I agree that the whole roughing it in the Mtn's thing would get old very fast, BUT..

In a long term situation, staying in the cities would becoming more dangerous. As the resources evaporated, people will become more and more desparate. Also consider that without water, heating and refrigeration, hygeine will degrade to unhealthy levels and people, in desperation, will consume food that will make them sick, and diseases WILL seemingly pop up out of nowhere and spread like wildfire.

If you physically remove yourself from the masses, you give yourself a bit of a barrier from some of those risks. You increase your chances for survival.

Just something to think about.