In short
Denver sits at one thousand six hundred and nine metres — exactly one mile, hence the nickname. A step at the Capitol is engraved at that precise altitude.
The Rocky Mountain resorts — Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen — are one or two hours away, and Rocky Mountain national park an hour and a half.
What it really costs
Housing has risen sharply over the last decade with an influx from the coasts. Denver is no longer the cheap city it was.
A car is necessary for the mountains. A train links the airport to downtown, but not the resorts.
What nobody tells you
The altitude tells from arrival: breathlessness, disturbed sleep, and alcohol hitting faster. Going up to ski at three thousand metres the day after landing is a bad idea.
The sun is intense at this altitude, winter and cold weather included. Sunburn while skiing is more common here than elsewhere.
The climate is dry and highly variable: twenty degrees of swing in a day is unremarkable, and it can snow in May.