Posted: 6/10/2025 3:55:08 PM EDT
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Anyone live or spend any time in this area? Considering a move to the area. Any info would be appreciated. We're from Tennessee but have lived in CO for the past 25yrs, and have had our fill. We will bring our conservative values with us...adding two more red voters to the state. |
Deeper behind enemy lines every day.
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I hope you have a lot of money. Land isn’t cheap up there from what I’ve gathered. It’s very nice up that way but there are a few thing to consider, 1) The whole area is prone to wild fires. Last year over 200,000 acres burned around there. Someone could build that perfect little retreat and one well placed lightning strike will reduce your dream home to cinders. 2) The roads are shit. Winter will bring that out really fast. 3) Some of the locals will make the hill dwellers where you’re from look cosmopolitan. You’ll want to keep a gun around more for them than the wildlife. 4) You’ll get country living but you’ll also learn just how inconvenient living out that way can be. The nearest towns are anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours away. The nearest hospitals are in Boise and Meridian. Thats nearly two hours away. How fast is an ambulance going to get to you when you might need one? You’re going to get older there, how much fun will driving to medical appointments and picking up perscriptions will be? Take a fall or cut your self doing home maintenance and you’ll find out country roads aren’t fun when you’re bleeding or in pain. 5) Deliveries to your home will be an added headache. Some companies wont deliver out there. That couch from Costco will cost you. 6) Depending on where you’ll be, you will be on your own for a minute if something breaks or happens. 7) Wildlife. You will see it and I’m not talking cute little deer. I’m talking bears and mountain lions. 8) Did you ever get snowed in where you’re from? Thats a good possibility in that area. Have fun digging out. 9) Trash collection in some areas is nonexistent. You could have a 30 minute drive to the county dump. I’m just listing stuff off the top of my head that I’ve seen people go through that live out in the boonies have to go through. My inlaws did the same thing you have in mind a few years ago when they moved to the middle of nowhere. While they have peace and quiet, disaster is never far away and help is even further away. The other thing is I don’t think people who aren’t from the west have any idea of the scale and how much the environment demands of you here. I would still say come to Idaho but be realistic and live a little closer to town and enjoy the backcountry like everyone else does, in small doses. |
| Ola is different from High Valley. We looked at two homes in High Valley last summer, had two different realtors swear to us that there is winter access. There is not. The road in from Smith's Ferry is not maintained in Winter, neither is the road from Ola, you need some sort of snow machine or tracked vehicle to reliably get in and out. Although High Valley is in Valley County, Law Enforcement is provided by the Gem County SO. From mid October until snow melt in the spring, you risk being stuck up there. Beautiful area in the summer, the homes we looked at were in a private subdivision. Ola is at the bottom of the hill, and has year round access. |
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Originally Posted By DefensorFortis: I hope you have a lot of money. Land isn’t cheap up there from what I’ve gathered. It’s very nice up that way but there are a few thing to consider, 1) The whole area is prone to wild fires. Last year over 200,000 acres burned around there. Someone could build that perfect little retreat and one well placed lightning strike will reduce your dream home to cinders. 2) The roads are shit. Winter will bring that out really fast. 3) Some of the locals will make the hill dwellers where you’re from look cosmopolitan. You’ll want to keep a gun around more for them than the wildlife. 4) You’ll get country living but you’ll also learn just how inconvenient living out that way can be. The nearest towns are anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours away. The nearest hospitals are in Boise and Meridian. Thats nearly two hours away. How fast is an ambulance going to get to you when you might need one? You’re going to get older there, how much fun will driving to medical appointments and picking up perscriptions will be? Take a fall or cut your self doing home maintenance and you’ll find out country roads aren’t fun when you’re bleeding or in pain. 5) Deliveries to your home will be an added headache. Some companies wont deliver out there. That couch from Costco will cost you. 6) Depending on where you’ll be, you will be on your own for a minute if something breaks or happens. 7) Wildlife. You will see it and I’m not talking cute little deer. I’m talking bears and mountain lions. 8) Did you ever get snowed in where you’re from? Thats a good possibility in that area. Have fun digging out. 9) Trash collection in some areas is nonexistent. You could have a 30 minute drive to the county dump. I’m just listing stuff off the top of my head that I’ve seen people go through that live out in the boonies have to go through. My inlaws did the same thing you have in mind a few years ago when they moved to the middle of nowhere. While they have peace and quiet, disaster is never far away and help is even further away. The other thing is I don’t think people who aren’t from the west have any idea of the scale and how much the environment demands of you here. I would still say come to Idaho but be realistic and live a little closer to town and enjoy the backcountry like everyone else does, in small doses. Should be a sticky note. 
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Pure blood saved by His.
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Thanks for the replies. Greatly appreciated. @IDdave - how did you definitely determine that the road from Ola is impassible all winter in a truck/SUV? During our due diligence, we spoke with three different year-round residents of High Valley, and all indicated that the road is plowed in the winter. Can you be snowed in for 2-4 days at times until it can be plowed, yes. All said this was the case. However, all indicated that the road is passable by 4WD/AWD vehicles with snow tires in winter b/c it is regularly plowed. The realtor and current owner told us the same thing, but I've tried to verify it by speaking with people who have no stake in the sale or purchase, and actually use the Ola aceess year-round for mail, trash, etc. Not to mention, they have to go to Emmett or points south for groceries, gas, and other necessities. Originally Posted By IDdave: Ola is different from High Valley. We looked at two homes in High Valley last summer, had two different realtors swear to us that there is winter access. There is not. The road in from Smith's Ferry is not maintained in Winter, neither is the road from Ola, you need some sort of snow machine or tracked vehicle to reliably get in and out. Although High Valley is in Valley County, Law Enforcement is provided by the Gem County SO. From mid October until snow melt in the spring, you risk being stuck up there. Beautiful area in the summer, the homes we looked at were in a private subdivision. Ola is at the bottom of the hill, and has year round access. |
Deeper behind enemy lines every day.
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Originally Posted By Ty_Webb: Thanks for the replies. Greatly appreciated. @IDdave - how did you definitely determine that the road from Ola is impassible all winter in a truck/SUV? During our due diligence, we spoke with three different year-round residents of High Valley, and all indicated that the road is plowed in the winter. Can you be snowed in for 2-4 days at times until it can be plowed, yes. All said this was the case. However, all indicated that the road is passable by 4WD/AWD vehicles with snow tires in winter b/c it is regularly plowed. The realtor and current owner told us the same thing, but I've tried to verify it by speaking with people who have no stake in the sale or purchase, and actually use the Ola aceess year-round for mail, trash, etc. Not to mention, they have to go to Emmett or points south for groceries, gas, and other necessities. Originally Posted By Ty_Webb: Thanks for the replies. Greatly appreciated. @IDdave - how did you definitely determine that the road from Ola is impassible all winter in a truck/SUV? During our due diligence, we spoke with three different year-round residents of High Valley, and all indicated that the road is plowed in the winter. Can you be snowed in for 2-4 days at times until it can be plowed, yes. All said this was the case. However, all indicated that the road is passable by 4WD/AWD vehicles with snow tires in winter b/c it is regularly plowed. The realtor and current owner told us the same thing, but I've tried to verify it by speaking with people who have no stake in the sale or purchase, and actually use the Ola aceess year-round for mail, trash, etc. Not to mention, they have to go to Emmett or points south for groceries, gas, and other necessities. Originally Posted By IDdave: Ola is different from High Valley. We looked at two homes in High Valley last summer, had two different realtors swear to us that there is winter access. There is not. The road in from Smith's Ferry is not maintained in Winter, neither is the road from Ola, you need some sort of snow machine or tracked vehicle to reliably get in and out. Although High Valley is in Valley County, Law Enforcement is provided by the Gem County SO. From mid October until snow melt in the spring, you risk being stuck up there. Beautiful area in the summer, the homes we looked at were in a private subdivision. Ola is at the bottom of the hill, and has year round access. Call the local Forest Service Office for that area, which I believe is in Emmet when I called them, ask them who maintains the road if anyone. Not more than a 1/2 mile or so from Ola you'll pass a sign saying no winter maintenance. We heard there were a couple snowmobile clubs that maintained the road for snowmachine access but that's not drivable. Call the Gem County Sheriff non emergency Dispatch number and ask the dispatcher how they get up there. Find out the propane provider for the particular property you're looking at and call the company and ask if they can service in the winter. The road from Smith's Ferry isn't maintained in winter either. IF it's changed property values will go up, but I haven't heard from anyone saying that it has changed. Drive that road from Ola, and you'll see how expensive it would be to maintain for the few people living up there year round. |
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Thanks for the reply. Very helpful. The place we're looking at has no propane (for now), so that's not a current issue. I did call the Gem Co. sheriff's office and am waiting on a call back from "someone who knows the area well." Being snowed in for 4-5 days, not a big deal. Being stuck there from Nov - May, not ideal. |
Deeper behind enemy lines every day.