ID vs CO? Relocation from Cascades

Hey everyone! My husband & I are looking to relocate next year and are looking for a new smaller home base IN the mountains. We are originally from the PNW and are not city folks. We love hiking, backpacking, mtn biking, skiing, locally owned ski hill/resorts, snowmobiling, hot springs, paddleboarding/rafting, scrambling/climbing. We're self employed and also own a small contractor business. We prioritize phenomenal access to the backcountry, dog friendly recreation, lakes/rivers, sustainable agriculture. Our souls are so much happier living in a small rural mountain town with some sun. Not a fan of urban areas and sprawl. Prefer a small or mid-size town or within an hour or so. We want to live where we can cultivate a connected and supportive community. Alaska would be ideal, but not at this time. Love all 4 seasons, some winter sun, high alpine, small business friendly. It would be a plus to be in a less regulated county because we do have a tiny home we could live in if we found land we loved. It would be amazing to live within 30 mins of a ski area/resort because we are newish skiers and learning how to backcountry ski.

Narrowing it down to ID and CO, although prefer to live in a less populated area than the PNW and not a metro area. We loved NW MT, but winter weather is too similar.

SE Idaho: Teton Valley/Victor and Western CO/SW are on our short list. We have not spent much time in CO yet, will be traveling this winter. Durango? Open to any suggestions and "dark horse/or wildcard" options on the west coast. Feeling extremely grateful to be in this position and appreciate the advice and perspective. Much love!

We live in Monticello UT, while it doesn’t have everything it does have some things like a hospital, grocery store, hardware store, and plenty of gas stations. Probably not quite what you are looking for unless you want unparalleled access to sandstone crack climbing and a mountain range with trails that may or may not exist anymore.

The four corners is awesome and Durango is cool, but Durango is not a small rural town by how we define them. If you’ve got a Home Depot, you are in a city. Mancos could be a decent option in the area, small, rural, good access to the mountains, close to Cortez and Durango. Sustainable Ag isn’t really what the desert SW is known for, but you can grow food if you are willing use the water. Good luck!

Colorado's full.  There's no water here, and rents/housing are outlandish.

Currently -13F in Driggs.  It's a long, dark, cold winter.  However, being in the Greater Yellowstone area is pretty special.  Idaho is very red - trying to be dumber than the dumbest red states.  SE Idaho also very Mormom.  Teton Valley's local politics are more purple due to high number of people who have moved there with more liberal views. The valley is filling up, sprawling out, and getting expensive.  Planning/zoning is weak - sounds like that might work for you, but it wrecks the reasons you're considering it.  There is a constant line of cars commuting from Rexburg to Jackson and back every day - looks like a California highway with headlights as far as you can see at 5am.

CO options that I think are cool 

Buena Vista 

Paonia

Montrose

Ridgeway

What kind of money do you have? I do not understand why people keep thinking they're the first people who want land in nice places in the west. Stuff here is bought up by really deep pocket folks, and that's been true for a very long time.

Now, an acre or two, or even just a lot? That's much more of a maybe. Except. With the real estate boom ongoing, real estate here is literally part of brokerage portfolios, purchased by investment bankers.

Anyway. If you are truly okay with small to tiny towns, and are willing to put some work into being a valued part of that community (that still matters in rural places, more than you think), there are definitely little places scattered around in Idaho, and many other places too, of course. Google skiing first, look at those places online and on a map, then see what's nearby. Pomerelle, Soldier Mountain, Brundage, for Idaho examples. Parts of Idaho are very well known.....but much of it isn't. 

I know you said not PNW, but have you considered southern, central or eastern Oregon? Bend area is obvious, but Ashland has a ski hill, and some nice rivers are close by. No idea if northeast Oregon has skiing, but there's an assortment of low key climbing around Baker, as well as day trip places that are under the radar, for the most part. Although, the lower elevation ski areas have had some hard years lately. Don't see that improving in the future.

One thing to keep in mind, is that everything is a fair distance away from everything else out here, once you get away from the freeway corridors. Expecting everything to be half an hour away, in rural settings, isn't realistic.

Best, Helen 

Crested Butte is my dream town. I haven't been there in a long time, though, and don't know how developed the area has become. It's always been expensive. 

I love the victor and driggs area, Victor is closest to backcountry skiing on Teton pass, Driggs is near the base of grand targhee resort and closer to better cragging in the summertime. On the outskirts of the Teton valley area you could check out Tetonia or Swan Valley where prices are likely to be lower.

Thank you so much everyone! We are not wealthy, but have no debt and live minimally. You can build community anywhere. We do not have a need to be in or near a city/or urban area. Will be making a trip to Western CO soon with other various areas. If anyone has any other wildcard considerations, please let us know. The vibe of the TV is what we're hoping to find and out of the NW so no OR. UT has the same scene as the NW and less accessability at least in the Wasatch.

If anyone has lived on the West Slope or SW, please message me.

I’ve been in Victor for the last almost 5 years and yes, it does check nearly all your boxes. I’m seeing tiny homes on potato farms in Tetonia and Felt, but much harder to do in Victor/Driggs I think. The growing season is short. There are a cpl smaller ski hills around, especially if you drive a bit. Not much for sunny winter days but spring is nice. Bozeman I like. Living in or around Rexburg/Ashton I don’t think would be a terrible thing, especially if you like fly fishing for trout and don’t need town stuff and be out on the homestead. There’s a lot to do around Pocatello too, if you don’t mind the 2-4 hr driving - all directions has the goods. Good luck w/ your decision. 

Chad Namolik wrote:

I’ve been in Victor for the last almost 5 years and yes, it does check nearly all your boxes. I’m seeing tiny homes on potato farms in Tetonia and Felt, but much harder to do in Victor/Driggs I think. The growing season is short. There are a cpl smaller ski hills around, especially if you drive a bit. Not much for sunny winter days but spring is nice. Bozeman I like. Living in or around Rexburg/Ashton I don’t think would be a terrible thing, especially if you like fly fishing for trout and don’t need town stuff and be out on the homestead. There’s a lot to do around Pocatello too, if you don’t mind the 2-4 hr driving - all directions has the goods. Good luck w/ your decision. 

Can I PM you? is it always overcast? I don't need everyday sunshine but it would be nice to get some in winter. Bozeman is fun, although prefer to visit. 

Alpine Amanda wrote:

Can I PM you? is it always overcast? I don't need everyday sunshine but it would be nice to get some in winter. Bozeman is fun, although prefer to visit. 

Yeah sure. Some occasional sun, especially in the valley but more full sun mountain days in the spring. Winter can feel long at times. Low snow accumulation years are 250” and average is 500++ in the mountains - Less out west in the snake river areas.