What is the Goldendale area like? (Lyle, Klickitat: crime, house, unemployed)

[Transplanted]

Does anyone one have any info about the Goldendale area?
I have never lived in a desert type area so I have lots of questions about it!

What does the air smell like?
Does it rain much there?
Does the climate make a person's skin get all dried out?

Are there rattle snakes everywhere?
Are scorpions a big problem?
Do the creatures get into your house ?

Are there any typical problems that we might expect to have happened or will happen to a house that has been in that climate for years?

[Waterlily]

I once worked out that way. It's been a few years since I was there. It's a small town with not much to do except some outside nature like activities.

There's not a lot of rain but you'll get some snow. There are a few trees that grow there and there is some wind. Yes chapped skin can happen especially during winter when the wind blows. Good lotions will usually take care of the problem.

It's too cold for scorpions to live there and I have never heard of a rattler being found there either.

[Transplanted]

Thanks for the info
I thought of something else ....is there much grass there where a person could have pasture for cattle and horses or the land more or less just scrub with bushes?

[Waterlily]

It's not grassland. Mostly scrub brush,nothing and a few trees. The wind drys out the land during summer so that's probably why there is not more grass growing.
Now I will say that there are some ranches outside of Goldendale but I don't know what they are feeding the horses and cows.

[Transplanted]

Thanks for the additional info....hmmm, no trees and dried out scrub land-sounds like it might be sort of a depressing place? Did you get that feeling when you were there?

[Waterlily]

Just a few miles south of there is the Columbia River and the winds whip through there a lot. In that area there is nothing growing. Going up Highway 97 it goes up in elevation so you do get some confir trees here and there.

The economy is poor there or it used to be. A few years ago there were lots of unemployed and welfare types living in Goldendale. Now they have gained some population so that situation could be different now for all I know. it's been about 4 years since I've been there and I didn't live there. I just drove out there to work for a while.

[herbyork]

We are in the process of buying a 300+ acre piece in Goldendale.
I have done a lot of research on the net about it. Yours is the first post I have seen that says grass won't grow there. Is that what you meant to say?The piece we are are looking into is 4 miles S of town and grow two crops a year of Alfalfa annually without irrigation so....some places can grow grass.
So is 4 miles too far to get DSL or Cable for internet?
Thank you
Herb

[live4kidz]

I have never heard of Goldendale being that sparse for vegetation. It appears that the rainfall is in the area of about 15 inches per year. There is snow, which also counts for precipitation. We live in the Gladstone-Milwaukie area of Oregon which is really gray and drizzly and rainy so much of the time. Portland, OR is home for me, but I have lived over half of my life in drier states of NV, AZ, UT, CA, TX and I have to say I have never grown webbed feet to feel comfortable in lots of rain. I feel loads better in a drier climate. However, 3 of our 4 adult children live in the Portland area, and one of our grandkids. We have two adult children, yet unmarried, and really want to stay within easy travel distance of the kids and grandkids. We are looking at taking a road trip end of May to look at places in Oregon and Washington state that are smaller, sunnier, lower cost of living than Portland area - and less congested, lower crime rate. We want a friendly community where we can become involved and live a simpler lifestyle than we've had the last 35 yrs. We are now empty nesters, as of December, and we are enjoying seeing our grown children stand on their own and leading their lives and being happy! Now it's time for us to think about a switch of gears. I'm hoping that the negative-sounding comments about Goldendale are not something that deters our interest and that we are able to keep that area on our list of places to visit and consider for retirement!

[StealthRabbit]

What does the air smell like? Air is fresh, plenty breezy (home of some 'wind farms' (electricity)) no belching factories, a few winter inversions with fog present

Does it rain much there?, not much, but enough to keep prairie healthy, anything you want green in the summer will need irrigation

Does the climate make a person's skin get all dried out? depends on your skin... I've never had a problem, and work outside during grain harvest, it is not a desert, but plenty warm in summer

Are there rattle snakes everywhere? occasional, but you usually have to find them, they don't seem as bad as in Lyle and areas above Klickitat (where you don't have to look to hard to find them

Are scorpions a big problem? never heard of them here

Do the creatures get into your house ? no... maybe occasional roaming cow... but... ticks seem to be getting really bad in last 10 yrs

Are there any typical problems that we might expect to have happened or will happen to a house that has been in that climate for years? no, just normal weather related, (leaking / exposed areas) not a 'bug haven'

area has a bit of geology diversity, as there is flat prairie, hills with dense pine trees, small creeks, and hay/grain farms, all within 5 miles of town.

Has hospital with a new wing, and most other necessities. (basic, grocery, gas, parts, vets, decent churches). Within reasonable commute to other needs, (1hr) and 2.5 hrs to Portland. (Costco / airport)

[jeannem]

I just had to join this posting to set the record straight, in my own humble opinion, of course.
I fell in love with this town last August when we were looking for a small parcel of acreage.
We had wanted to buy some land in the Bend or Sisters area to retire in, but that dream was dashed by the skyrocketing population, traffic conjestion and an influx in out of state buyers that drove the prices out of reach.
Goldendale is the county seat, which is unusual for such a small community. I've met quite a few very nice people there. Granted, the pace of life is a lot slower than in Gresham/Portland where I've lived all my life, but that is what I find so wonderful about it. There is a lot of history in the area. The local newspaper is over 100 years old, and there is a lot of emphasis on preservation of old homes. The Klickitat river and the canyons that lead to it are breathtaking. The wildlife preserve, a public observatory/park are only a couple of other attributes of the area. Land prices are very reasonable. We purchased 5 acres in the hills above town. We plan to retire there.
If you are young and want a town full of night life, Goldendale is definately not a place to live. But for those of us who have lived in the city where it takes an hour and a half to get 23 miles to work, it's a welcome change of pace. The town has a lot of pride, and I look forward to being a part of it.