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Scott and Cindy MacGray don't look like they are in their 50s. But then, neither do most of their friends.

"I don't know what the deal is," Scott said. "But most of our friends here are at least 10 years younger than we are."

It may be that young adults in the Yampa Valley are drawn to the combination of wisdom and youthful energy the MacGrays exude.

Scott is a former youth pastor, and Cindy reaches out to younger women through a casual discussion group she organizes.

"We're both very passionate about being interested in people's lives," Cindy said. "I've been leading parenting classes for a group of younger mothers."

Cindy observes that although Steamboat is paradise in the Rockies, this can be a challenging community for young families because of the high cost of living and the frequent need to change careers.

Gretchen Patterson and her fiance have been taking pre-marital classes with the MacGrays.

"Scott and Cindy are incredible," Patterson said. "They're so calm, and they've provided us a great example of how to live life."

The MacGrays moved to Steamboat Springs in 2000 from a remote town in extreme Northern California. It was their son, Jeremy, who came here to pursue competitive freestyle skiing, who urged them to make the move.

"We decided to take a year off, and eight years later, we're still here and don't want to leave," Scott said.

The MacGrays raised Jeremy and his sister, Charis (Petty), for a dozen years in Rochester, Minn. Scott was the pastor of a community church there.

They left the upper Midwest for a mountain lifestyle not far from Mount Shasta in Etna, Calif. Scott had taken a position as a youth pastor in the little community where logging and mining dominate the economy.

Today, the MacGrays pursue their passion for hiking and snowshoeing while working in the real estate and development industries.

Cindy is a Realtor at Prudential Steamboat Realty, and Scott works for son Jeremy's thriving construction business at JSM Builders. Scott worked first as a carpenter and project manager and now helps his son with the banking aspect of the construction business.