Area Info!

[oragejuice]

Hey Divas!

One of my classes involves a large final project, for which we pick a "driving question" and answer it thoroughly. Mine is this.... What are the best towns to live, and be involved in outdoor recreation, in the Northwestern-ish region? I'm profiling several towns, and would love as much information about the area as I can get!

The Towns!
Bellingham, WA
Hood River, OR
Squamish, BC
McCall, ID
Bozeman, MT

What outdoor related companies are located near/in town? River, mountain or rock guide services? Random perks of living in the area? Community events? Ski areas, XC trails, snowmobiling areas? What do you do in the summer? Mtn bike? Kayak?

Anything else you can think of!

Thanks ladies!!

 

[lucine]

If your school is in Bend, I'd add that to the list.
A little brown-nosing never hurt any one ('s grades)
check out the "pick where I should live thread" and also the find your spot website:
https://www.findyourspot.com/

 

[geargrrl]

I vacation a lot in Mc

I vacation a lot in McCall - my best friends have a second home there. I'll put in what I can.

McCall, ID

Cute town, lots of in town culture but you had better bring your job with you. My friends ended up buying a second home in Boise and coming up on weekends -they spent five years trying to make it and couldn't get the right stuff going.

It's a great community for any kind of outdoors sports, summer or winter. There are small guide services, several ski areas. The whitewater guides are either down past Cascade on the Payette, or up towards Riggins on the Salmon. It's whitewater central around there. Rafting, kayaking, sailing, canoeing, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, hot springs; alpine and XC skiing, back country and powder cats.... lots and lots to do outside there.

Tamarack is just about bankrupt ,and Brundage is a fun little local area. There are tons of miles of snowmobile routes, international caliber XC routes, a big winter carnival.

The population is pretty tiny of locals - not much for young people to do, no work, the high school is terrible. Property has gone through the roof, like any other resort town.

So what do WE do when we go there? Winter, ski Brundage or backcountry.
Summer, rafting, sailing, mountain biking, swimming, cliff jumping, hang on the deck over the Payette river...

gg

 

[Gloria]

Bozeman:
Companies ( probably more but an abbreviated list )
Oboz
Simms ( fly rods & waders not the boards )
RL Winston is in a small neighboring town
Mystery Ranch Packs ( Used to be Dana Designs which sold to K2 and later to Marmot )

Guide services: Way too many to put in one paper! Most everyone whom lives in this state is, was or is married to or dating a guide of some sort. One of the biggest industries in the state seriously.

Community Events: Also too numerous to mention. Probably one per week pertaining to the outdoors.

Trail systems: Great access to trails around city and in the greater yellowstone region including West Yellowstone and for XC etc. Cooke City is a huge Snowmo destination place.

Ski areas: Bridger, Big Sky, Moonlight, Yellowstone Club, Beartooth Pass for developed and urban BC adventures. Spanish Peaks, Crazies, Hyalite, and so forth for off AT.

Summer: Whitewater Gardner, Yankee Jim Canyon etc., Windsurfing there is one lake there that the wind howls at, climbing sport and traditional, mountaineering ( Granite peak is close by for one ), fly fishing ( blue ribbon trout streams and rivers bountiful in this area ), Skiing at Beartooth pass, horseback riding, backpacking and whatever. Pretty much whatever you need to do.

Conservation groups are huge in this area as well, I think the Buffalo Field Campaign is located here ( "Freedom to Roam" which you've probably sold a few T's at the Pat store for ) and a handful of others.

There are a couple of good online mags and newspapers with probably more info. Try Outside Bozeman and Bozeman Online(?) or even the chamber may have more detailed info.

 

[oragejuice]

Awesome! Thanks for the info ladies.

Gloria- Every time someone talks about Bozeman, I want to move there even more. Heh.