Where to go? (Idaho Falls, Moscow, Post Falls: how much, living in, airport)

[Ninjamastr1217]

I was born and raised in Indiana and am looking for a change of place, a place that's wild and forested with plenty of wildlife but away from metropolises, and i've narrowed in down to 3, Northern Idaho, Western Montana, or Alaska. I was wondering, what things about Northern Idaho would i enjoy over the other two options?

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Welcome to the Idaho forum. We have a wealth of information here, and I think you would enjoy doing some research on your own, reading old and new threads. Based on your previous posts you're looking for outdoor work once you've graduated, and that should be your top priority--researching the kind of work a further education would make possible in all three states.

That being said, North Idaho has the forests and the wildlife you're longing for, but it also has easier access to towns with amenities. If you're in, say, Clark Fork, you have access to pristine wilderness, but you can be at the Spokane International Airport in less than 2 hours, and at the Sandpoint hospital, or Wal-Mart, or a bank, in about 25 minutes. And be realistic--sometimes you will need the amenities of civilization. You will also need a job--so again, that consideration should come first.

Good luck! Your time of life is exciting, and dreaming big is fine. Just stay grounded, do your research, and plan to visit all three states before making a decision, maybe finding temp summer work. That will teach you so much about living in the West.

[SelwaySasquatch]

Alaska is for crazy people, so you're left with Montana and Idaho.
I lived in western Montana for 20 years,
but left because it's too expensive there.
Idaho is what I call the poor man's Montana.
In north-central Idaho where I live, you can
still get a decent place for under $100,000.
In western Montana, not so much.

[Shaner]

I would say search then come back with some specific questions. Everything has been covered in great depth, good luck!

[banjomike]

Coming from Indiana, I doubt you have an idea of how big Idaho is, or how much wilderness is here. Like Shaner said, spend time reading through the old topic threads here- there are really a lot that have asked the same questions- and come back when you have more specifics.

Out here, we don't measure journeys in miles. We measure them in hours, and some very short ones in miles can take days.

If you have never been out to the intermountain west before, the one thing that's most hard to understand is how extreme nature is out here in everything.
Here's a small example: it was 78º here yesterday, with a night-time temp of 48º night before last. Last night, the temps dropped to 33º at sunup, and it snowed here off and on all day today. In two days, we are forecast to be up to the mid-80s.

That's very common here. It's not unusual to see snow on the 4th of July, although it's rare. And our temps are just for starters. Everything else can be even more extreme, and often is.

This is equally true of all the 3 states you're looking at. The extremities differ some from state to state, but all 3 are chock full of them. Some folks adapt, some never do.

[smpliving]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Coming from Indiana, I doubt you have an idea of how big Idaho is, or how much wilderness is here. Like Shaner said, spend time reading through the old topic threads here- there are really a lot that have asked the same questions- and come back when you have more specifics.

It's not unusual to see snow on the 4th of July, although it's rare. And our temps are just for starters. Everything else can be even more extreme, and often is.

Hi - I hope it's okay to jump in here, as I've also been researching Idaho for possible future retirement (currently live in eastern Iowa). Are you referring to just the mountainous areas in Idaho only or can it snow during the summer in the cities also? (specifically Idaho Falls and Post Falls/Couer d' Alene metros).

I visited Idaho/Montana once back in the 1990s. I remember on our way up to Bozeman Montana from southern California, there was snow on Memorial Day weekend higher in the mountains.

Thanks in advance.

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by ennaf

Hi - I hope it's okay to jump in here, as I've also been researching Idaho for possible future retirement (currently live in eastern Iowa). Are you referring to just the mountainous areas in Idaho only or can it snow during the summer in the cities also? (specifically Idaho Falls and Post Falls/Couer d' Alene metros).

I visited Idaho/Montana once back in the 1990s. I remember on our way up to Bozeman Montana from southern California, there was snow on Memorial Day weekend higher in the mountains.

Thanks in advance.

I saw it snow in Moscow, Idaho in June one year. It came down pretty hard too.

[Cnynrat]

Originally Posted by ennaf

Hi - I hope it's okay to jump in here, as I've also been researching Idaho for possible future retirement (currently live in eastern Iowa). Are you referring to just the mountainous areas in Idaho only or can it snow during the summer in the cities also? (specifically Idaho Falls and Post Falls/Couer d' Alene metros).

I visited Idaho/Montana once back in the 1990s. I remember on our way up to Bozeman Montana from southern California, there was snow on Memorial Day weekend higher in the mountains.

Thanks in advance.

I'm not as familiar with Idaho Falls, but I'd say that up in the panhandle almost anything is possible from a weather perspective, even at the lower elevations around CdA. That said, snow in the summertime in CdA would be quite unusual, and not at all a normal weather event. This year our last snowfall (so far!) happened on April 11th.

Where do you live in Iowa? I spent a lot of time in the Cedar Rapids area during my working days - our company HQ is located there.

Dave

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by ennaf

Hi - I hope it's okay to jump in here, as I've also been researching Idaho for possible future retirement (currently live in eastern Iowa). Are you referring to just the mountainous areas in Idaho only or can it snow during the summer in the cities also? (specifically Idaho Falls and Post Falls/Couer d' Alene metros).

I visited Idaho/Montana once back in the 1990s. I remember on our way up to Bozeman Montana from southern California, there was snow on Memorial Day weekend higher in the mountains.

Thanks in advance.

No.
Unexpected snow will fall anywhere in the state, and in the valleys as well as the mountains.
Idaho's terrain makes its weather complicated year round, but a person develops a sense of impending weather after living here for a while.
Newcomers soon learn to be prepared, too. Carrying a coat in the car, or something that will keep a person warm, can become a habit here. What you encountered on the Bozeman pass happens regularly, but rarely in the lower elevations, but snow is almost a given in the high mountains at any time of year.

[Ninjamastr1217]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Coming from Indiana, I doubt you have an idea of how big Idaho is, or how much wilderness is here. Like Shaner said, spend time reading through the old topic threads here- there are really a lot that have asked the same questions- and come back when you have more specifics.

Out here, we don't measure journeys in miles. We measure them in hours, and some very short ones in miles can take days.

If you have never been out to the intermountain west before, the one thing that's most hard to understand is how extreme nature is out here in everything.
Here's a small example: it was 78º here yesterday, with a night-time temp of 48º night before last. Last night, the temps dropped to 33º at sunup, and it snowed here off and on all day today. In two days, we are forecast to be up to the mid-80s.

Now that i can understand, from it being 75 in the middle of January to it dropping it to about 50 in April, no snow but definitely colder.