Choosing between Kalispell,MT/Pagosa Springs,CO/Sandpoint,ID (Missoula: ski resort, rental)

[bigtrees]

Originally Posted by AcornCrown

We plan to find/build a home that is partially solar (but not off the grid). Right now we are anglos living on the Navajo Reservation and the nearest food market is over a hour away. Shopping is not a big concern for us.

I'd caution anyone on wanting to move to Northern Idaho / Western Montana and wanting to have solar energy. Most places in this part of the country suffer from very cloudy weather, especially in the wintertime when you're inside and using the most amount of electricity. The winter nights are very long (it's dark from about 4:30 pm until about 8 or 9 am) and, of course, solar power doesn't so so well at night. We make up for it in the summertime, but the summers are generally very quick.

Also, you have to keep solar panels clear of snow in the wintertime around here.

In general, solar power is a relatively expensive source of electricity even in the best parts of the country (Sonaran Desert, in the Phoenix area of Arizona). The inefficiencies of generating solar power in Western Montana/Northern Idaho multiply the costs by several times.

For those looking to reduce the carbon footprint, keep in mind that most of the power generated in this region comes from hydroelectric dams, which produce no carbon dioxide.

I'm providing this information in general for much of Northern Idaho/Western Montana - I'm not familiar with the climate of Sandpoint and can't say how many days sun they get in that region.

[bigtrees]

Originally Posted by AcornCrown

Other places of intrest are Dillion MO, Sherridian, WY, Livingston, MO..we will visit all this summer.

Do you mean Livingston, MT and Dillon, MT? Missouri is quite a ways from Wyoming/Idaho!

[ctr88]

I was in Whitefish (near Kalispell) and it was gorgeous in the summers. I wouldn't want to be up there the whole winter thought. I thought Whitefish was great:
-close to Glacier NP
-lot's of natual lakes (rare for the Rockies, Colorado doesn't have a lot of natural lakes)
-Bigfork is quaint
....just a wonderful area. But again, for me it would be a summer destination!

I think the area right around Pagosa Springs may be the most beautiful mountain area of the U.S, period. The San Juans are absolutely breathtaking. There are a lot of 14,000 ft peaks. The road from Durango to Silverton and over to Telluride will knock your socks off. So For pure beauty and outdoors, Pagosa is probably #1 (but less lakes than Whitefish). It's so green and the rivers, the peaks, oh my gosh. But Pagosa is a small town without many amentities

I've never been to Sandpoint but I love the big lakes up there from the looks of it. I've heard it's lovely.

I trying to make a similar decision myself where to spend my summers (I spend winters in San Diego). I'm thinking Bend OR. and Whitefish MT as 2 of the top choices. I think Pagosa is the most beautiful, but it is a small town w/out much action. Durango is a bigger town in that area. For the other side of the coast I LOVE the state of Vermont, that state is paradise in the summer and early fall!

[dangerousdan]

Originally Posted by theRain

And it is a long way to any major city from Kalispell. THat may be nice for vacations, but not for life.

I think it's great for life!!! I'm not sure what you really need from a major city that you can't get online. Plus, we have these things called aeroplanes here that transport us to major cities real fast!

P.S. Sandpoint is no closer to a "major city"

[jimj]

Originally Posted by dangerousdan

I think it's great for life!!! I'm not sure what you really need from a major city that you can't get online. Plus, we have these things called aeroplanes here that transport us to major cities real fast!

P.S. Sandpoint is no closer to a "major city"

It took us leaving here 3 times for the "big city" and returning before we figured this out. We actually were happier before all these new stores in Kalispell were built.

[carlynn reed]

i can tell you that i lived in kalispell for nearly 20 years and loved it. we moved to michigan to be closer to my parent 6 years ago and were ready to go back but jobs are not plentiful there right now. Even though i have a new grandaughter we are go to head to mississippi where the work is for now.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by AcornCrown

We too are intersted in Sandpoint. It seems that we are looking at the same types of places & want simular things. We have a 2 year old & another baby on the way. The idea of militia scares the living daylights out of me...Not as much for me or my husband, but I am afraid of other kids & parents influencing my children when they are at school, etc. Although, both my husband & I are school teachers & will have a good idea of who our kids friends are. I too, wonder if these groups are as strong as they used to be several years ago.
We are also planing a trip in late June to visit the area. Other places of intrest are Dillion MO, Sherridian, WY, Livingston, MO..we will visit all this summer. Of anyone can advise about these places, I would greatly appreciate it. We want an artsy small mountain town with good education programs.

There are nuts all over. The more remote the area, and the more "wildernessy" it's perceived as being, the more likely it has nuts (since nuts tend to get run out of more-populated areas). You should hear the tales my sister brought back from a tour of Oregon's east slope -- it was just like that Richard Benjamin movie where all his neighbours had bunkers and howitzers in their front yards!! And after she lived in Alaska for 3 years... turns out "Northern Exposure" was at best a pale reflection of reality, and she was in Anchorage. Things were considerably nuttier in the outback.

That said, I would not let nuts influence my decision; indeed, I would be more prone to influence them, with a large-bore rifle

Another artsy small town you should look into is Moscow, Idaho (home to one of the oldest science fiction conventions). The people there are wonderful, the town is definitely mountainous (right in town!), and there are two universities -- the one in Moscow, and the one across the border in Oregon.

BTW the state abbreviation for Montana is MT. MO is Missouri. And if you decide on Sandpoint, PM me and I'll point you at an honest realtor in Sandpoint (someone I've known for many years).

[Reziac]

... here's a thread about Moscow, Idaho (and my experiences there some decades back):
Is Moscow a good place for teens?

[lauragizzi]

i just went to idaho - post falls, coeur d'alene, sandpoint, then on to kalispell montana... by glacier nat park.. simply stunning out there!!! by flathead lake and kalispell was fabulous! if i could "summer" anywhere i think it would be the beautiful state of montana. or if i could find summer work ... heck if i could afford it id live there year round! currenly looking in that

idaho was awsome too. we drove from cda down the 2 to montana and up to glacier nat park. it was the most scenic stuff ive ever seen!

[Pagosajoe]

We moved to Pagosa a bit over a year ago. While we've enjoyed a lot about being here, we are beginning to rethink the decision.

Here are the pluses:

Great outdoor potential with the Weminuche Wilderness only a few miles away and access to many other areas such as the New Mexico high desert close as well. I'd quibble with an earlier poster about those Fourteeners - most of them are on the other side of the Divide, however the hiking and climbing opportunities are stunning here just the same. Within an hours drive you can get to places that would blow your mind, within 3 hours even more-so.

Great sun. Even this winter, with the huge snows we got and the very low temps, we rarely wore more than a couple of layers (and I think I took out my parka twice) due to the strong and ever present sun and the lack of wind. The one bad week without the sun and the odd day or three during the snow storms were more than made up for by the beautiful sunny skies. Grab some snowshoes, skies, or whatever, and you'll not have to worry about anything even close to cabin fever. Summer are spectacular as well.

Great hot springs (though pricey for the main developed one).

Mostly very friendly people. Manby are imports, so there is not too much insider/outsider attitude.

The negatives:

Very poor economy. If you plan on working for someone (not running your own business) you will need to consider $10 per hour a good wage, maybe $15 if you are a home builder, but that industry is collapsing here.

Business unfriendly town and county. High startup fees, resistance to change ("Keep Pagosa Pagosa" the saying goes), poor decision making in the political body make it very hard to start a business or keep it strong - much of this due to the next point...

Utterly dysfunctional political system. Go to one of these links and read up on the kind of zoo this place is politically: The Pagosa Springs SUN, Pagosa Springs Daily News: Latest news. Pay particular attention to the County system, but the Town runs a close second in idiocy - never trust a town who's had the same mayor for 30 years. Now, I come from Baltimore City, so I've seen some spooky things go on in the political arena, but there at least the strong business and educational system can reign in the worst of the problems. Here in Pagosa there is no one really watching the pot. Even the main newspaper is afraid to really go after those they should. It could improve here, but not any time soon.

Good luck with your decision - read up on this place (and the others) and pay particular attention to the economics.