with a high of -15 i hear.
if one comes out here to gillette for a job though they have to be six months drug free cause theres a hair folical test. i think that haul truck driver job started at 17 somthin?

 

[spring snow hero]

mainer I was 21 when I loaded up my pickup and travel trailer and headed to alaska with $900.00 in my pocket. it took me 400 of that to get there. I scored a job, stayed in a shiddy rv park for a month or two and then I was back on my feet and livin' large. what I learned is if you want to do something, see it believe it and achieve it. life is about what you can do not what you have done. but in the current times it will pay big time to have a job waiting for you.

 

[woodzy]

If you have a dream of living out west, come out west!!! Life is too short to live with regrets. A man that is willing to work will find work.

 

[JHG]

There are jobs out here for people willing to work. In my personal experience, having lived in both Colorado and Montana, I have found Montana to be an easier place to make a living and build a decent life. Just my experience though. Housing is pretty steep around the Bozeman and Missoula areas but in some parts of the state it's still pretty reasonable. A friend of mine is renting a pretty nice 2 bedroom apt. in Great Falls for $475. That same place would be at least $850 in Bozeman. There are lots of students in Bozeman though so it's pretty easy to find a room to rent for pretty cheep. Some friends of mine are looking for a roommate now, nice place w/ garage for 350/mo. You just have to live with 3 other people. As far as jobs, I know one construction company in town now looking for a few people and the time of year you're talking about moving will be when things are getting started after the winter. Just some thoughts, if you want to do it, do it. It just may not be easy right away.

 

[TIM]

at 19 you don't need a whole lot. Take a seasonal job in the summer and another in the winter. Try it for a few years. find out where in the west you want to live and than go for a real job.

A lot of seasonal jobs in the tourist industry have housing with the job.

I was a raft guide for a couple of years and in the winter i cooked in restaurants.

 

[Beels]

at 19 you don't need a whole lot. Take a seasonal job in the summer and another in the winter. Try it for a few years. find out where in the west you want to live and than go for a real job.

A lot of seasonal jobs in the tourist industry have housing with the job.

I was a raft guide for a couple of years and in the winter i cooked in restaurants.

Tim, if you run a raft the same way you ride your sled, THAT would be one hell of a ride...

 

[christian]

Do it

 

[sldgy]

They even hire hippies out west.

 

[Snoman69]

The biggest thing you need to think about is having money saved up to get out west and survive while you look for a job.... In construction, you are very unlikely to have someone hire you when 3000 miles away...... When I moved I saved up ~5K to keep me going while I found a job... It is amazing how quick that goes....

So I say, save some money, decide where you want to go, and do it.... Life is to short not to live it a bit.

 

[REV GUY]

Hey man I had the same exact thoughts that are going through your mind with wanting to move and try something differrent when your young. Im a little older than you(25) but I still did it. Me and my girl packed up our things in an enclosed trailer and moved to Alaska. Thats a little farther than you want to go. I knew that snowmobiling was a serious passion of mine and I had to persue it. Ive been here 3 months and been riding 8 times already, I love it. And now the job opprotunities are starting to come. Live with no REGRETS!