[Bootpathguy]

Tell me about it please. Considering. After alot of looking, I think we've ruled out Leavenworth. CleElum / Teanaway is very appealing. I'd like to hear positives and negatives of Twisp. We're afraid if we move that far from Kirkland, nobody will come over to see us, but, what we can get for our $$$, Twisp is very attractive. Thanks

[zephyr]

[WolverineWay]

Are you married? Single women seem to struggle to find worthy mates. Could be a benefit if you're a single guy. Are you retired? Gainful employment is hard to find. Some piece together various forms of service/gig/artist work. Might explain the above phenomenon also. Do you require culture/entertainment? Everything shuts down at 9pm. If you're good with the occasional local bluegrass band playing in the corner of your favorite coffee shop from 5-8pm on Friday, and other than that curling up with a book or Netflix (depending on your internet), you should be good. Isolation can be an eventual deal breaker for people up here. Are you okay with smoke/fire hazard? Take a look at current conditions, or years prior. Statistically, your likelihood of losing your home is not great compared to (I don't know where anymore). How far are you from the nearest fire station? How many trees/brush are growing near your place? See also: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1133209#1133209 Do you like snow/shoveling/making fires? Living in a winter environment isn't just the cross-country skiing (which is great). It's warming your car up for 20 mins, scraping the windshields, shoveling your driveway... dealing with sub-freezing temps. Not the deepest snowpack in the West, but not the West side of the Cascades by any stretch. My cousin bailed after 3 years because she was relatively young (early to mid 30s) & eligible but nothing was clicking. She had a great job, good community building, loves all the outdoor sports and snow out there, but it wasn't spelling a future for her. I'm in my early 40s, single, and I can't see settling down in a place like that until my 50s or later, and that's either with a life partner or resolving to not have one!

[Randito]

FWIW: Some of my former colleagues from MSFT have ex-wives living in Twisp in stupidly large houses. OTH: The instructor from a WFR course I took a few years ago used to live in a yurt in Twisp -- after his "mail order" Russian bride arrived and she commented "I didn't think it would be so small" he was DIY building a house using ICF. So from what I can tell Twisp is a "Soup to Nuts" community.

[Bootpathguy]

[Chief Joseph]

Too many fires around Twisp. I think your best choice is Cle Ellum, Backpacker Joe lives there so it must be uber cool. I prefer Idaho or Montana myself. On the NW side, I like Darrington and the outlying areas, closer to the North Cascades.

[Cyclopath]

There's a house in Twisp I've had my eye on, near Poorman Creek. Love that area, the whole upper valley, and the North Cascades. Wonderful skiing in the winter. I don't think I could handle living there with the smoke.

[DIYSteve]

[neek]

[AlpineRose]

I've had the same idea as you, bootpathguy. For a while now. Have considered many east of the mountains locations, all the way to Spokane, with a special love for the Methow Valley. But. With the events of the last five years - and now this year - the final nail has been put in the coffin of my idea of relocating east. The two major drawbacks, which are related, are the wildfire danger and the persistent hazardous air quality. This is especially true of the Twisp/Winthrop area specifically and Eastern WA generally. i.e, Twisp air quality has been hazardous to very hazardous for weeks now. Would you have a plan for dealing with those two things? Secondarily, Twisp/Winthrop are just a bit too far from good medical care. Which may not be a factor for you right now (lucky you), but it has become more of a consideration for me. Thirdly, it's just too hot in the summer. Long-time resident Sally Portman wrote a book on the Methow Valley, The Smiling Country. I've not read it - I swear I will someday - but I love the title. I've long thought that, yes, her title described the area perfectly. Not so much anymore. There are too many times now when it does not smile.

[Bootpathguy]

[HitTheTrail]

[Bedivere]

Maine is looking more attractive all the time. The smoke situation will only get worse as summers get warmer and fire seasons get longer. Mark my word, in another decade or so the fires will be cranking up by mid July and we'll be living with smoke and terrible air quality from July - September. If I can't recreate outdoors in the summer, what's the point of living here?

[jinx'sboy]

[Randito]