In the modern era, @goldgrifin007, in which we both live (on opposite sides of the world) ...
"Colorado's dense forests and mountains are beautiful, but when it snows, it really becomes a terrible place for humans to live!"
... this is much less an issue than you apparently believe. Man has a great deal of ingenuity when it comes to solving problems. You also have winter there, right?
It can be more challenging in the rural locations which are highlighted in these posts, to be sure. Even then, men in powerful 4-WD trucks are far better equipped to deal with these challenges, than their predecessors mounted on horseback.