Did You Know That Colorado Has a ‘Code of the West’ for Transplants?

Did you know that Colorado has a "code" for transplants?

We're not talking about the general advice many natives think transplants should follow — don't mention California, don't bring up Texas, don't root for the Raiders, etc.

We're talking about the actual "Code of the West," a document former Larimer County commissioner John Clarke created to teach transplants about life in Colorado.

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However, the code isn't just for out-of-state newcomers. It mostly addresses city slickers who want to try their hand at country livin' — so it could apply to Denver, Boulder, or Fort Collins residents too.

"It's for people who may have lived in cities all their lives and decided they'd like to live in the country and would enjoy that lifestyle," Clarke told the Los Angeles Times in 1997. "That's great, but they need to know there are some things that are different that they might not realize."

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Clarke didn't go rogue with the code, either. The publication notes that he consulted multiple sources — including real estate brokers, residents, and Colorado State University — when creating it so that it would be as unbiased as possible.

Summit County then adapted Clarke's code and made it clear that the guide isn't a be-all and end-all for transplants, stating: "There are other issues you may encounter that we have overlooked, and we encourage you to be vigilant in your duties to explore and examine those things that could cause your move to be less than you expect."

It's serious stuff. Take a look at Summit County's version of the Colorado "Code of the West" in the gallery below.