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The tallest peaks in eastern Idaho are pretty barren immediately around them.
Idaho has a lower base elevation than the mountain areas of Colorado (3-4k vs 6-7k). You can still have a lot of rise / prominence with peaks under 11k in Idaho in many spots.
South central and southeast Idaho have local mountain ranges. They don't get a lot of publicity.
Near Cokeville WY if I hadn't already mentioned. Other WY (some already mentioned): Dubois, Clark, Meeteetsie, west of Marbleton, Bondurant, west of Buffalo or Dayton or Banner, Esterbrook, Encampment, Savery, Woods Landing, McKinnon.
Would you consider going back to CO for: Rand, Glendevey, Pearl, Buford, east of Crawford, Rico, Ophir, Lake City, Platoro, Las Mesitas, Pitkin, LaVeta / Cuchara, Como, Heeney?
Or in NM: Amalia / Costilla, Wheeler Peak Village, Idyllwild, Tres Ritos / Chacon / El Valle, above Canjilon, Brazos Lodge, San Miguel, Reserve.
There'd be spots in Utah but I won't list those without a request. In Oregon, the Lostine Valley near Enterprise. In Nevada, Lamoille, Jarbidge, Baker.
In MT there are some other spots that come to mind: Polaris, Cameron, Pony, Nye.
"The tallest peaks in eastern Idaho are pretty barren immediately around them." I probably should have said east - central in prior post.
Good deal, Vagabond. Glad to hear you are aware of and thinking of emergencies, and being cautious. Thinking and planning for such eventualities is important for remote living IMHO. I'd also suggest either a ham radio license and radio with a known, long term reliable operating repeater withing range, or a satellite phone, for just such times as you can't get yourself out of a jam.
IMHO, snow is going to perhaps be your biggest challenge.... 4WD's can and will get stuck, snowmobiles will get upset, etc. I'd be personally looking at a snowcat, but that is more maintenance and expense than many can swing. 2nd would be a Skandic snowmobile or similar, with it's towing capabilities and a 4 stroke engine. If you do not know, a long track is a key parameter for over-snow-travel... hit that fine powder that settles in a draw beneath a copse of trees and you'll start sinking to China with a short track machine.
Funny you show that property... I looked at it online about a year ago with the idea of building. Great minds think alike LOL. That is not too far from you now, not too far off of MT83 heading down towards Seeley Lake. (My wife and I found a house we loved on 20 ac near Seeley Lake but wanted less forest and a bit more open-ness, and we like more year-round sun than that region gets.) That property would sure seem to have the wildlife that you seek. I wondered about mosquitoes off the ponds and swampy ground. But at least that one spot shown in the pix has rising ground for get away from any bogginess. There are some higher, forested 20 ac lots up on the side of a mountain near Seeley Lake that offer more open views, but lake life in summer only 5 miles away is touristy.
The Stanley ID valley that runs south towards Smiley Creek and also NW has the breathtaking Sawtooth mountains on the west side. There is limited property available, much of it in clusters, and in summer it does get busy with hikers. Here is the least expensive large plot that I know of there... you would want to build at the very back due to wetlands limitations. And it is probably too open for your likes.
And I ran across this while looking for the above land... this will really qualify you as 'mountain woman'! Winter access might be too hard for anyone though; definitely only via over-snow machine. So probably not right for all-year-round living anyone but of the most extreme hardihood. And the views are no high elevation. But look and say if this appeals.... i.e., if it 'is what you like when you see it'.
Other areas that may be worth discussing/exploring IMHO:
- Some areas in the southern end of the Big Horns in WY, in the northern end of Johnson County WY
- The valley of Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone, well north of Cody up along the Chief Joseph highway (WY 296)
- Some remoter homes NE of Cooke City MT
- Some of the areas west of Dubois WY
- Maybe even the Hoback Ranch area in northern Sublette County WY
- Perhaps some of the remoter areas around Island Park ID
All the above are:
- in some variety of tall mountains
- at elevations of 7000-8000+ feet which encourages snow to support growth of forests and high pasture
- by, in, or near wilderness and NF/BLM land
- 1 hour or more remote from any town of consequence. All (but the Big Horns area) are clustered a in the region around Yellowstone, the Absarokas, the Tetons, the Wind River range, and the Beartooths.
Yes, always and forever cautious when medical help is far away... I always hike with a good, basic first aid kit and an even better stocked one at home. I’ve had a satellite phone before but I was thinking about going without modern conveniences, although I would go for a ham radio. Thank you for the tip on the “known, long term reliable operating repeater withing range..”. I’ll likely go the ham radio route. Does the “ham” in your citydata member name refer to radio’s? I can’t figure out the name. Regarding snowmobiles, I do plan to have one so it’s good to learn about the Skandic- long track, 4 stroke. Ty!
The Swan Valley property IS pretty. I do understand about the lack of year-around sun in the region. Kalispell is right behind Seattle with 214 days a year with heavy cloud. Statistically 59% of our days are without sunshine but it has never bothered me. In fact, some of my favorite hiking experiences came at the hand of rain and cloudy weather! Something else that I’ll accept/tolerate on the right property is a pond and the mosquito, the horrible no-see-ums, and other insects. Ponds are not a preference but maybe a trade off for attracting wildlife? Maybe put up a few bat houses? Fish or other species that eat insects?
The first link to the 17 acre, Cowcamp Rd property isn’t “forest” enough for me (as you suspected). I have spent the day with that realtor Sandee Hill though. She and her husband were like living history books when it came to the area. They said a lot has changed since the area was designated a “wilderness”. They used to see very few people in the Frank Church but these days it’s one river raft and Cessna after the other. Which leads me back to the Swan Valley property. OregonWoodSmoke wrote:
“That sort of property is available in Eastern Oregon, but if you are buying enough property to keep the neighbors back away from you and enough property to support wildlife, you are talking about a lot of money.
Privacy has become a luxury and privacy with spectacular views is now priced for those who can afford the best of luxuries. It's no longer available for us common folks.”
IMHO I don’t agree with the exclusivity of large tracts of land with spectacular views for only a few individuals to enjoy. What’s interesting about this particular Swan Valley property is it’s 148 acres WITH a Conservation Easement. I will forever support and encourage people to get out and explore nature. In an area and property like this one you won’t see me nailing up “no trespassing” signs. (“No Hunting” definitely though!) The sentiment of some of the natives in Swan Valley who feel the land they used to ride across for miles now has fences and roads blocking them at every turn is a sad reality of growth (and maybe some greed?) in our times. I’m not seeking to move into the wilderness because I want to get away from people. I want to live there because I love nature. I do value a privacy buffer from neighbors (so when my 10 month old German Shepherd decides to bark for two hours straight the one time I’m gone without her, I won’t have to cringe when the neighbors text me about it- for example). I want to enjoy the uninhabited back country as much as possible and share that with anyone who’s willing to come experience it.
That second 80 acre listing in Cobalt is, w o w. Almost makes me give in on my criteria for peaks with elevation. Almost felt it in my bones! Thank you for the list of other areas worth exploring. Saves me from having to reinvent the wheel, because it seems we both have the same idea when it comes to land. I really appreciate the direction and I’m excited to look into them!
Goodness NWCrow, I think I’ve only come across THREE of the 50+ areas you mentioned! I’m thinking it would take something exceptional to lure me back to Colorado. I feel like exploring somewhere that’s new for me.. I appreciate the list, I just hope I don’t experience the paralysis of analysis!
You must post your property here in Idaho if you don't want any hunting done on it. With no signage, a hunter can't be prosecuted here for trespassing. I'm not sure of the law, but I also think that to restrict hunting also requires barriers of some sort to keep people out of the private property.
For sure, our wilderness here is inhabited- no matter how remote, people are entering and leaving it all regularly, all year round. That's why you'll notice all those remote cabins are posted at the gates and any other access points. It's also why you will see some fencing, at least around a cabin or other building.
There's a lot of ground in the middle between your extremes, Vagabond. I know Kalispell pretty well, and it's about as heavily 'touristy' as Ketchum/Sun Valley is here, probably more so, as it's so close to Glacier Park.
It's kind of unique to Montana, too, as the Flathead tribe's reservation has so much control of the nearby and surrounding area. There's a similar situation here in the panhandle with the tribes up there, but not in the southern part of the state.
Down here in the SE corridor, proximity to wilderness is the reason why people like you move here. They have a home at the edge of civilization and then leave to go spend time in the boonies on expeditions. It's as easy to go and return on a day trip as it is to stay out in the mountains for a week or a month; it just depends on a person's planning and preparation.
I've known lots of adventure seekers who became permanently prepared over time; once they get the hankering to go, almost everything they need has been packed and is ready. 15 minutes to load, a quick stop for a few things, and they're gone.
Owning at least one horse, or a mule, llama, or other pack animal is always helpful for spending a lot of time in the boonies here. They require year-round care, but a horse or a mule can always get a person out of trouble when everything else fails.
That second 80 acre listing in Cobalt is, w o w. Almost makes me give in on my criteria for peaks with elevation. Almost felt it in my bones! Thank you for the list of other areas worth exploring. Saves me from having to reinvent the wheel, because it seems we both have the same idea when it comes to land. I really appreciate the direction and I’m excited to look into them!
Yes, I think we do.... though you can have the boggy areas all to yourself! Well I saw that place almost by mistake and thought you might like it. We've run across a place or 2 like that in our actual wanderings and and have spotted similar listings.
BTW, my wife and I have traveled about 5000-6000 miles around various areas in the region looking and looking. It's 'paralysis by analysis' followed by 'paralysis in the rear end' LOL. But when you are looking for areas and have a vision of the view that you want, then you just have to go and see for yourself. And with so much territory, it is wise IMHO to filter the areas to view before launching out.
As for the screen name... it is nm9s-the-ham.... Yes, I confess, I am a ham radio operator from way back.
Here are a few spots in the areas I mentioned to help you get a feel for the possibilities of each area:
NE of Cooke City. This is not for you based on price, but I show it as there have been 1-2 homes for sale up in this area of the Beartooths in the last 1-2 years. https://www.montanarealtycompany.com...7&from=results
Here is a house in the southern end of the BigHorns. This is accessed by Billy Creek Rd which runs through NF, BLM, WY, and private, so I believe may be tracked vehicle access only in winter (due to the NF). This leads off of a county road, Hazelton Rd, which turns south off of US 16. The highest peak viewed in the pix is Cloud Peak, at over 13k ft. Walk northeast up the ridge to the property line and onto WY state land, and to the peak, and you should have a 100 miles view. There are other properties that show up on Hazleton Rd that might be of interest. It is pretty remote. https://www.homesandland.com/For-Sal.../59231916.html
And here is another area of the Big Horns, off a road called Red Grade Rd. That is a county road but is tracked access only in winter; there are some parking areas at the bottom that might be useful for that. The potential views are seen here in a video of Red Grade Rd; this is the view you see all along the eastern and western escarpments of the Big Horns. This road heads on up into the heart of the Big Horns, but at 2:13 in this video, you can spot some houses in the woods. Some are for sale. It may not be isolated enough for you but it will feed and delight your eyes LOL
I was going to try to find you a piece of land that I have seen for sale up in what it called the Dunoir Valley west of Dubois WY. It runs up to the base of the Absroaka Mtns. That listing seems to be gone (it has gone away and then come back in the last year), but you can look up the Dunoir Valley. Also look for Rams Horn Guest Ranch for some pix.
“The mountains in idaho are every bit as grand as colorado, the reason why most people come to this conclusion is because unlike colorado, much of idaho's wilderness and mountain areas are unaccessible by means of infrastructure. If you actually go off the highways and for many miles up DIRT roads you will see what exactly is out there...Colorado is much more commercialized than idaho is atleast their mountains, so you can take a nice two lane highway up into their mountains to see it all...no so much in idaho... the highways in idaho follow the lowest and least rugged area's possible.. and the vast center of the state is filled with jagged sawtooth mountains that rise 11-12k feet high.. and there isn't a sagebrush in sight...its actually extremely alpine.. more so than much of colorado I'd say.. because of closer proximity to the northwest weather patterns...”. - boiseguy.
That is interesting and explains a lot. A person just doesn’t see it from the highway like I’m used to in Colorado. Thank you for pointing it out banjomike. It will be worth another look for me. The research involved in trying to find the right place to live is... whew, time consuming.
Reading that made me all kinds of homesick.
Idaho is more private and intimate than Colorado. It feels like my own private Idaho.
Beautiful Cooke City property. The description added “One must be rugged (or a bighorn sheep) to be the "king of this hill". Those are impressive peaks. I’m starting to realize and respect how diverse and varied “wilderness” is in the region. Impressive and makes my job all the more challenging. Yes, must filter territories prior to heading out for more paralysis in the posterior.. 5-6000 miles is a lot. You must have seen a great deal of beauty in your travels!
The Billy Creek (Buffalo WY) property was really nice too. I’ve looked at the Ten Sleep area nearby (the Indians said it took “10 sleeps” to get there) as that whole area seemed quite remote. I’ll need to actually head out there once/if I have a few properties I’m really interested in... The Red Grade Rd property had incredible views. It would be nice not to have that long of a road to deal with in the winter though. When I was in Graingeville recently I was invited to someone’s house after church to see their home in the mountains in Lucille. They were way back there up the mountain and the views were gorgeous, but they also said it takes two whole days to plow their driveway in the winter.
DuNoir Valley looks rugged, I’ll check more into it. I’ve been looking into Dubois as well. The Rams Horn Ranch was quite beautiful. Again, still hard to tell from pics if the area is for me..
You must post your property here in Idaho if you don't want any hunting done on it. With no signage, a hunter can't be prosecuted here for trespassing. I'm not sure of the law, but I also think that to restrict hunting also requires barriers of some sort to keep people out of the private property.
For sure, our wilderness here is inhabited- no matter how remote, people are entering and leaving it all regularly, all year round. That's why you'll notice all those remote cabins are posted at the gates and any other access points. It's also why you will see some fencing, at least around a cabin or other building.
There's a lot of ground in the middle between your extremes, Vagabond. I know Kalispell pretty well, and it's about as heavily 'touristy' as Ketchum/Sun Valley is here, probably more so, as it's so close to Glacier Park.
It's kind of unique to Montana, too, as the Flathead tribe's reservation has so much control of the nearby and surrounding area. There's a similar situation here in the panhandle with the tribes up there, but not in the southern part of the state.
Down here in the SE corridor, proximity to wilderness is the reason why people like you move here. They have a home at the edge of civilization and then leave to go spend time in the boonies on expeditions. It's as easy to go and return on a day trip as it is to stay out in the mountains for a week or a month; it just depends on a person's planning and preparation.
I've known lots of adventure seekers who became permanently prepared over time; once they get the hankering to go, almost everything they need has been packed and is ready. 15 minutes to load, a quick stop for a few things, and they're gone.
Owning at least one horse, or a mule, llama, or other pack animal is always helpful for spending a lot of time in the boonies here. They require year-round care, but a horse or a mule can always get a person out of trouble when everything else fails.
Montana law requires permission for all hunting on private land. Even if the land is not posted, hunters must have permission from the land owner.
Yes, Kalispell is touristy and growing, a n d g r o w i n g.. I’m sincerely happy for all the tourists who get to experience Glacier. It’s an incredible place on earth. I just desire more undisturbed and uninhabited (by persons) nature out my door.. I need to pay the SE corridor a proper visit. I’m headed to Condon in a few days. Taking advantage of our dry, snowless roads right now. I’ll let you all know how it goes!
P.S.
I’ve got my camping gear permanently prepared and organized in nice, big bins that are ready to load up. I have been thinking about a pack mule once I relocate to the wilderness. It would certainly afford me the ability to go farther in and stay longer. I understand mules are stronger and a better fit for the back country.
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The sentiment of some of the natives in Swan Valley who feel the land they used to ride across for miles now has fences and roads blocking them at every turn is a sad reality of growth (and maybe some greed?) in our times. I’m not seeking to move into the wilderness because I want to get away from people. I want to live there because I love nature. I do value a privacy buffer from neighbors (so when my 10 month old German Shepherd decides to bark for two hours straight the one time I’m gone without her, I won’t have to cringe when the neighbors text me about it- for example). I want to enjoy the uninhabited back country as much as possible and share that with anyone who’s willing to come experience it.
Thank you for the list of other areas worth exploring. Saves me from having to reinvent the wheel, because it seems we both have the same idea when it comes to land. I really appreciate the direction and I’m excited to look into them!
