Welcome Letter

Welcome to Summit County, Colorado, also known as Colorado’s playground!

Congratulations on making the decision to relocate to the majestic Rocky Mountains, we are happy to have you join our transient community. Following are some tips to make your transition to mountain living easy and enjoyable:

1. Visitors from all over the world frequent our mountain communities and provide us with a thriving tourist economy. It is for this reason that we have devised an affectionate nickname for them, “Gaper”. The term “Gaper” has evolved from the tendency of our visitors to stare, open-mouthed, at the scenery and such that litter our highways and byways. It is very important that you only use the term to speak about our visitors with other locals. We would prefer if the “Gapers” remained unaware of this pet name and thus our dependence upon them.

2. You will interact with “Gapers” on a daily basis; it is a part of the joy and excitement of living in a resort community. Be cordial, polite and slightly wary of anyone that is visiting. Most are just lovely to have as our guests but you will find that a few may try your patience, especially while driving, and it is important to remain calm and collected in the face of these encounters. Following are two examples of situations you may encounter and how to react:

1. Driving behind an individual from a state that does not experience much snowfall and without the proper equipment can be quite trying during a blizzard. These drivers may be spotted driving 20 to 30 miles under the speed limit in the left hand lane and generally have their hazard lights flashing. In some cases, they may be driving a vehicle having four-wheel drive, which generates a false sense of security. These individuals are usually driving 20 to 30 miles over the speed limit and erratically changing lanes. In either instance, you should promptly get away from these “Gapers” as quickly as possible in order to avoid bearing witness to any unforeseen accidents they may experience.

2. Some of the “Gapers” do forget the “rules of the road” when they come to the high country. This could be in part due to the elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level and the lack of enough oxygen getting to the brain or it could be the excitement of our majestic mountain beauty. Regardless, it is important not to overreact when you are:

· Cut off merging onto the highway

· Honked at while stopping for pedestrians at a crosswalk

· Given the finger for yielding to cyclists

· Overlooked at a four way stop

· Mowed down in a crosswalk

These situations call for patience and understanding of our guests. Please practice and perfect a grin and wave to implement in these types of situations that will mask what you are actually thinking. Having a potty mouth and using obscene gestures will only alienate our guests and keep them from spending money.

3. Grocery shopping can be challenging if you go during peak “Gaper” times. Generally, it is safe to shop at 6:30 am, preferably on Monday morning. If you miss this time-slot, you may encounter hoards of “Grocery Gapers”. “Grocery Gapers” have some difficulty navigating the aisles of the grocery store so they will ask repeatedly for information. Please be courteous and do not point out that you do not work at the grocery store (if you do not) or that you have given these directions to one of the other 10 or so people in their party. In addition, please try to refrain from sending them to the wrong locations. This only prolongs their time in the store and your exposure to them. Practice the grin, move swiftly through your list and avoid the self-checkout lane.

4. If you have a tendency towards the abuse of alcohol and drugs, you may want to reconsider your move to “Colorado’s Playground”. The hospitality industry is rich in temptation for both legal and illegal substances and many of our fine residents enjoy the plethora of opportunities for indulgence on a frequent basis. If you do find yourself in a situation where you think you have a problem, or you have a court mandate to seek help, we do have a vast array of support groups that are widely attended. Attending a meeting is a great way to network and get to know some of the leaders of our fine community.

We hope that you find these tips useful and welcome you once again to Summit County. Life at 9,000 feet is quite spectacular and we hope that you will love it as much as we do. If you do find that you will be moving on after the ski or summer season is over, please participate in the county recycling program and pass this tip sheet on to one of your new housemates.