Moving to Bend from Montana (Portland: lease, crime, home)

[mtn 2 h20]

I have been living in Whitefish, MT for the last twelve years and am considering a move to Bend. Whitefish is a great place but is not the same small town it was when I first moved here. I have also found that in the last few years I am craving the access to a larger community, offering more in entertainment, [plays, live music, etc]. Whitefish has grown quite a bit, but it does have a bit of that small town syndrome where some people like to think they know what you are doing before you do it.
I am drawn to Bend for the same reasons I came to Whitefish, I love the outdoors. In the winter I enjoy skate skiing and just getting out on a trail with my dogs. In the summer the water is my bliss, love paddle-boarding, kayaking, etc.
The current drawbacks of Whitefish are that the previously unknown trails for x-try skiing or summer trail running have been taken over by hunters [most of whom aren't doing it legally]. I am not against hunting when it is done in a legal manner and not within the city limits. The area has grown so quickly that fish and game struggle to keep up with the demands. Just not fun to have a quad come ripping up behind you and trashing the trails and chasing down the dogs, then leaving the deer/bear carcasses behind.
Our winters can get really long when the inversion zone sets in. I know I have gone up to 21 days without a peep of sun, which is a little extreme for me.
I guess in the big picture I am looking for a larger version of where I currently live, with a dog-friendly community that appreciates and supports outdoor activities, and has access by train, plane or car to larger cities.
I have read several threads and understand that Bend is quite safe, which is hugely important to me. I rarely lock my door in MT and have never had any problems.
Are there trails in town that can be run on year round?
Where would the closest skate-ski area be located?

I thank you in advance for any information, suggestions provided!

[Dry Side]

The closest skate ski area is Meissner. About 12 miles S/W out of town. Dogs not allowed. Motorized vehicles not allowed.

Meissner Nordic

Yes plenty of trails that can be run on year round.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by mtn 2 h20

I have been living in Whitefish, MT for the last twelve years and am considering a move to Bend. Whitefish is a great place but is not the same small town it was when I first moved here. I have also found that in the last few years I am craving the access to a larger community, offering more in entertainment, [plays, live music, etc]. Whitefish has grown quite a bit, but it does have a bit of that small town syndrome where some people like to think they know what you are doing before you do it.
I am drawn to Bend for the same reasons I came to Whitefish, I love the outdoors. In the winter I enjoy skate skiing and just getting out on a trail with my dogs. In the summer the water is my bliss, love paddle-boarding, kayaking, etc.
The current drawbacks of Whitefish are that the previously unknown trails for x-try skiing or summer trail running have been taken over by hunters [most of whom aren't doing it legally]. I am not against hunting when it is done in a legal manner and not within the city limits. The area has grown so quickly that fish and game struggle to keep up with the demands. Just not fun to have a quad come ripping up behind you and trashing the trails and chasing down the dogs, then leaving the deer/bear carcasses behind.
Our winters can get really long when the inversion zone sets in. I know I have gone up to 21 days without a peep of sun, which is a little extreme for me.
I guess in the big picture I am looking for a larger version of where I currently live, with a dog-friendly community that appreciates and supports outdoor activities, and has access by train, plane or car to larger cities.
I have read several threads and understand that Bend is quite safe, which is hugely important to me. I rarely lock my door in MT and have never had any problems.
Are there trails in town that can be run on year round?
Where would the closest skate-ski area be located?

I thank you in advance for any information, suggestions provided!

I think Bend will provide you with some of the things you are looking for. It's definitely a much larger community, around 80K, so there's more in terms of entertainment, dining, and shopping. Of course, with that, comes crowds. If you feel your trails around Whitefish are overrun, you may really hate the trails here. While they aren't as crowded as the trails outside of a major city (Seattle, Portland, Denver, etc.), they will certainly be busier than the trails you are used to (think Missoula area). Also, there are a lot more rules in the National Forests here in Oregon compared with Montana. Many of the trails inside of the Sister's Wilderness, and around town (Deschutes River Trail) require your dog to be leased for the busy summer months. As Dry Side pointed out, Meissner and other skate ski trails don't allow dogs. There is one area, Wanoga Snow Park, that allows dogs, but from what I hear, it's pretty small so the mileage is limited. Here is an excellent resource for finding trails around the area that you and your dog can enjoy together. Home Page

Also, in terms of weather, just know that Bend, while sunnier than areas west of the Cascades, is still in the Pacific Northwest. When comparing the city-data page for both Whitefish and Bend, you notice very similar patterns in the sunshine and cloudy days graphs. According to this data, Whitefish actually sees a bit more sun than Bend. This may or may not be true right now (this winter in Bend has been especially sunny), but it is something to consider. I think Bend is probably warmer than Whitefish though. The data has been collected and what you will see in this forum is anecdotal, at best. We can have weeks here in Bend where we don't see the sun, especially during late winter and spring. For me, personally, as someone who moved to Bend from Colorado 4 years ago, I find spring to be the hardest time of year.

In terms of safety, Bend is pretty safe, but it's a much bigger town than Whitefish and most places in Montana. While I occasionally forget to lock my home or car, it's not advised to leave them unlocked purposefully. The biggest crime we seem to have around here in theft, especially as the economy continues to suffer.

[delta07]

Also you might read through this thread, and some comparisons between Montana and Bend are discussed. //www.city-data.com/forum/bend/...aybe-bend.html

[mtn 2 h20]

Thank you for the information! I actually called the Meissner Nordic area and they were helpful in recommending some other areas as well for dogs off leash. It took me awhile to get there but I found after one full winter in MT that skiing on frozen lakes was great fun, the dogs loved it and not as many people.
I think what has contributed to many of our trails being over-run is that previous trails are now "gated living areas", with either one residence or an actual bedroom community. I think it has forced us all to converge on the few areas that are left without having to drive 30min out of town.
I have looked at several sites comparing the weather data, and agree with you, from what it looks like on a graph Whitefish and Bend are similar in some respects. Spring is always the toughest for me as well. It seems that from late March to late May the area is just a mud bog, with heavy snow melt and rain it inhibits any biking or hiking so it leaves you to rely on the trails in and around town which are VERY limited.
I think what is really drawing me to Bend is the proximity to many different areas, Portland is relatively close and you can even get to the beach in a day, whereas in MT, it takes 3 hours just to get to Missoula and that's without weather and traffic. The closest real city is Seattle and that is 9 hours away. I know it's all perspective and give and take, but I think I am just ready for the change.
Thank you for your honest opinion!