Possible relocation to Idaho Questions about life/economy (Bonners Ferry: insurance, how much)

[TheKezarWoodsman]

before anyone starts, i will say i have been on this forum before, and did some searching, but have come up with very little things meeting my criteria of what i am wondering. So to start off with, the kind of areas i am looking to live are

rural (500-1000 or less)

lightly conserverative, (i will take staunchly red areas over staunchly blue, but perfer it to be in the middle, for instance i am pro-gay rights, pro gun, disagree with raising min wage, ect)

And as i am a type one diabetic i need some acess to medical care (within a hours drive of a e.r that is 24/7 incase of illness ect), i need to be able to work to make enough money to support my medical supplies and afford really good insurance.

i plan to be able to hunt for a decent amount of my meat intake, and would at somepoint want to raise some chickens, or rabbits at somepoint, if i was not diabetic i would probally want to focus more fully on sustainable living, but alas as im diabetic i need a really good paying job to afford insulin/supplies which i literally need to live untill a cures invented (then will probally need to afford immunosuppressents) (im a outdoorsman as you can probally tell)

I would like to live in the forest/mountains, i cant stand the wide open desert, so i am looking central idaho and up
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________

In regards to my questions, this post will probally end up focusing mostly on the economy, as in what kinds of jobs are common in rural central/northern idaho,as well as what are goodish paying, blue collar, white collar, general labor, skilled labor, ect. As well, how expensive is it up there, the other state i am looking at (maine) is not at all expensive, and up north there 2-3 beds 1 baths (1000-1500 sqft, and 1000sqft is about as much as i would ever need) seem to range roughly 130-150k with a 1 acre lot, but one can easily find things similarly sized with alot more land under 200k. So what are the costs of similar homes up there, a quick search is yeilding results around 200-250 at the lowest, and what is the general cost of living, high, low, middle?

The other question for the moment is how is the poliotical situation/population, and is is the population growing quickly, and is the political situation changing much with the californa immigrants (im looking to get away from MA, which tends to be much more Conserverative than Ca.

As this thread expands i will edit questions, add questions, and remove them depending on what facts are brought to light, what stereotypes destroyed, and as my dreams of being a potato farmer are destroyed (sorry just had to inject that there).

P.S. How hot/cold does central/north idaho tend to get in the summer/winter, 90 degrees, 100 degrees/ 0 degrees, -30 degrees? Im not so much worried about cold than the heat, out here with humidity 70 seems to be about the max i can comfortably stand when out and exercising, and 75-80 i can suck up, but any higher and i suffer immense heat induced migraines. And my other main concern is forestfires/drought, how bad/common are they, might just be the Nor'Eastah in me but i would bravely face freezing cold blizzards than a forest fire or extreme drought.

[javatom]

That's a lot of verbage, pilgrim.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

is that a jeremiah johnson refrence (ive seen bits and parts, never the whole thing)

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Any help?

[Clark Fork Fantast]

It's hard to respond to your post, because it asks so many questions, and many of them have been answered in numerous threads already. It sounds to me as if you might want to focus on the Bonners Ferry area first in your online search.

And the "Pilgrim" comment was not from "Jeremiah Johnson." Just a general channeling of John Wayne, I guess!

Besides, once a question or comment has been posted, you only have a few minutes to edit it. You can't go back and "manage" your previous posts, only the moderator can do that.

[sierra don]

CFF, Actually the word pilgrim was used many times in the movie "Jeremiah Johnson", one of my favorite movies.

Most people do associate "pilgrim" with John Wayne movies and I thought the same as you did but started running Jeremiah through my head and remembered hearing it many times. A lot more times than I realized.....



Bear Claw: You've come far, pilgrim.

Bear Claw: You cook good rabbit pilgrim. Cold up here.

Bear Claw: Why no, I truly wouldn't. I'm sorry, pilgrim. Winter's a long time going?


Bear Claw Chris Lapp: You've come far pilgrim.
Jeremiah Johnson: Feels like far.


Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Can you skin Griz, pilgrim?
Jeremiah Johnson: I can skin most anything.
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: You sure are cocky for a starvin' pilgrim.

[Bear Claw runs through the cabin with a huge Grizzly Bear close behind and jumps out the back window.]
Bear Claw Chris Lapp: Skin that pilgrim, and I'll get you another!


Here's a few more....


That'll be far enough, pilgrim!

You're a fine target, pilgrim!

You're the same dumb pilgrim
l've been hearing for days...

Grizzly bears, pilgrim.
l collect the claws.

Use that skin pad, pilgrim,
before you lose all your fingers.

Here you are, pilgrim.
Sharp enough to scale a fish with.


l packed a squaw
for years, pilgrim.

You got him, pilgrim!
You nailed him clean.

Can't cheat the mountain, pilgrim.
Mountain got it....

You've learned well, pilgrim.
You'll go far.

l'm sorry, pilgrim.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Yep, know'em all! Great list. I've scared away many a prospective acquaintance by quoting entire scenes from JJ . But I don't think Chris Lapp ever said verbage!

We've actually played the JJ soundtrack as background music while working on our cabin.

But seriously, OP, if you're concerned about 100-degree temps: they can happen in NID, on occasion. And forest fires are unfortunately part of the picture. If you read the threads from last August you'll see just how much.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

i know they can happen on occassion for temps, and forest fires are big. But some threads also stated that forest fires this year were much worse than normal. My questions regarding climate-wise are for more longterm trends. for instance here on the east coast we have had a extremely blistering summer, and a warmer than normal winter, along with alot less rain than normal.

[zed42]

good reference
CLIMATE OF IDAHO

[TheKezarWoodsman]

so if i may ask what jobs/industrys are big up in rural central/northern idaho? im going to assume it is alot of labor/blue collar. I also assume most people need to work multible jobs to "get by", but i am talking jobs that could pay the bills by themselfs. As well, what would you guys say is needed for both a single adult, and a married family with kids to make inorder to survive decently.