ALAMOSA — The sprawling San Luis Valley's isolation has bred resilience for more than a century and a half, going back to before Denver, Colorado Springs and the populous Front Range corridor even existed. But if that remoteness has fostered strong community ties, it's also behind an understandable strain of resentment. To some, it's as though the high alpine valley, surrounded by some of the state's highest peaks, is a forgotten land — except, that is, when Colorado's power centers periodically eye the farming region's water supply to refresh their fast-growing populations. Change is in the air, however. New faces are showing up in its small towns and in its commercial capital, Alamosa, drawn by cheap living and the valley's easy access to mountain trails, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and river rafting on the Rio Grande. "I live 30 miles south in Antonito," Jose Vasquez said during a morning smoke break outside the Walmart in Alamosa, where he is a hair stylist at a salon inside the store. "Even down there, there's a bunch of different people that are just moving in from Pennsylvania, California, all different parts. "That's why I think it's kind of funny… Read full this story
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Denver Post listening tour: Alamosa and the San Luis Valley see isolation as their greatest challenge — and strength have 337 words, post on www.denverpost.com at August 18, 2019. This is cached page on Bach Thien. If you want remove this page, please contact us.