What can you tell me about Wallace and surrounding area? (Boise: condos, homes)

[banjomike]

Oh, man. I hate avalanches! Even a little one can put you into a world of hurt in a flash.

I've never been caught by one, but have a cousin and a bunch of friends who have, and I've seen several break loose far enough away to be safe.

They are one of the few things of life in this state that terrify me.

There's a street in Ketchum that never closes unless an avalanche closes it, and as far as I know, none of the slides has ever caught anybody yet, but I'm always as nervous as a cat when I drive down it in the winters. It gives me the willies just thinking about it.

[509]

Worst thing about 4th of July is ice. It is totally shaded on both sides. So it is slick almost all winter long.

The western Washington passes are much, much easier to drive....UNLESS you hit them during a storm.

[Tall Traveler]

I would like to know more about this area as well for living. I do know it's a stunningly gorgeous area but I would be curious about the status of the soil and drinking water after years of mining in the area?

Yeah I know it sux for jobs but i'm about to retire so no need to work and I'm set financially.

[volosong]

I saw a study last year that says people who have lived long-term in the Silver Valley have a much higher incidence of cancer and other health issues due to the heavy minerals in the area. Even to the point where the children are 'behind the curve' in their mental development compared to their cohorts who do not live in the valley.

Perhaps it's different now since the effort to clean up the mess. I cycle often on the Trail of the Coeur 'dAlenes, and there are signs from about Harrison eastward warning people to not wander off the tarmac due to the heavy metals in the area. I heed those signs and just hope that the rest stop areas have been 'sanitized'.

Beautiful area, without a doubt. But, I won't be wandering the hills in the CdA River drainage basin. Thankfully, there are more than enough mountains elsewhere close by to explore.


(Correction: Before anybody asks me to cite a source for that study, I just remembered that there was a CdA Press article the other year that wrote about the study. I did not read the study myself and have only paraphrased what the new article said.)

[pnwguy2]

The Silver Valley is indeed a very scenic area. A lot of the posts offered here are about winter travel. But Wallace itself has an interesting history, of course one of the centers of the Silver mining industry. It was a boomtown in the late 19th century into the early 20th century. It also has a history of "regulated" prostitution, whatever that means. I find this fascinating because the rest of Idaho had little of this, especially in the Mormon populated south.

When I was growing up, our family made many roadtrips from Seattle to the midwest and always went through Wallace. The town is known for having the last remaining stoplight on I-90 as the freeway was one of the last to bypass the city center. Finally in 1991, the bypass was completed.

Wallace is at the base of Lookout Pass, and as others have mentioned can be tough in the winter if you are headed east. 4th of July is at a lower elevation, but also can be tough headed west. Wallace is closer to Montana than almost any significant city in Idaho.

All that said, Wallace is a very interesting town, with a small, but historic and colorful downtown. You said you don't care about big-city features, but you should be aware that Spokane is atleast 90 minutes away in good weather. Missoula about 2 hours to the east.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by volosong

I saw a study last year that says people who have lived long-term in the Silver Valley have a much higher incidence of cancer and other health issues due to the heavy minerals in the area. Even to the point where the children are 'behind the curve' in their mental development compared to their cohorts who do not live in the valley.

Perhaps it's different now since the effort to clean up the mess. I cycle often on the Trail of the Coeur 'dAlenes, and there are signs from about Harrison eastward warning people to not wander off the tarmac due to the heavy metals in the area. I heed those signs and just hope that the rest stop areas have been 'sanitized'.

Beautiful area, without a doubt. But, I won't be wandering the hills in the CdA River drainage basin. Thankfully, there are more than enough mountains elsewhere close by to explore.


(Correction: Before anybody asks me to cite a source for that study, I just remembered that there was a CdA Press article the other year that wrote about the study. I did not read the study myself and have only paraphrased what the new article said.)

I would encourage anyone, including myself, to research the cancer rates and status of water and soil for carcinogens before buying or moving to the area. Otherwise, a gorgeous area if a bit remote. If wife and I bought in the area, it would be for non-winter retirement as we have our winter retirement set up in Arizona already.

[kttam186290]

Originally Posted by 509

In Idaho, the roads never closed. It is not a nanny state.

Things are changing, though, I do believe I heard that they closed Lookout once or twice since I lived there.

So, a state that closes the roads in hazardous conditions is a "nanny state"?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

So, a state that closes the roads in hazardous conditions is a "nanny state"?

You are saying that no one should be capable of deciding for themselves that their little economy car isn't suitable to drive through 2 foot deep snow? No personal responsibility expected?

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

You are saying that no one should be capable of deciding for themselves that their little economy car isn't suitable to drive through 2 foot deep snow? No personal responsibility expected?

No. Idaho takes a position in the middle between your two extremes.

Drivers are expected to take some responsibility in driving, but when the snowfall and other factors, such as wind, temps and visibility change a snowfall into an impending blizzard, Idaho sends the plows out ahead of the storm if possible.

if the expected storm never arrives, the plows go back to the barn and wait for the snow to end before they go out again.

No one wants stranded motorists dying in a blizzard here.

There are always going to be a few travelers who don't know what's behind them, ahead of them, or realize how bad what they are in really is. What seems to be an ordinary snowfall can be a car-burier around the next blind turn in the highway.

I've been in the middle of two such storms, never knowing I was the only driver on the closed highway, and unaware of my situation until a state policeman caught up to me and notified me to follow him to safety.

Even the most responsible and knowledgeable driver can be caught unawares by a winter storm here. Personal responsibility is expected, but so is public safety and rescue when necessary.

[509]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

So, a state that closes the roads in hazardous conditions is a "nanny state"?

Hazardous is a judgment call. And the "nanny states" want them rather than you making that decision.

I have lived throughout the west in the past 60 years.

The "nanny states" out west are California, Oregon and Washington. The transition from living in a "nanny state" does require some adjustment. My post was regard to highways, so I will try and limit my comments to those.

When I was living Idaho I had a friend visiting from Latin America, and it snowed a lot. He wanted to take a drive on I-90. So I called the highway department and asked if the highway was closed. Well, they hemmed and hawed and said it is YOUR decision.

I am a Forester, so driving nasty roads is not that unusual. When you chain up all four wheels on a 4-wd truck and put it in 4-wd low you can go a LOT of places. I never wanted to do it, but some of my fellow Foresters thought it was "fun". So I had some interesting adventures.

In Idaho, loggers and others need to get to work. They have the expertise and equipment to drive those roads and do in the winter. YOU probably should not follow them....

I took a look a I-90 and said "nope, maybe tomorrow".

My point was that IF you are coming from a "nanny state" it is an adjustment to a "free" state where the individual makes the decisions. Don't just freak at the terms "nanny state" and "free state" but they are important to understanding life in the respective states.

I believe you live in California and so did the person making the inquiry of living in Wallace. Nothing wrong with California, but it is not Idaho. So you cannot defer to the government making decisions for you. YOUR judgment is critical.

Nanny states are different. I won't go through all my adjustments to living in Idaho, but they are substantial and funny.

That was my point to the poster. YOUR judgment is critical. Bless the Idaho Department of Transportation and the Idaho Highway Patrol (if you can find one).

They are there to help if YOU make a stupid decision.