I want to move to OR/WA!

Hard set of criteria to meet. Peninsula is closer to the ocean, but the climbing generally sucks and it's really far away from everything else. Seattle is central to a lot of good stuff, but it's a city and living there is $$$$$$$ now. Lots of little awesome towns close to climbing in the mtns, but far from the water and far from jobs. I think Bellingham is going to be your best bet for getting close to all your criteria and not having a heinous commute if you can find a job in that area (which I think you could).

I'd suggest looking for jobs in your field in the region and seeing what you can get in different locations. I don't think you're going to find anything for a chemist outside of the major metro areas (maybe b-ham), so expect to commute. Something on the west side of the Cascades is going to put you by the water and by the climbing. Maybe not right next to it, but within striking distance for a weekend or day trip.

Don't underestimate the traffic situation here; it's pretty terrible in the populated areas. Living north and east of Everett and commuting into the Seattle area every day would be a huge PITA and time commitment.

Redmond, OR and Spokane are going to be much more of a drier/desert feel. The climbing is good, but it's a real long haul to the salt water from there.

Thanks for the input! I think we're looking at Spokane as our most likely spot... How is the commute if we ived near th edge of town? I've done a 1hr commute before... Most of my professional life its been 40min commute for me. Longer in winter with all the stupid idiots that don't understand how physics works.

I've been meaning to go back to school, I'd much rather get a govt job working for parks and rec, or fish and game...

Need to start going through our piles of camping etc gear... We have more camping/outdoors gear than anything else. Well, I guess furniture probably beats it by weight.

Everyone wants to work for fish and wildlife..until you get your first paycheck.

Traffic isn't bad yet. I lived in elk which is 40 miles from downtown and worked in town. Took me 45 to 55 minutes to get to town from there.

mediocre wrote:Everyone wants to work for fish and wildlife..until you get your first paycheck.

...or until the Bundys show up, whichever comes first....

Todd Anderson wrote: ...or until the Bundys show up, whichever comes first....

Ha ha ha ha that made me laugh....

Seth Jones - haven't been skiing in a couple years, unfortunately. But hopefully being around some real mountains, like the kind that are pointy lol, can help remedy that.

Madirock wrote:Hey folks, Im new here :) currently live in Ark, went on a road trip around WA and OR and fell in LOVE! Hubs and I are thinking about moving out that way wth our 2 kids. Lived in Utah and Alaska and have loved the abundant and easily accessable outdoor life. Arkansas is great, cheap, has lots of outdoors stuff. BUT the climbing gym situation is sad here and I can't take 3+ hours for the 1-way drive to climb from where I live :( So we're looking for a place to go that has some humidity (read not high desert, that's what killed me in UT), lots of close climbing, hopefully a good climbing gym, and easy access to some backcountry. At a reasonable price. Ha every climbers dream... So, locals... Where in OR and WA is a good place for a small family to live, climb and work? No large cities, prefer near the coast, I think?? What do YOU think?? Gimme your pro/con list :)

Just wanted to throw out there that you were here within the last month. July and August are NOT typical of the PNW weather. Be prepared for a very different, very GREY experience for much of the year.

That said, WA is great if you love alpine. It has some good rock too, but there are better, lower cost places. Sequim is on the up and up and the Olympic Penninsula is a bit removed with little rock climbing, but lots of mountaineering and ocean. Port Angeles/ Port Townsend and Paulsbo might fit your bill too, if you liked Sequim. But dont move to the olympic pennisula for rock climbing, the olympic range is full of lose choss with very little solid rock for sport/trad.

Pete Spri wrote: July and August are NOT typical of the PNW weather. Be prepared for a very different, very GREY experience for much of the year.

Except maybe this July and August... 60s and rainy right now.

Yep, tough set of criteria.

The granite is in the north Cascades, and so is most of the skiing. If you like trad, alpine, backcountry and ocean sports, Bellingham might be ideal. Seattle is not.

Spokane is one of the last places on earth I'd move.

Live in PDX, but am from SoIll and keep thinking I need to get down to Sams Throne sometime.

P.S. No one in the PNW knows how to drive in snow. Be prepared to stack five of them on your front bumper and drive for all of them.

Look elsewhere, IMO. Your criteria do not really fit the PacNW to me. I loved living in Portland, but it sure wasn't because the climbing was any good. Long drives to good (and dry!) rock are the norm if you're living on the wet side of the cascades. And the little bit of sport climbing that is on the wet side, sucks IMO.

If I were you, I'd be looking at WY, CO, TN, WV, and possibly KY, and skip WA/OR altogether.

Will S wrote:Look elsewhere, IMO. Your criteria do not really fit the PacNW to me. I loved living in Portland, but it sure wasn't because the climbing was any good. Long drives to good (and dry!) rock are the norm if you're living on the wet side of the cascades. And the little bit of sport climbing that is on the wet side, sucks IMO. If I were you, I'd be looking at WY, CO, TN, WV, and possibly KY, and skip WA/OR altogether.

Can't say Washington would have entered my mind as my first choice but the hubs isn't a climber and his opinion has to count, too :P he never likes anything (he has his own set of criteria that WA and OR fit, apparently) so when he DOES like something, I really have to find the best scenario for myself there lol. We've been at this debate of our next move since we move to AR 3 years ago lol. This is the most mutualy agreeable area, which is exciting and unsuspected, and we can finally start planning our next move :DDD

On a side note, north OR was so awesome to me because of the pleothera of blackberries everywhere ha ha ha. Reminded me of my childhood. Probably not the coolest thing, though, if you have to get past em during approach...

Healyje wrote: P.S. No one in the PNW knows how to drive in snow. Be prepared to stack five of them on your front bumper and drive for all of them.

So true! Even the rain can make a PNW driver turn into a sack of stupid. You would think by now people would be able to cope with the wetness.

Spokane is a well-kept secret in Washington - the local climbing is really good and I like the town too! Low cost of living, medium size and very easy access to outdoor activities. Better weather than the West side and very little traffic. Big climbing destinations are within a half-day's drive but the local spots will keep you busy for a long time if that's what you are in to!

Hit me with a PM if you have questions about Spokane!

Pete Spri wrote: Just wanted to throw out there that you were here within the last month. July and August are NOT typical of the PNW weather. Be prepared for a very different, very GREY experience for much of the year.

This is worth repeating. The PNW really is paradise during the summer, but reality during the remainder of the year is quite different. Those other months of the year certainly have their charms too, but it isn't for everyone. It would certainly be worth visiting during the winter before committing to a move.

Is it more rain or snow in the winter? I'm used to dreary, gross transition-type weather having lived in Alaska for a few years. And the long, cold winters forced me into more winter activities than I would have been interested in before I lived there. What months can you start/stop skiing? Is there good backcountry for snowshoeing? Are there areas for xcountry skiing near town?

From looking online, Spokane doesnt seem to get a crazy amount of precipitation during the summer. Does the precip interfere with climbing a lot?

Madi, it rains most days from Oct to Apr. It's rarely heavy, and more of a misty/drizzle type. You might get snow once a year, and not every year. But the other poster is right, the drivers are kind of bad when it's raining. Which is a giant, WTF? It rains all the time, they should be more than accustomed to it.

You should really go in the winter for a week and see what you're in for. It's radically different than summer.

Madi, in Spokane we typically have pretty snowy winters. Precipitation tends to not be an issue for me when climbing outside locally, with the obvious exception of springtime!

Usually in Spokane you cant climb because of one of three things. It is too cold, it is too hot, or it is november. The whole month of november is a throw away month in the state of washington as far as rain goes the west side has other problematic rain periods throughout the year but spokane and leavenworth are much drier. Lived in Flagstaff for a couple years and tennessee for another few and what I miss most is fall. We don't really get that long of a fall season around here compared to what you will be used to in arkansas. It is the nicest spring of anywhere I have lived though

Will S wrote:Madi, it rains most days from Oct to Apr. It's rarely heavy, and more of a misty/drizzle type. You might get snow once a year, and not every year. But the other poster is right, the drivers are kind of bad when it's raining. Which is a giant, WTF? It rains all the time, they should be more than accustomed to it. You should really go in the winter for a week and see what you're in for. It's radically different than summer.

Note that Will S's description there applies to the west side (i.e. rain most days from Oct to Apr). The East side is an entirely different animal (much drier, much more sun).

Aside from the rain, there is the issue of high latitude and short days during the winter, but if you've lived in Alaska you should be fine.