Does Idaho, Arizona or Utah have better mountain ranges? (Boise: job market, taxi)

[NessofOnett]

I'm looking for highly conservative mountain villages. I'd prefer a town with low population, rural and surrounded by forest. I know Idaho is one of the highest conservative states in the country, what about Utah and Arizona?

[banjomike]

Idaho is the most mountainous state in the lower 48. The entire center of the state is all mountains.
If it was able to iron Idaho flat, it would be bigger than Alaska.

The highest and rockiest mountains are in the southern half, but northern Idaho is also mountainous- just not as craggy. A big corner of S. Idaho is a steppe- high and dry, cut by deep canyons, and N. Idaho is much more rolling hills (in very general topography). Lots of small towns are at the edges of mountain ranges, and a few are in the middle.

The East Idaho corridor in the southern half lies along a series of mountain ranges to the east and is on the edge of the Arco desert- that high steppe- on the west. The mountains include the Teton range, the Bitterroot range, and the northern Wasatch range. All are part of the Western Rockies.

All the state are conservative, but each has a different brand of conservatism. Arizona is, in my estimation, the most conservative of the three. Utah's conservatism is largely religious in nature, and Idaho is more Libertarian in nature.

[MysticalDream]

Idaho has the greatest!! I climbed to the top of Lookout Mountain next to the Sawtooth Range in Stanley and at the top (10,000ft) I could see a good majority of the mountains of South Idaho. I was just so amazed that I cried when I was at the top, because I never saw beauty like this, even in all my years in Oregon and Washington.

Also, Idaho has great gun laws and is conservative outside of Boise's little liberal enclave. Boise kind of sucks for forests, but about 1.5 hours out of city there is some of the most beautiful and thick forests I have ever seen.. North Idaho is also so amazing.. Check out Priest Lake and the smaller , but still majestic mountain ranges up in the North.

To add to banjomike, you will find quite a Mormon influence in the Southern part of Idaho, even Boise has a bit of a Mormon element. That can be looked at as good or bad, depending on your beliefs. It hasn't bothered me, but definitely avoid drinking at bars here and driving home. Use a taxi or designated driver. Judging by your first post, you don't sound like the kind of guy who goes hitting up the urban night life, so I think you will be ok. Boise is probably the safest city I have ever been in for its size.

Heres some of the pics I took on my trip last summer to the Sawtooth Mountains.. I also did another trip this November and the place was deserted but the scenery was even more magnificent with all the Sawtooths covered in snow..

Sawtooth Mountains - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67658326@N05/sets/72157627702813090/ - broken link)

P.S. I don't know if flick links are allowed here, so if the link gets removed, please PM me and I can show u the pics..

[elkotronics]

MysticalDream-wow, those Flickr pics of the Sawtooth Mountains are really gorgeous. Stunning...Idaho is so beautiful!

[NW Crow]

You might consider Mapleton Utah or outside it. Within reach of lots of IT jobs in Provo.

[TohobitPeak]

Easily Idaho. Boise has many IT jobs.

[warea_25]

Lots of small towns are at the edges of mountain ranges, and a few are in the middle.http://www.*****.info/g.gif (broken link)

[pw72]

Idaho offers more mountains, more beauty, but most importantly, more affordable than Utah. Avoid Sun Valley, though. Plenty of other beautiful affordable mountain communities. Check McCall, Silver Mountain, Targhee, and others.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

But tough to find a very small, remote, conservative "mountain village" with a thriving IT job market!

[JimBaker488]

The great state of Idaho definitely surpases Utah and Arizona when it comes to mountain ranges, but that's almost like comparing apples and oranges because desert/canyon country is the top attraction when it comes to the natural physical beauty of UT & AZ. The canyon country of Utah is simply incredible, truely a national treasure.
The real heavyweight of mountain country in the lower 48 is of course Colorado and then you've got to sort out the others where MT & WY
would probably rank above ID.