Info on Challis Id (Pocatello, Idaho Falls: real estate, home, schools)

[wicasa99]

Concidering moving to Challis, escaping the East Coast, large schools, social implosion / explosion, politcal correctness, 'perception is the accepted truth', and 'me - me' syndrome.
Any information on housing, schooling, recreation, winter weather, etc.

[shades_of_idaho]

Hi,

We lived in Clayton and Challis for a combination of 8 years. I loved it over there. Winters are long and usually cold. Not much snow but once it snows the roads are icy for the rest of the season. K-Mart was a 189 mile trip one way in Idaho Falls. We liked to shop in Pocatello better about 26 ? miles from IF.The trip was best not made with snow covered roads although people did it all the time. I remember snow on the Fourth of July and many times on Easter. 30 degrees below zero is not uncommon in the winter. Usual seemed to be about 10 below to zero at nights and 20's in the day and this would be for a couple of months either side of January. You get used to it and dress for it in layers. If the sun was shining 20 degrees is long sleeve flannel shirt. Nice.

Views are beautiful and mountain drives and picnic lunches are great. Better when gas was less expensive.

I would say now the internet is so available to everyone it would be much easier to live over there and be able to get what you wanted with out having to wait for the twice a year shopping trips. Challis is 60 miles from Salmon and there is a hospital there and a little more shopping.

Housing costs would change up and down with the Cypress Thompson Creek mine and I think the other mine was Hecla or?? opening and closing. So when the housing costs were up we left.

We do not have children so I know nothing about the schools. I heard there was a new large grocery store put in since we left. There was a hardware and flower shop and a clothing store,bank and a few restaurants and bars. Several Real Estate offices and post office. Nice City park. There used to be a great thrift store too.

We did not have a problem with this but some do. The towns can be clickish and if you were not born there you might be suspect. If you are not doing something exciting enough for folks to talk about they might make something up. That can also be turned into fun back on them. Evil grin.

Once, one person left town and on the way out changed the population number sign down one number with duct tape and felt pen. :^)

We left there in 1994 and moved to Cambridge,Idaho. Milder climate and closer to shopping at 50 miles each way give or take. There is a new school here but that is all I know about it. We were torn about leaving but left on the upswing of housing costs and were lucky to find a great place here. Would I go back?? Yes I think I would.

Oh I hope you have a job to go to there or some type of home employment. It would not be like going to a large city and finding a good job. We were semi retired when we moved there. I would say the cost of living would be much less considering you are on the East Coast. UGH I lived in Brooklyn as a child.

Chris