So...what is your impression of the state of the economy in Chaffee County right now? Are there people out of work? Are people having to compete for work, given the collapse of travel and tourism? Is it really true that some people are camping out due to homelessness (temporary or otherwise)? Would you personally feel safe (for example) going 5 miles off road on a hike - or bike ride? Have you heard about those boards with the nails in them that were found on mountain bike trails near Salida?.
Source: Me, lots of time in the area in the last several months. MOO etc.
People out of work - yes, but there are also some jobs becoming available. I've seen local places advertising. In general, the industry is outdoor tourism. The jobs I've seen most are in stores.
Travel and tourism are coming back. Downtown has streets blocked off for restaurant seating. Takeout has been alive for a while. Hotels and VRBOs were told they could open in the last few weeks. Rafting is open. Trails and camping are open. Traffic has been picking up through town over the past few weeks with people stopping for supplies, food, beer, etc on their way to camp and more recently staying in hotels. When the county opened for business, people had already been coming in, but it really picked up speed now that it's legal and encouraged. As a customer, I've felt that people seemed generally optimistic since things were opening again.
I have in the past 3 months felt very safe skiing, biking, and hiking, within and outside of 5 miles from main roadways. The trails that were vandalized are a small portion of trails available, close to town. Local bike and trail groups have posted on Facebook cleanup and warnings, etc. The vandalism is of course bad but it's not widespread, afik. I'm not in town proper enough to get the scuttlebutt on what everyone thinks, but in general, there does not seem to be a cloud of fear, danger, or despair.
Housing, even to rent, is expensive, and that's been a persistent problem for a few years that city/county leadership are trying to address. There's unmet demand for affordable rentals. The Chaffee County Community Foundation raised a lot of money to help people out in the past couple of months with housing, food, etc. No idea how much was given out.
Construction is pretty active. I don't have ## for comparison. In recent years there's been a great demand for skilled labor.
Lots of professionals I know in the area work remotely.
There aren't that many homeless people visible when you drive through town. I know there are some there, but it's not a huge visible problem.
City leaders and citizens did/are doing a good job of following COVID-19 precautions. Some people might think it's a wild west sort of town but it's been chill, law-abiding, and friendly, IMO.