Another Set of Questions About Moving to Missoula

[DontLookPhoto]

Originally Posted by Hollan27

East Missoula and Bonner are lovely and closer to town.

East Missoula "lovely" You have to be kidding. It's disgusting looking.

[DisplacedCanuck]

Well, events have conspired against us. It looks like it will be next year before we will be able to move. However, we are still taking our trip this summer. Thanks everyone for your input. I will continue to follow the forums.

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by DisplacedCanuck

Well, events have conspired against us. It looks like it will be next year before we will be able to move. However, we are still taking our trip this summer. Thanks everyone for your input. I will continue to follow the forums.

Re your forthcoming trip this summer.......................consider there is a great difference in what you will experience between , say--mid June vs mid to late August. 80% of the "greenery" you will see and "experience" in June will be gone in mid to late August..........and we seldom, if ever have "forest fire smoke" in the area in June or July...................however from late July on into late summer and into Sept, smokey conditions are to be expected.............Just "reality"..................

There are only six cities with population larger than Kalispell........................your stated criteria in effect rule-out Great Falls, Billings and most likely Missoula....................thus leaving Helena, Butte and Bozeman.

If you are willing to accept some of the "Negatives" (your assessments & criteria) that you have referenced re the Missoula area..................that area would be my choice. Having lived in Montana for 34 years (Bitterroot Valley) and traveled the rest of the state many, many times during the much of my working years............the Missoula area would be at the top of my list.

[DisplacedCanuck]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

Re your forthcoming trip this summer.......................consider there is a great difference in what you will experience between , say--mid June vs mid to late August. 80% of the "greenery" you will see and "experience" in June will be gone in mid to late August..........and we seldom, if ever have "forest fire smoke" in the area in June or July...................however from late July on into late summer and into Sept, smokey conditions are to be expected.............Just "reality"..................

There are only six cities with population larger than Kalispell........................your stated criteria in effect rule-out Great Falls, Billings and most likely Missoula....................thus leaving Helena, Butte and Bozeman.

If you are willing to accept some of the "Negatives" (your assessments & criteria) that you have referenced re the Missoula area..................that area would be my choice. Having lived in Montana for 34 years (Bitterroot Valley) and traveled the rest of the state many, many times during the much of my working years............the Missoula area would be at the top of my list.

Regarding the trip:
We will be taking the trip during the middle two weeks of June. It could end up being a bit early for some of Glacier NP, but we'll see. We are stopping at Crater Lake on the way and expect hitting the Missoula area around the 9th or 10th of June. We want to spend some time there, then head up towards Glacier, back down and then over to check out Paradise Valley. We have been to Yellowstone before, so don't anticipate taking too much time there, but will likely drive through. It will depend on timing. I realize that it is highly recommended to make reservations for things in the summer, but we like to be more flexible with how long we spend in places. I am hoping that it won't be as busy that early. We will see. I do plan on making reservations for the Glacier part this week, once I get the maps and start planning in a bit more detail.

Regarding the move:
I'm not sure which criteria would have eliminated Missoula. It is currently at the top of our list, but we are open to exploring other areas.
Some of my criteria:
- Good schools
- Good place to raise a family
- Within an hour or so of a city no smaller than Missoula. I do like the idea of the University in Missoula as the kids get older as a close option, but it is not a priority.
- Near mountains and forests, preferably right outside my door.
- Missoula has a decent size adult ice hockey league, which is a plus, but not an absolute requirement.

[NDak15]

]My wife and I are considering moving our family to the Missoula area. We would be considering something outside of town and have been looking in either the Frenchtown or Lolo areas. I don’t really want to move to Montana only to live downtown or in a subdivision with half-acre lots. However, we want to be within a short drive to Missoula. We have three kids in grades 3-8, so schools are important to us. Research indicates that Frenchtown has some pretty good schools.

I am not too worried about the winters as we both grew up in Canada, including time in the Canadian Prairies which has some pretty bad winters. However, I do not really want to deal with it being windy all of the time. Am I correct in believing that that should not be an issue in the areas we are considering? We are looking at spending a lot more time outside and I have always wanted to live in the mountains. We would be looking into about 5+ acres of land with wooded areas on or beside our land.

We are currently living in the San Jose area of California and we are getting tired of being house poor and living in the city. Crime seems to be getting worse. The schools in California are in some kind of death spiral. The cost of living keeps going up. I grew up in the country in eastern Canada and I miss the outdoors. I miss it being right outside your door, without having to drive an hour or more. My job is essentially portable, so I would be working out of the house. My wife has been running her own business, but unfortunately, that might not work there.

Now that the background information is out of the way, I have a number of questions.
1. As previously mentioned, the wind isn’t bad in the Missoula area correct? The wind isn't too bad in Missoula. Not like much of eastern Montana.

2. How about the bugs? We got kind of spoiled living here. There aren’t really any mosquitoes, black flies or any of the annoying pests that make sitting outside / hiking a pain. Bugs aren't too bad.

3. What about other critters? My wife is a bit worried about bears. There are big critters like bears around, however, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make noise when you're hiking in the woods and carry pepper spray. You are unlikely to have them in your yard, but use common sense like securing your grabage.

4. Is it cold enough to setup a small rink in my back yard? The average temp. stats would suggest I can, but I just wanted confirmation. Averages can be misleading. It can get cold, you might be able to get up a rink in your yard. I've never known anyone who has done it but you could always try.

5. Does everything dry up and turn yellow in the summer? The hills here are only green for about 4 months of the year during the “rainy season”. The evergreens stay green but the grass will turn brown.

6. Are the Frenchtown or Lolo areas subject to the winter inversions often mentioned in discussing Missoula? This I'm not sure, sorry.

7. Is there something we should know about the areas we are considering? Are there other areas you would suggest? The main thing I would be concerned about is the attitude of the locals toward outsiders. Western Montana is not welcoming of outsiders. Missoula is probably a bit better but that part of the state is not what I would consider welcoming of outsiders.

8. We are going to take a vacation to the area this summer. So far, we plan on hitting Glacier NP, but haven’t done much planning beyond that. We have been to Yellowstone before. What are some other things we should consider when planning our trip? It's good to come in the summer, but if you can swing it at all, try and come during the winter to get a feel for it.

Sorry for the wall of text. Any help / answers / suggestions would be appreciated.

[MontanaGyrl]

Originally Posted by DontLookPhoto

East Missoula "lovely" You have to be kidding. It's disgusting looking.

I agree. East Missoula, Bonner, and Milltown are the armpit of the area. And I'm being kind!