Polson MT Beta

[Garth Bimble]

So the wife is considering a job in Polson. I've driven through it twice and I know it's sits on the south end of Flathead Lake but that's about it. We've been considering Kalispell but the job in Polson is offering a $10K signing bonus plus moving expenses. Anybody got any info/advice?

Thx

[stuckathuntermtn]

Kinda resorty. A lot of wealthy people summer there. Also it's the res, so you can't hunt.
It's a beautiful place, tho. And about halfway between Missoula and Whitefish, so that's cool. Hour and a half to each.
I get up there for work sometimes. Cute downtown. You're right on a big lake. Mountains, rivers, all the good stuff.
If you need vibrant culture and nightlife, you're not going to like it. If you like peace and quiet and beauty, you will.
Also, Montana has no sales tax (Whitefish has about 3%), and great beer.

[Garth Bimble]

Kinda resorty. A lot of wealthy people summer there. Also it's the res, so you can't hunt.
It's a beautiful place, tho. And about halfway between Missoula and Whitefish, so that's cool. Hour and a half to each.
I get up there for work sometimes. Cute downtown. You're right on a big lake. Mountains, rivers, all the good stuff.
If you need vibrant culture and nightlife, you're not going to like it. If you like peace and quiet and beauty, you will.
Also, Montana has no sales tax (Whitefish has about 3%), and great beer.

Thanks... Sounds like just what we're looking for. We'd probably try to find a house with some land somewhere north of there because the wife will probably do some PRN work there too. You know anything about Blacktail Mountain?

[stuckathuntermtn]

Small. Maybe good for an evening cruise? Never been.
Good luck finding a house with land up there, though, especially to the north of Polson. I think you might be unpleasantly surprised by real estate prices in Montana.

[Garth Bimble]

Small. Maybe good for an evening cruise? Never been.
Good luck finding a house with land up there, though, especially to the north of Polson. I think you might be unpleasantly surprised by real estate prices in Montana.

Not cheap but affordable compared to Denver where I am now...

[MontuckyFried]

Polson would be an awesome place to be given the great work opportunity you guys are getting. That place is beautiful. Great pace of life for those who don't have the need to go clubbing or live the big city rat race. I'd do it.

[RootSkier]

Do you have kids? The school system, which is probably already underfunded, is losing a bunch of money because the CSKTribes are taking over Kerr Dam in September. This is the dam at the outlet of the lake.

A lot of county tax revenue comes from the dam and the county is set to lose it all. It doesn't seem to be helping with the already-existing issues that a vocal minority (?) already have with the Tribes.

I am not sure if this is going to be a real problem but people up there seem to think so.

Next, other than the lake, local recreation is probably not as good as other places in western Montana. The Missions, however, are obviously an amazing range and right there. I doubt Blacktail will keep you entertained and Whitefish is probably close to two hours when it's good. Snowbowl is probably a little bit closer, but not a whole lot.

In the end, if you are going to stick around, I personally wouldn't even consider Polson over Kalispell just for ten k plus moving. No way.

[fatnslow]

I hope you and your wife like each other ALOT. Great place to visit in the summer but it is pretty small. The positive is there are quite a few outdoor activities close but the place is a ghost town after the summer season. Property value is insane if you are on the lake but the further you get away from the water it's affordable for professionals, very limited professional jobs there. I would take a $10k loss to live in Kalispell, much more of a town with amenities like more than 3 restraunts and a building with an elevator. If you are looking for rural Polson is great but be prepared for a super slow pace of life with very limited options for everything.

[Garth Bimble]

Do you have kids? The school system, which is probably already underfunded, is losing a bunch of money because the tribes are taking over Kerr Dam in September. This is the dam at the outlet of the lake.

Kids are grown. Good to know though, thanks. I see there's a casino there also but if I recall there's a casino just about everywhere in Montana.

[fatnslow]

To call that thing a casino is like calling the smartest kid in remedial class bright. Polon is great due to the lake and the beauty but the town is very limited in every way.

[RootSkier]

I totally agree with the fat guy.

[Garth Bimble]

2 hours to Whitefish/Snowbowl ain't going to cut it. One of the main reasons for going is easier access to skiing then I have now and that's worse.

[2FUNKY]

2 hours to Whitefish/Snowbowl ain't going to cut it. One of the main reasons for going is easier access to skiing then I have now and that's worse.

Yeah, but you're not going to have to wait in line for 2 hrs though once you get there. Seriously, move to Kalispel. A buddy lived there for a little while and I went and visited him and his girlfriend for a few days when I lived in Bozeman. The area was fun for outdoor activity, to far from skiing for my taste, and the dinning/nightlife, as others have said, was abysmal.

[nest]

Google "I love polson music video" and prepare to have your mind blown.

[Garth Bimble]

Yeah, but you're not going to have to wait in line for 2 hrs though once you get there. Seriously, move to Kalispel. A buddy lived there for a little while and I went and visited him and his girlfriend for a few days when I lived in Bozeman. The area was fun for outdoor activity, to far from skiing for my taste, and the dinning/nightlife, as others have said, was abysmal.

FWIW, I can be in Summit County in an hour and I rarely have to wait in line but I don't ski on weekends. The reality is that if I can find a nice house on around 10 acres with some trees and nice views the other shit will work itself out. The wife followed me to some places she wasn't too keen on when I got promoted over the years so I'm willing to compromise some this time. We don't go out much but do like to support the local dives. I assume there are a few of those around, but are they open in the winter? We also love to hike, fish and sled...plenty of opportunity there for that, right?

I heard the Mission Range was cool but you needed a special permit to hike there because it's considered sacred to the natives? Loaded with Grizzlies too...

[stuckathuntermtn]

You're supposed to buy a tribal travel permit or something.
I don't think there are too many dives in Polson, winter or summer, but there is a nice brewery or 2.
I suppose if your place in Denver sells well you can get 10 acres in the Flathead, but it can be pretty pricey.
Mind if I ask what the job is? A 10k signing bonus for rural mt is...unusual.

[Garth Bimble]

You're supposed to buy a tribal travel permit or something.
I don't think there are too many dives in Polson, winter or summer, but there is a nice brewery or 2.
I suppose if your place in Denver sells well you can get 10 acres in the Flathead, but it can be pretty pricey.
Mind if I ask what the job is? A 10k signing bonus for rural mt is...unusual.

I could sell it tomorrow for more than enough to buy a place up there. Market is fucking crazy here, which is another reason why we're seriously considering this. Wife is a Medical Laboratory Scientist. Seemed a little strange to me too but it's legit. We've been planning on this for awhile, just looking for the right opportunity. Durango's been at the top of the list, but no jobs available down there right now.

[Mudfoot]

Not what I'd consider "close to skiing." It tends to be very foggy around lake in the winter, (and at Whitefish for skiing), and the drive to Snowbowl in Missoula is no picnic in the winter either. Both are nice small areas with some decent vert and terrain, but you are looking at a long day when you factor in the driving from Polson. After living many winters in Wisconsin and Colorado, I never learned about black ice until I moved to Montana.

[Garth Bimble]

Google "I love polson music video" and prepare to have your mind blown.

HAH!!! For a minute there that almost made me consider moving to Missouri.

[Harry]

heard the Mission Range was cool but you needed a special permit to hike there because it's considered sacred to the natives? Loaded with Grizzlies too...

The tribal recreation permit is very cheap, like $6 annually.

I have climbed almost every major peak in the Missions. Fantastic range. Some good ice climbing too.

Lots of Grizzlies and some horrendous bushwacking in alder thickets too.

Blacktail Mountain is a fun little place. Mostly intermediate terrain.

[muted]

Kalispell puts you closer to resorts in southern BC, for weekend trips. it's a short drive to the Missions and Flathead Lake from there too, it's not like you can only access those things from Polson.

[fatnslow]

Will the job be at the U of M research facility on the lake ? It's a pretty sweet spot in the summer there.

[RootSkier]

If the job is at Yellow Bay it's probably only about ten-fifteen minutes further from Kalispell than from Polson. Other areas might be worth considering, too. For example, Bigfork is expensive as fuck but the areas between there and Kalispell, or further west, have reasonably-priced places and you are a LOT closer to all the cool stuff up there including Whitefish, plus all the recreational areas that are not on the reservation (e.g. Jewel Basin and the sick mountains near Swan Lake, and I won't even bother talking about Glacier).

[Garth Bimble]

Job is at St. Joseph Medical Ctr, it's in Polson.

[kevino]

Surprised no one has mentioned Lakeside? At the base of blacktail, but closer to the Flathead, which has more going on then the Mission Valley. A similar thread I started when I initially moved to the area (I now live in Whitefish):

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...n-Kalispell-MT