Is there a; Heavily forested mountain town, a lot of snow in December in OR? (Portland: real estate, lease)

[Sherri L]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

That's QUITE a list of requirements! Snow by November, a consistent foot of the stuff by Christmas and throughout the winter, but spring by March, summers in the upper 80s? Town not too theme-y but theme-y. Big enough to entertain you but not city big. Eclectic but not too eclectic. A big problem with very long specific wish lists is that you'll never find a place that delivers. It sets you up to be permanently disappointed. Find a place that meets the most important things and let IT grow on you instead.

OTOH, forget the house. Save your money for all the traveling you'll be doing every year...

LOL...I know....that was the perfect wish list to show the top three things we are looking for.

It's funny...years ago we had a crazy loooong wish list we thought could not be met as well.

Back then we did find it....Central CA.

That was then....13 years we lived there. Part of the reason we are ready to have 4 seasons again and snow at Christmas where our home is. The town nearest does not need snow though, as much as we would like that it is not a must have

A non themed downtown meaning that Leavenworth WA has the mountains and snow we want, but, for *us* we would really not like the German-themed town year-round.

Thanks for your reply

Sherri

[Sherri L]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

For around Hood River with a more immediate mountain feel, consider Parkdale to the south of it. And maybe north of White Salmon WA.

IF you liked Walla Walla reasonably well and could see it as your 2nd hop bigger city, then La Grande OR seems like a pretty good target to me.

Talent OR might work.

Minden / Gardernerville NV?

Sandpoint ID?

North or south of Livingston MT?

West of Buffalo WY?

Outside of Park City and Heber UT, like Francis, Oakley or Coalville?

Carbondale or Eagle CO? Dolores CO?

Red River NM?

A little bit north of Dahlonega GA? Middlebury VT? Around Luray VA? Conway / North Conway NH?

Thrse are mountain areas near towns and cities of requested sizes. Some fancier than others.

That is a nice long list that will be helpful Thank you!

We did not like Walla Walla...I spent my teen years there and moved away when I turned 18 LOL

[NW Crow]

End of March in Talent Oregon and Minden NV, just getting into 60s for highs, almost no more snow coming in town, on average. Colder and more snows at higher elevations. End of March, Sandpoint ID just reaching 50. Little new snow in town but hanging around and sometimes new falling higher. Livingston MT 45-50 in town and a few snows left. Winter still in mountains beyond. Heber UT or Eagle CO, 50 and a few snows left in town. Mountains still locked in snow for a lot longer. Middlebury VT in last March, probably just getting to 45. Dahlonega GA, mostly in upper 60s, might see an occasional 70s high. Bend OR, probably low 50s, few to no more snows in town. Mountains still deep in it for much longer.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Try Sisters Oregon. Lots of snow, great scenery, excellent access to mountain hiking, fishing, and camping..

[ejisme]

Originally Posted by Sherri L

Hi Parnassia
Thank you for such a wonderful reply!

Exactly why this forum is most often the most helpful...beyond captioned photos on-line

Our *dream/wish* list~~~

What we will get:
Mountain acreage with a lot of trees
Snow season with at least One foot of snow by Christmas in the mountains where our home will be and continual snow until
that area's spring comes.
We *hope* spring begins in March...even if the last week

Warm summers mid to high 70's and below 90's

The town nearest us having a population range above 8K although only that low if the downtown is large in comparison to that. Smaller than 30K.

Yes, the downtown area is VERY important to us We will be retired and will want eclectic dining and shopping.

The bonuses would be a town with an artistic flair with festivals, music, antique shopping, colorful buildings, those types of things.

Being specific because, why not? LOL

Flowers out spring and summer both wild and just decor even downtown. I mention it because where I am now we NEVER see flowers around and I miss that most from where I have lived before.

We likely may not want a town that has a *too specific* of a theme...Leavenworth seems Gorgeous at Christmas but too *themed* for us.
Aspen CO and Asheville NC downtowns are just two examples of the type of downtown we would love to have.

Would love it if a larger town was within a 2-hour drive or less if even possible...larger meaning a population less than 60-80K preferred.

I am not saying we must have ALL that LOL of course, but it is just information to pick and choose from except the tree-covered mountains with a foot or more of snow on the ground every day in December and January at least, and a nice town (well maintained and not fully themed).

I suppose it would have been easier to say our perfect place would be:
Aspen for winter
Central CA coast for spring
Laguna Niguel CA summers
Blue Ridge Mountains for Autumn

LOL
That is what traveling is for right??

Thank you again so much for your post! it was helpful and refreshing and I appreciate you!

Also...as a slight mention; I have lived in Walla Walla WA so am familiar with the Cascades in that area even though getting snow in WW is hit or miss and even a few miles up the range can be snow-less past the Christmas season. But that is for a different post





...the town/towns below and near us *can* have a bit less snow of course, but still prefer December snow in town.
It is okay if snowfall begins at the end of November usually.

Snow mel

A few places to look would be outside of La Grande, OR (~12k people) and Baker City, OR (~10K). More elevation means more trees and more snow outside of these towns.

Outside of La Grande I'd suggest around the little town of Cove, which is at a bit higher elevation, so gets snow earlier. You'd be about 15 miles out of La Grande, which has the biggest hospital in the region, Eastern Oregon State University, the only Walmart, and other shopping and dining options. Another option, and were my wife lived, would be above Elgin, OR (~1,500 people), either in the Palmer Valley, Cricket Flats, or Tollgate. These are also higher elevation areas outside Elgin. Elgin is 20 miles from La Grande, but also 60 miles from Walla Walla, WA which has much more to offer shopping, foodie, and entertainment wise. The Tollgate area is towards Walla Walla, so would cut your drive there. Tollgate also has a small ski area (Summit Ski area).

Baker City, (at the base of the Elkhorn Mts) for its size, offers a surprising amount of shopping, dining and entertainment options. It is also a bit higher in elevation, and gets a bit more snow than La Grande. But, to get regular December snow and more trees, then you'd need to be higher up at the base of the west mountains vs. in town. There are roads right out of town to the west that will take you there. Another option is to go up to the small town of Sumpter, OR, about 30 miles away, with some property available between Baker City and Sumpter. Lots of trees in Sumpter, and lots of snow. Above Haines, OR would also be an option that would be close to Baker City, be in the trees with lots of snow. There is also a small ski area, Anthony Lakes Ski Resort, in the area, which has the highest base in Oregon. The western suburbs of Boise would be within 2 hours of Baker City.

If all of that is too small, then maybe in Zig Zag, OR (~1,600 people) which is on the road from Portland to the Mount Hood Ski Resorts. Lots of trees and lots of snow. Not sure about the property availability, but some in the area I'd guess.

[E-Twist]

Alaska! Sherri, that's the place for you!

[ejisme]

Ah, I see from another post that you don't like Walla Walla, WA. It has change greatly since you were a teenager. Instead of peas and wheat, they now grow grapes for wine, lots of wine. I think there are over 100 wineries now, but I wouldn't want to live there either, but it is nice to visit.

If you want to stay away from Walla Walla, then as mentioned by someone else, around Sisters, OR will get you lots of trees and snow, and get you in to Bend and Redmond for major shopping. Another area to look would be above Sweet Home, OR, which is on the West side of the same road that goes to Sisters and Bend. Lots wetter on that side of the mountains, so lots more chances for snow. Not sure how early it starts, but the higher up... There you would have Corvallis and Albany 40 minutes or so away.

Prices aren't cheap where there is snow and trees. If you've got a million dollar budget you'll do well. If you're looking at $250K, not so much depending on whether you want a manufactured home or a custom stick built home. I looked around Zillow at some areas, since where you are looking is where we will be in a few years. Lots of places in the $600K and up price range for a home and land. Lots of $150K and up for just the land.

[ejisme]

Another area that is close to my home these days would be outside of McCall, Cascade and especially Garden Valley, all in Idaho. Lots of trees and snow. Lots of land for sale in Garden Valley as they are trying to develop the area with 1 - 3 acre lots. You'd be less than an hour from Boise in Garden Valley, which basically only has a bar, store, gas station, RV park, etc. today. McCall and Cascade are a bit further up the "Long Valley" from Boise, but each is an established small town with all the basic services.

[texasdiver]

Honestly, if you want a charming snowy mountain town with eclectic dining and shopping options like Asheville NC then you are going to have a hard time finding that in the Pacific Northwest. The Rockies or inter-mountain west or even New England would be better options. So much of the Pacific Northwest is public lands and the mountain towns that do exist tend to be older logging towns that simply aren’t going to have the upscale bones that you are looking for. Sweet Home, mentioned upstream is a perfect example. I have family living there. It is very much a struggling and high-poverty place.

In WA, the only places that come to mind would be Wenatchee and Walla Walla. Both have the kinds of downtowns that you are looking for, and both get snow and have lots of sunny weather.

In OR it will be tougher. Bend and the other nearby towns like Redmond, Sunriver, Prineville, Sisters, etc. might be options. La Grande and Baker are both extremely isolated.

Honestly you are probably better off looking in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, etc. Or even Vermont and New Hampshire. If I wanted to live in a quaint mountain town with snow and interesting shops I would look at Vermont or upstate New York near the Canadian border so you could hop over to Montreal for culture.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Sherri L

@E-TWIST
Hi!
Thank you Hood River is a place we are looking into, so beautiful around there!


Sherri

Hood River meets every one of your criteria except the snow. You are essentially at the base of Mt. Hood so snow is a short drive away. But Hood River doesn’t get super reliable snow during the winter. My daughter lived there and commuted up to a job on Mt. Hood last year. A lot of the staff at Mt. Hood Meadows live in Hood River because it is the closest town to the mountain. You could actually live further up into the Hood River valley, closer to Mt. Hood in a place like Parkdale Very pretty area. Full of apple orchards and vineyards.

Across the Columbia in White Salmon is also an option. Lots of homes up on the hills around there. Or drive further up into the mountains from White Salmon to Trout Lake, which most definitely does get snow. It is at the base of Mt. Adams and a very popular cross country ski area. A variety of homes in Trout Lake get turned into winter AirB&Bs that are popular with cross country skiers. And the area is riddled with ski trails. If you are retired then WA has tax advantages over OR.

But honestly, if it were me and I was looking for a retirement Mecca in Oregon with decent dining, scenery, outdoor recreation, that isn’t too far from a major city, then Hood River would be very near the top of the list.