Moving to Idaho with guns

[albin25]

Pullman/Moscow are about 2000 feet higher than Lewiston.
I moved here from San Diego 15 years ago and have seen ice on the rivers twice, and until last year's record shattering snow, I used a push-broom to "plow" my driveway. the 'snow-line" seldom comes 1/3 of the way down the Lewiston Hill and snow will seldom stay on the ground more than 3 days.


Remember those old Doug McClure movies where the adventurers' balloon/rocket would crash and they'd find a lost valley in Antarctica that was warm and full of dinosaurs? .... well, it's kinda like that We're those Valley livin', gun-toteing, freedom lovin', America first cave-dwellers that CNN warns you about.


Edited to add …
Standing in the Elks Club's parking lot (near Lewiston Country Club) and looking Northwards. Clarkston on the left(west). Snake River below approx. 2 miles from the confluence with the Clearwater River.
I think the pic was taken in late January

 

[Dr Prepper]

Pullman/Moscow are about 2000 feet higher than Lewiston.
I moved here from San Diego 15 years ago and have seen ice on the rivers twice, and until last year's record shattering snow, I used a push-broom to "plow" my driveway. the 'snow-line" seldom comes 1/3 of the way down the Lewiston Hill and snow will seldom stay on the ground more than 3 days.


Remember those old Doug McClure movies where the adventurers' balloon/rocket would crash and they'd find a lost valley in Antarctica that was warm and full of dinosaurs? .... well, it's kinda like that We're those Valley livin', gun-toteing, freedom lovin', America first cave-dwellers that CNN warns you about.

View attachment 1235571

Is that looking west toward Clarkston or further east? Er where you standin'?
Man that looks ideal.
That's some grade A info right there Albin!
Probably exactly what I'm looking for. Absolutely gorgeous. Outside major cities but yet still a large enough town for most things, Mail order the rest.
Plenty of wilderness to hunt/fish do whatever and won't have to travel 2hrs to shoot from my house. (Esp. With gas prices now #FJB)

 

[Wombat of Doom]

So Boise is likely out

 

[BBQ Guy]

So Boise is likely out

Wise choice, IMO.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

well, it was the way I was leaning but the houses and land were tempting about an hour from there. But my wife's job tightened up certain requirements, which, although she could get an exemption it would burn some favors owed. Also, I could get priority for employment at 2 employers in Spokane, though I would try in ID first.

 

[ORhutner]

So Boise is likely out

That sounds like a win in my opinion. Central and northern Idaho resonate better with what you have described in prior posts. Close proximity to Spokane but on the Idaho side of the border gets you great access to a pretty well connected airport.

 

[Dr Prepper]

Ive thought about this a lot as well. I'm 100% positive the traffic from Idaho to Spokane is better than a drive from Tacoma/Spunaway to EverettEvrrett which I did for 6 years.

 

[BBQ Guy]

well, it was the way I was leaning but the houses and land were tempting about an hour from there. But my wife's job tightened up certain requirements, which, although she could get an exemption it would burn some favors owed. Also, I could get priority for employment at 2 employers in Spokane, though I would try in ID first.

You are correct about property and homes away from Boise.
My greatest concern would be their city crap spilling over into the country.

 

[SpudBob]

You are correct about property and homes away from Boise.
My greatest concern would be their city crap spilling over into the country.

The Commies stay in The north end,(Boise) Moscow and Haley mostly. Where I live, about an hour north of Boise, is just fine. Way, way milder winters too than north Idaho. Lewiston is OK if you like the paper mill stench. East of there up the Clearwater is nice though. as long as you get at least 20 miles away from Lewiston and the smell.

 

[ORhutner]

The Riggins area has recently caught my eye.

 

[Dr Prepper]

Lewiston is OK if you like the paper mill stench. East of there up the Clearwater is nice though. as long as you get at least 20 miles away from Lewiston and the smell.

Great info! Thanks, I don't find Stench's appealing at all. I heard Facebook was supposed to opening a huge building in Kuna just south of Meridian but then a month or two later I heard Facebook was laying people off and their stock nose dove so hopefully they go fully under and have to sell that property cheap.
Damn commies need to stay where they belong in their own ruined states.

I'd be all for people taking a pledge to the new community they move to to uphold THEIR ideals by in large and not change it for the "better".

 

[SpudBob]

Great info! Thanks, I don't find Stench's appealing at all. I heard Facebook was supposed to opening a huge building in Kuna just south of Meridian but then a month or two later I heard Facebook was laying people off and their stock nose dove so hopefully they go fully under and have to sell that property cheap.
Damn commies need to stay where they belong in their own ruined states.

I'd be all for people taking a pledge to the new community they move to to uphold THEIR ideals by in large and not change it for the "better".

You would'nt want to be in Kuna IMO. Its a major bedroom community for the treasure valley. There are housing developments up the wazoo. The infrastructure has not been well thought out at all. Traffic is getting bad in the treasure valley. Depending on the type of terrain you like desert vs trees. About 15 miles north of Treasure Valley, as the crow flies, turns to trees. If you like the desert and trees you got the best of both. Boise, Gem and Valley Co.(north) are way better choices for some solitude. Where I live I can shoot off my front porch,and I do, and nobody cares.

 

[Bajablast]

Idaho is definitely in my and my wife's future. Been traveling over there regularly to scout out good places to move to when the time comes. This year will be up to Bonner's Ferry for a look around.

So far CDA/Post Falls is in the lead, but things change as more trips are made to various parts of the state.

Montana has not been ruled out either.

Can't wait to get as far away from Portland metro as possible.

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The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams. It's Heaven and Hell.....

 

[wcdubois]

I just stumbled across this thread so I'm a bit late to the conversation.

I'm retired so not tied to a job.
I am sick of Oregon politics, not just the anti gun crowd, but the moral issues as well.
I had high hopes last election but we still ended up with an extreme left governor.
I have been looking at Idaho and Montana. Looks like Montana is approaching half blue and half red while Idaho is about 1/4 blue 3/4 red.

So I have focused on Idaho. The Boise area has grown very fast over the last decade or so and seems quite blue. So I have focused on the Lewiston area. Spent a week there last month looking it over and checking out the real-estate market with an agent. Prices are high, but they are here too.
I hear about the paper mill smell but didn't notice it while we were there. I will be there again next month so maybe it will smell more in the heat.
We found the people there quite friendly and after talking with the agent he says I will fit in quite well with the local conservative culture.

I have no firm plans yet so am open to discussion on locations (rural Idaho) and any information that can be provided on Lewiston specifically.
I am a vet and mid 60s so would like to be near medical facilities as I age, healthy so far. I visited the VA clinic while there so that is good.

My daughter and her young family will be moving wherever we go within a year or so. So they need jobs and quality schools for the grandkids.
Here in Oregon the oldest (5) will be starting in a private school this year to avoid Oregon public indoctrination.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wombat of Doom]

I am moving along on home prep, watching the market, getting preapprovals and going again at the end of the month. I need to get a job there, but I anticipate no difficulty. Planning to put more concrete plans in action.

I am hoping for a 5-25 acre parcel which looks very doable on our budget.

 

[SpudBob]

Boise proper is blue for sure,. The Treasure Valley that surrounds it though is, probably, 75% conservative.I live north of Boise about 30 miles and its VERY conservative here. Lewiston was high on our list when we migrated here 15 years ago and checked a lot of boxes. We just could not get over the smell! Its quite bad at times. The paper mill is the source. Smells like Ammonia mixed with rotting fish IMO. People there SAY you get used to it. Me I don't think so. The areas east of there on the Clearwater, are better with little smell but are 30 to 40 minutes away from town IF that matters. Orofino is nice. Kamiah too but father out. Property values, where I'm at ,have got STUPID over the last 5 years or so but property taxes are still a bargain.

 

[Foreverlost]

It is always good to have plan "B". Idaho, Montana, and West Virginia are on my plan "B" list. One big ticket item to the cost of living there........replace vehicles almost every 4 years. These states use salt on their roads during the winter months. After 4 years the floorboards are like Swiss cheese. A true Flintstone car. Still not ready to pull the trigger, lived there before and might move back.

Foreverlost,

 

[albin25]

That mill smell is virtually non-existent now. They spent millions on the problem and barely made a dent... then they finally moved the composting facility that was just to the west of us in WA, and miracle of miracles (sarcasm) the smell went away!
Turns out that while Potlach was getting rid of it's smell the compost plant was adding to it. Locals knew it was the cause but it took years to get Wa to get the composting facility moved. (DUH... prevailing breeze from the West-Northwest).
Now the ONLY time we get a slight whiff of the mill is on the odd occasion that we get a strong wind from the east. I live within eyesight of the mill and seldom smell anything.


But, it will take a while before the "rep" finally dies

 

[SpudBob]

It is always good to have plan "B". Idaho, Montana, and West Virginia are on my plan "B" list. One big ticket item to the cost of living there........replace vehicles almost every 4 years. These states use salt on their roads during the winter months. After 4 years the floorboards are like Swiss cheese. A true Flintstone car. Still not ready to pull the trigger, lived there before and might move back.

Foreverlost,

Where I live they have, a couple years ago, started to use a Potassium Acetate solution that is way less of a problem than salt. You can tell because it leaves a resedue on the road that you can see. It also has a residual affect. It is more expensive, 3X, than using the Sodium Chloride solution they used to use though. As far as floorboards rusting through Ive not seen that and my main Winter vehicle, a 97 4Runner, Ive run for the last 15 Winters, has very little rust.I Do run it through a car wash every couple weeks tbh! I lived in the UP as a kid and KNOW what that looks like ya know!

 

[wcdubois]

I'm glad to hear the paper mill smell has been taken care of.
Now my biggest issue is that Costco is in Communist controlled Washington.