Bitterroot Valley, MT

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Several summers we've been traveling through the BV without being able to see the Bitterroots for wildfire smoke. But that is the same all over the West. When the air is clear, it's wonderful to drive up/down 93. I always enjoy driving through--great little towns, awesome (pre-COVID) antique stores and Western outfit places, and a nice bunch of nature between the towns allowing you to feel that you're "really in Montana" (if you're coming up 93 from Salmon). We've stayed overnight in Hamilton on several occasions, and the town just "feels good." But (as I've mentioned before) they do roll up the sidewalks at 9 pm. If you haven't had dinner by then, well, you'll just have to eat snacks...

Chris, the Flathead Lake is only about 2 hours north of Hamilton. Not too far away for a weekend or even a day trip. It's hard to find a lake bigger than that in the West!

[nowhereman427]

Sounds like a nice drive.

[nowhereman427]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

It is kinda like being 20-50 miles from Anchorage. Kinda.

But at least with BV, MT you don't have the high prices of having to bring in goods and foods to be flown/shipped in. Also the days and nights are more normal Montana whereas up there it maybe daylight for most of the day
May cause lots of people who are affected by Seasonal Disorders.

[ChrisMT]

Thanks for the information and the link to public space in Montana...that is very useful!

I have a medical condition that has grown worse as I age that causes sun/UV intolerance. I am blonde/fair/blue and Nevada is SO sunny and has the high UV that over the years I maxed my UV tolerance out and now have to cover up and wear thick zinc sunblock on exposed skin. I can feel a little sick when it's too sunny, hot and the UV is in the danger zone in the summer...

I love the sunny winters here because the UV is low...but summers are hard on me now with the high UV and me spending so much time outdoors at high altitudes... It sounds like Montana is the opposite of what I need though lol! Cloudy winters and sunny summers...I might just buy a hazmat suit or something for when I get old and go mountain biking in the summer sun, I don't know....

Sometimes we think we want to move when we retire, but as we look around we can realize we got in pretty good where we are at...but still looking at options!!!

Little spoiled in my great little city with so much open space, water and mountains here....

[NW Crow]

Hamilton MT average UV rating: 3 (never seen lower, the deep valley affects sun exposure level)

Carson City: 5.2

National average: 4.3

Varies by time of day and season but this is a big difference.


There are lots of factors in place choice. Usually too many to manage freelance in head. One comes to mind and seems very important and then something else pops up going a different direction. If things aren't flowing to an answer, I suggest taking a list of considerations and picking the 5-10 most important. Then take 100 points and divide them among those criteria by their estimated importance to you. Then score locations, apply the weight multipliers and add up the scores. Reweight, rescore all you want (you are the judge) but see what it says.

You could have a strong case to be a 2 place guy. There are different ways to do it as recounted in other threads. 8-9 months / 3-4 month split. 6-6. Or you can do 21 / 3 / 21 / 3... Or just take vacations. You've already indicated a comfort and competence with long trips. Could just do those as you feel.

[ChrisMT]

Sounds like a solid plan Crow. Then you factor in the reluctant spouse and the gorgeous custom home you love and the equation gets into trigonometry levels that I haven’t worked on since college ha ha!

It’s fun to dream and think about.

I’m lucky I live in a great place right now so have lots of options.

I have friends who were so desperate to get out of big city California, they flew to another state, bought a home and flew back to sell their home in one weekend with little homework on the new location. Thank goodness I love my hometown.