22 Unwritten Colorado Rules That All Centennial Staters Know
We have rules in Colorado. They're not necessarily on the books, but they do exist. These are 22 unwritten rules every Coloradoan knows by heart.
Most of these fall well within the realm of obvious. Some, as well known as they are, can sometimes slip under the radar. Just so we're all on the same page, here's a quick refresher.
Colorado Truisms
It snows in Colorado. We love it when it snows in Colorado. Sometimes it's hot in Colorado, frequently breaking 100 degrees. We love that, too. There's nothing new here.
Unwritten rules, or "unspoken" rules, are those little behavioral constraints a society or group adheres to based on assumptions. Since everyone heads straight for the mountains at the first sign of snow, I assume they love snow as much as I do. Given the fact it's difficult to find a parking spot at the Palisade Rim Trail, I assume Coloradoans love to hike.
You won't find these on a sign in front of City Hall. The Governor has not signed them into law. These are assumptions most of us hold to be true.
NOTE: You'll notice I'm using Coloradoans instead of Coloradans. This is because I'm old and have no desire to change now. When I was growing up, we were called Coloradoans. The designation worked fine when I was sporting brown bell-bottom corduroy pants and a bowl cut, and it sounds just as good today.
Sources For This Gallery
If you conduct a search, you'll find there are several sites sharing lists of unwritten Colorado rules. Most dwell on topics such as craft beer and skiing. The gallery below was constructed using suggestions from a number of websites. The "rules" below were inspired by posts from Only In Your State and Ranker.
Some Words of Wisdom To Be Found
For the most part, the gallery below contains basic common sense sprinkled with a dash of caution. For example, one unwritten rule is "Bring plenty of water." Colorado can be a scorcher, not to mention a very arid environment. Water is a must.
Another would be 'Avoid I-70 during ski season." If you like sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic waiting for your bladder to explode, by all means, drive I-70 through Vail during the morning rush.