Wyoming. Can residents help me?

Thanks for the feedback, guys. This will be an interesting adventure!!!

as before, best of luck to you. please let us know how it is there.

many would like to you you, even if through the printed page.

I don't know that many people would want to up and leave and move to the middle if nowhere, Wyoming, but I do so surely others might want to as well!!

I left chitcago with 2 young children a scared city wife and moved to wyo 20 years ago with $1000 in my pocket... So glad i raised them here... City wife will NEVER go back to chitcago...
Teton county is the best imo

mormons cost me $60K in Idaho.

I will never deal with them knowingly again.

Good luck, OP! I think it's great what you're doing. I think it will be something that you will be very grateful that you did and esp for your son.



Last Edited by ERE3 on 01/16/2015 09:06 PM

Don't know where Teton county is, I'll be in Fremont. From pictures, Fremont is beautiful!

I do believe you are right!

super cold most of the time.

Lovell Wyoming is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and I would have moved there years and years ago but I knew I would never survive the winters.

Good luck to you :-)

OP, I was raised in the south and I've lived in NC, GA, TX, eastern WA, and Wyoming.

Humidity: I like it dry, so I had no problems adjusting to it. Actually, eastern WA (along the Snake River) is drier. If you have problems (nose bleeds, dry skin) you can drink more water and run a humidifier(s) in your home. Many homes have humidifiers built into the furnaces. One of the nice things with low humidity is that the cold and the heat don't affect you like they do in the south. I'd take 0deg with no humidity over 40deg and high humidity any day. On the other hand, you combine 0deg with 30mph wind and snow; and weeks of never getting above 10 and it gets old really quick - especially when you're trying to dig waist-deep drifts out of your driveway just to get work.

Fremont County: If you're moving to Riverton or Lander, you need to read up on the Wind River Indian Reservation (both towns are in or on the border of the Res). If you're moving to Dubois then you've made a great choice in regards to like-minded individuals (I don't know folks in Riverton and Lander). But, if I had to pick a place to live in Teton or Fremont counties, I would choose Dubois.

Climate: Get ready for a RUDE awakening if you don't like wind, snow, and cold. The climate varies greatly in Wyoming. The Jackson/Moran area is absolutely brutal in the winter. From my experience there, expect a foot of snow and -20deg temps by Thanksgiving. Fremont County is a little different (not as cold and less snow). If you're from a state that has four distinct and evenly-spaced seasons (like western NC), then Wyoming will be a big change. In the Jackson area, you have two seasons: Winter and Tourists. Also, if you're planning to travel via any of the passes, you need to check the WYDOT website ahead of time. They close the passes and sections of 89 frequently in the winter due to snow. High winds + heavy snow = plows getting stuck (they don't run the plows between 9pm and 5am anyway). Sometimes the passes and dangerous parts of 89 are closed for days because the plows can't get through.

Contractors: I'm still waiting to have a heater installed in my garage. The contractor has the heater, but he hasn't installed it. This has been going on since September. I can give several more examples (this is NOT an isolated case).

Hardware Stores / Automotive Stores: They will not have what you're looking for; unless it's a snow shovel or a standard-sized replacement headlight bulb.

Businesses (in general): Good luck. In comparison to the SE or TX, you're going to wonder how any of these businesses stay afloat. They stay afloat because of the isolated nature of the towns (captive audience). So, don't throw away your credit card. You'll need it - you're going to get VERY familiar with online stores for just about everything (UPS and FedEx have the drivers and trucks to handle the weather).

Restaurants: I hope you're used to eating at home for every meal, everyday. If you like to eat out, then you might want to look into electroshock treatment to erase your memories of restaurants from the east coast or south. It is extremely difficult to find restaurants with decent food for a decent price. Prepare to pay about double for the same quality food.

Political Climate: Dubois is comprised of freedom-loving people. I would assume Lander and Riverton are similar. Jackson is run by a bunch of progressives who push every NWO agenda possible. They just repaved a bombed-out section of HWY89 between Moose Junction and Moran Junction. I was shocked that they repaved it - it would have been more consistent with their policies to install speed bumps and leave the craters in place.

Hunting: Unbelievable amount of elk, bison, and antelope. Deer are there, but not as many in comparison to other parts of the country. You'll need to pay attention when driving - you do not want to hit an elk or bison at speed (though most of the bison are located in the flat areas between Jackson and Moran).

Pollution: None. You have the airport in Jackson and that's about it. Clean air, clean water. Rarely does this area get sprayed by chemtrails.

TSHTF (in general): This is a great area to be, if you have storage food and the equipment to deal with the cold/snow. If you're in Dubois, then you'll be surrounded by like-minded people who would help you out.

TSHTF (economic collapse): Should be good here. Jackson is a major Elitist hangout (esp: FedRes higher-ups). Jackson will be protected because the elites will always have money and the Jackson economy is based entirely on tourism and servicing the needs of the elite (40% of the homes in Jackson are vacant because the homes are only used a couple of weeks a year by their owners). If TSHTF, many of those homes will be occupied by the elites as they flee the big cities. I think the surrounding areas would be left alone for no other reason than to maintain stability for our dear rulers (many people commute to Jackson from Driggs, Victor, Star Valley, and Idaho Falls). Also, you won't have to deal with a large population of zombies (totally unprepared drones who will kill for a cookie). You could make the argument that the Wind River Res might become a major clusterf**k, but they have very little to begin with. That is something to think about. They could very easily turn on the pale skins and make things difficult.

Bottom Line: Would I choose to live here (Teton County/Fremont County) under normal circumstances - NO. Would I choose to live here in a SHTF situation - YES.

Thank you! Just what I was looking for. Yes, primarily for SHTF..well not ENTIRELY accurate lol. Thanks again.

You will do fine. I moved my family from the east coast to Wyoming about six years ago, lived in Casper for 5.5 years and stupidly decided to move back east to be close to family. My wife and kids really miss Wyoming. Sure the climate and weather takes some getting used to- but in all a great place to live. Lots of freedom loving people, excellent schools, and fresh air. good luck and enjoys life- it will be worth it.

How fat are you that you cover that large of an area?

None of those places are anything like the other, you would need to narrow it down in order to get an answer that would mean anything!

Best place we have ever lived. Lots of wind to get used to. People. Are great. Reminded me of 20 years ago in terms of people being respectful and courteous.

You're welcome.

One other thing...

Vehicles: Make sure you have a block heater installed in your car. Don't get a dipstick oil heater (will fry the oil). Get either a coolant heater that is installed in place of one of your freeze plugs or get an exterior oil pan heater (removable or self-adhesive pad). Also, you need to purchase an extra set of wheels with snow tires for each of your vehicles. All-season tires do NOT work well in sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures. You'll end up using the snow tires at least 4-5 months of the year.

I totally agree with the people part. From my experience, eastern Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming are all like that. When I moved to eastern Washington, I thought: "Wow, this is what it must have been like in the 50's".

One caveat: in Jackson and the towns close to Yellowstone/Jackson, some merchants treat tourists very differently from locals. If they think you're a tourist, you'll be treated as an annoyance (varying degrees of rudeness from apathy to outright hostility). In addition, many establishments have different prices for tourists and locals. Once the folks start recognizing you, they will treat you with respect and kindness. Again, this is just for tourist locations and the surrounding towns.

Same with us. Moved from Alabama out to Casper area. Ended up back South, but the kids still call Wyoming home. If we can ever make it back there, it will be a no brainer.

You obviously didn't bother to read the entire thread, otherwise you'd know Fremont County, WY. I was a bit hesitant in putting exact area.

I live in North Central Montana.

In the winter -15 to -20 (ambient) is common late December through February. Our first hard freeze is usually sometime in October and the last hard freeze is typically in May. Last winter it got down to -45 and the coldest I've ever experienced was -50. High temperatures during the summer are in the 90 to 100 range. Highest I've experienced was 110.

East of the mountains you deal with less snow, but a lot more wind (gusts as high as 100 mph have been recorded, gusts 40-50 mph are common). The wind can push 'feels like' (wind chill) temps to more than -50. Worst I've ever experienced was -85 (the day it was down to -50 ambient). In the mountains you'll get a lot more snow, but the temperatures are not as extreme. Regardless, having at least one four-wheel drive is recommended as the roads get nasty. Humidity is not an issue here and many summers are hot and dry. Wildfires are an issue, especially in the mountains, due to this.

Well paying jobs are difficult to find. Median income is around 45k annually. There is no sales tax in Montana, but we do have property and income tax.

The largest community is around 125k (Billings).

If you can handle those issues we have a ton of outdoor activities year round.

People come from all over the world to hunt and fish here. (we have some of the best stream access laws in the country) Hiking, camping, skiing and various other forms of outdoor recreation are common.

Many small communities are close-knit and the locals will need to acclimate to you over a period of time before they trust you or don't consider you an outsider. You can help yourself a lot by not being one of 'those people' that move here and complain about how things are and that 'something' needs to be changed to be similar to where you came from.

Good luck!

Last Edited by Sol Neman on 01/17/2015 04:26 PM

I live in the Idaho panhandle

It's beautiful and rugged

Have a good winter car - I love my Outback

Invest in chains, a lot of the passes get pretty bad when it snows

People are way friendly, but it's small-town gossip old school - don't step on toes and don't insult people - everyone's friends or family LOL

By 9 PM all that's open are bars and the stray gas station - maybe the Walmart 4 towns over

I love it here - I was born here, gonna spend the summer river ratting it up ;)

Again, thank you. I will change the title to reflect Wyoming ;)

Again, thank you. I will change the title to reflect Wyoming ;)

Actually, not so sure I could handle the climate :(

It's what you make of it. I wasn't trying to scare you off, I was just giving my honest opinion. Your priorities will determine if it will be a success.

If your hobbies depend on snow-free weather, then you'll have to find new hobbies for half of the year. The folks who love it out here tend to have some or all of the following winter hobbies: hunting, fishing, skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

I deleted the rest of my post because I re-read the original post and it sounds like you're definitely moving out here.

Keep a positive attitude and focus on the good things about this area: no crime, no pollution, and really nice people.

Lol!

Winter hobbies .. reading, woodworking, calving stock, visiting, seed catalogs, etc..