i used to live in the springs houses are exspencive and jobs dont pay much,unless your in the it field or military and the schools imo are not that great my little bro lived with me then and was finishing h.school i dealt with his teachers and thats why i moved my kids back to mn.
Moving WEST! - Any Advice?
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i used to live in the springs houses are exspencive and jobs dont pay much,unless your in the it field or military and the schools imo are not that great my little bro lived with me then and was finishing h.school i dealt with his teachers and thats why i moved my kids back to mn.
also lots of you think mn is cheap...not on the north shore of lake superior where i just sold my house,13% sale tax,16% on booze $.20 more per gal of gas,no race fuel ,lots of
1,000,000+ dollar homes and 120+ miles one way to a walmart and a hospital.a life flight is $20,000 to the hospital.every thing i have heard is affordable.
1,000,000+ dollar homes and 120+ miles one way to a walmart and a hospital.a life flight is $20,000 to the hospital.every thing i have heard is affordable.
OO_rmk700,The field that you are in would fit into West good. A good accountant would be welcome in town. We do have a couple but there is need for another. And the financial planning end is a plus for the area. You could pretty much pick your hours for work, and play the rest. As for your wife there is always jobs available in the summer. In our business motel owner, and property managment we are always looking for help, and the pay is good if you get hooked up with the right businesses. If she wants part time she would be welcome at our operation. There is a ton of ATV trails in the area, horseback riding, hiking, biking, fly fishing, and with the park being basically across the road there is unlimited trails and sight seeing. We have lakes that are great for summer activities. But they stay on the cool side in the main bodies. But the bays, which are numerous are warm. Yes we are crowded in the summer but those people make our living for us. And they do not see anything but the park. All of the great peaceful places are not generally know by the tourists. Therefore allot of peace and quiet for the locals, once you get to know the area. And in my opionion we have some of the best snowmobiling in the west. Out your front door to the trails that take you into some awsome areas. And these areas are not small, with many different choices. Now if your not into snow removal stay away as our average snowfall in town is 148". But that should tell you what we see up higher from us. The downfalls of course are anything you need you have to travel for, Bozeman to the north, Idaho Falls to the south. Everything is alittle more expensive in town. Housing in my opinion is not any higher than other areas of the west. But I would have to say that renting until you know for sure what you want would be the way to go. Hope this helps with your decision and what ever you decide, have a great time...................
Kalispell and Whitefish sounds like your style!
For a flatlander it sounds like your looking for incredible trail systems with an
awesome view all the time. Anywhere around Kalispell, Whitefish, Eureka Ten Lakes area are unreal with easy to extreme places to ride. Areas like China Basin, Diamond Basin, Lost Johney are more back country boondocking areas.
If your boondocking skills are average, stay away from the Big Boys that will drag you into areas that will be too technically demanding. Just got back from Revelstoke B.C. That is only 7 hours away from Kalispell. Good Luck!
For a flatlander it sounds like your looking for incredible trail systems with an
awesome view all the time. Anywhere around Kalispell, Whitefish, Eureka Ten Lakes area are unreal with easy to extreme places to ride. Areas like China Basin, Diamond Basin, Lost Johney are more back country boondocking areas.
If your boondocking skills are average, stay away from the Big Boys that will drag you into areas that will be too technically demanding. Just got back from Revelstoke B.C. That is only 7 hours away from Kalispell. Good Luck!
A
aadougie
Well-known member
Thank you all for your great opinions and certainly keep posting if you have more of them. My wife and I realize that we have a lot to discuss and evaluate the next few months, but I think we have concluded that three areas stand out - Flathead Valley, Seeley (part of Flathead Valley?), and West Yellowstone.
A couple of more specific questions:
* Flathead Valley - It looks like a lot of the riding area is to the east of Flathead Lake in the national forest? Also, for housing it sounds like Columbia Falls or Bigfork would be better for us than Whitefish or Kalispell in terms of housing/rent prices and staying away from the crowds?
* West Yellowstone - My wife and I have been through town in the summer and enjoyed it immensely. It didn't seem as busy to me as others have suggested, so was I definitely missing something or did we just happen to catch it at the right time? I like the fact that the streets are not plowed bare in the winter and riding right from our home would definitely be possible for most of the year. Is the riding season fairly long in West Yellowstone, and how far would it be to get to the trail in the early and late parts of the season?
Finally, a couple of comments:
We certainly are aware of the land use issues that exist in the state when it comes to recreation, and we will support your cause in any way we can. I completely agree with what has been said with regards to folks coming into the state and demanding change instead of trying to understand the way MT has been for the last 40 years. I like seeing small towns remain small, and have been disappointed to see a lot of good Minnesota farmland be swallowed up by development.
A couple of more specific questions:
* Flathead Valley - It looks like a lot of the riding area is to the east of Flathead Lake in the national forest? Also, for housing it sounds like Columbia Falls or Bigfork would be better for us than Whitefish or Kalispell in terms of housing/rent prices and staying away from the crowds?
* West Yellowstone - My wife and I have been through town in the summer and enjoyed it immensely. It didn't seem as busy to me as others have suggested, so was I definitely missing something or did we just happen to catch it at the right time? I like the fact that the streets are not plowed bare in the winter and riding right from our home would definitely be possible for most of the year. Is the riding season fairly long in West Yellowstone, and how far would it be to get to the trail in the early and late parts of the season?
Finally, a couple of comments:
We certainly are aware of the land use issues that exist in the state when it comes to recreation, and we will support your cause in any way we can. I completely agree with what has been said with regards to folks coming into the state and demanding change instead of trying to understand the way MT has been for the last 40 years. I like seeing small towns remain small, and have been disappointed to see a lot of good Minnesota farmland be swallowed up by development.
Quick question - Is there a good website where we can find trail maps for the Flathead Valley and West Yellowstone areas? Thanks!
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aadougie
Well-known member
in gardiner we will be riding until mid july if the snow keeps up because it is snowing right now!!!!!!! and there is a school for your kids lots f places to ride like Cooke city, jarden, rock creek, west yellowstone....ect.
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aadougie
Well-known member
Snowing in Bigfork today too but no accumulation... Lost Johnny area stays open through mid-June I believe... Each year is different in terms of late season access - this year you can still park on the Hungry Horse dam and ride in on the lake (still frozen but not sure I'd do it...) or the west side road right now - last year you had to park way up Lost Johnny road and it was a pain with a trailer...
Hi everyone. I'm back to thinking/researching this move again, and I have a few questions about West Yellowstone and the Flathead Valley:
#1 - I have a Snowest issue (Volume 33, #4, September 2006) that has Part 1 of a 3 part story on Island Park/West Yellowstone. This first article is awesome, but I would like to get a hold of parts 2 and 3. I assume they are in the the October and November 2006 issues of the magazine? My main question, though, is that I was wondering if anyone had those two issues lying around and wouldn't want them anymore? If so, please let me know, and I would give you something for them. If not, then hopefully the magazine still has old copies.
#2 - I have read here on the forum about a new court ruling that limits the length of the riding season in the Flathead National Forest to March 15th. I know that the Flathead National Forest is a large chunk of land but that there are other places to ride in the area. My point is, should this be a big consideration for my wife and I if we are thinking of relocating there? It seems that this would be cutting the season short by at least two months. And also, if we were considering the Seeley Lake area to the south, could this also soon affect some of the lands around there too. Maybe even teh Gallatin National Forest as well?
Thanks for your time, guys!
#1 - I have a Snowest issue (Volume 33, #4, September 2006) that has Part 1 of a 3 part story on Island Park/West Yellowstone. This first article is awesome, but I would like to get a hold of parts 2 and 3. I assume they are in the the October and November 2006 issues of the magazine? My main question, though, is that I was wondering if anyone had those two issues lying around and wouldn't want them anymore? If so, please let me know, and I would give you something for them. If not, then hopefully the magazine still has old copies.
#2 - I have read here on the forum about a new court ruling that limits the length of the riding season in the Flathead National Forest to March 15th. I know that the Flathead National Forest is a large chunk of land but that there are other places to ride in the area. My point is, should this be a big consideration for my wife and I if we are thinking of relocating there? It seems that this would be cutting the season short by at least two months. And also, if we were considering the Seeley Lake area to the south, could this also soon affect some of the lands around there too. Maybe even teh Gallatin National Forest as well?
Thanks for your time, guys!
well, I am gonna throw my idea in here..It is wild but..If ya are really into the outdoors..summer and winter...Try north..way north...once in a lifetime opportunity..but try valdez alaska, fairbanks, anchorage, soldotna..or any 3 of other places up here..job prospects are good in most all feilds, cost of living id a little more as far as groceries ..utilities are cheaper then most areas..housing is on par with the higher end places....but the outdoors......unbeatable...just a thought for those of you who really want to enjoy life....
the flathead valley is a sweet place to live, thats where i am right now and i love it. im only 18 and living at home until college in amonth and half just so ya know how i experiance this. columbia falls is definately a more blue collar town than whitefish, its a resort town. but there is plenty to do right now as far as jobs.
there is so much to do in the valley there is really not ever a lack of recreation, deffinately take that into consideration.
and like somebody said before, the climate is much better here as there is the large lakes, its deffinately a little more cloudy in the winter than other places but the temps in the valley stay totally tolerable all winter, there was only one week were it hung around -10 and then besides that its 0 and up in the valley almost always
and ya dont get the wind like ya do over in MN, because the mountains protect you on both sides. and the housing market is really good in this area as it was booming hardcore and then let up a bit, so now there are plenty of homes at really reasonable prices for this area.
there is so much to do in the valley there is really not ever a lack of recreation, deffinately take that into consideration.
and like somebody said before, the climate is much better here as there is the large lakes, its deffinately a little more cloudy in the winter than other places but the temps in the valley stay totally tolerable all winter, there was only one week were it hung around -10 and then besides that its 0 and up in the valley almost always
and ya dont get the wind like ya do over in MN, because the mountains protect you on both sides. and the housing market is really good in this area as it was booming hardcore and then let up a bit, so now there are plenty of homes at really reasonable prices for this area.
Moving West
I am lucky enough to have lived in the Flathead Valley my whole life.
I enjoy snowmobiling, ATV riding, boating, hiking, fishing and hunting.
The giant crowded town I live in is around 300 people, kind of sleepy.
It is my escape. I drive from the house to go ATV riding in any direction as ATV is street legal.
Several hundred miles of snowmobiling are with in a 15 minute drive. Most of it is ungroomed although their are groomed areas at Canyon creek north of Columbia Falls, Red Meadow north of Whitefish and more east and south.
The Flathead is full of rivers and lakes.
Hope this helps
I am lucky enough to have lived in the Flathead Valley my whole life.
I enjoy snowmobiling, ATV riding, boating, hiking, fishing and hunting.
The giant crowded town I live in is around 300 people, kind of sleepy.
It is my escape. I drive from the house to go ATV riding in any direction as ATV is street legal.
Several hundred miles of snowmobiling are with in a 15 minute drive. Most of it is ungroomed although their are groomed areas at Canyon creek north of Columbia Falls, Red Meadow north of Whitefish and more east and south.
The Flathead is full of rivers and lakes.
Hope this helps
Don't come to carbondale or most anywhere on the western slope of CO unless you have alot of $$ to spend on a house because it is just plain ridiculous here. A burnerdown house on a small a$$ lot will run you about 300k around here.
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