Driggs, Idaho Beta

[zion zig zag]

Honestly, it sucks. Remote workers are like tourists that never leave. It may be the future, but the mountain town communities are not dealing with it well. No where to run to, no where to ride. Every trailhead, river, fishing hole etc. is crowded out by a bunch of Johny Come Latelys you can't beleive that it is crowded out at 3pm on a Wednesday. "I wrapped up my Zoom early and figured I'd go for a quick ride" says the guy that looks around and wonders why everybody looks like him.

I get why people want to do it and I don't blame them. But the dynamic of cool rural areas is changing as we speak. I suppose the only thing I should be surprised about is how good we had it for the last 25 years.

Trust me, that isn't unique to rural mountain towns. The covid crowds are everywhere. I've never seen it so bad at SLC/Ogden trailheads. No ones kids are playing team sports, no one is going on cruises, no movies, bars, etc. So they are all packing into the car, driving where they can for the day or the weekend and filling the trailhead lots. You can't buy RV's, mountain bikes, SUP's, boats or side by sides (fuck them) at any price. I'm hoping for a return to normal in the future, cause if not I may need to get new hobbies.

And I realize my remote worker wife is part of the problem, sorry about that, we didn't plan on the covid.

[Bunion 2020]

I get why people want to do it and I don't blame them. But the dynamic of cool rural areas is changing as we speak. I suppose the only thing I should be surprised about is how good we had it for the last 25 years.

Easy solution, move to a place with shitty broadband.

[glademaster]

I think you're right that there will be a shift back to "normal" in the next 1-3 years, but my concern is related to real estate values.

Lots of these remote workers aren't going to sell their mountain properties when they head back to more populated areas, just like they aren't selling their first homes in the cities/suburbs when they buy a place in the mountains: they'll keep them as STR's or if they're feeling "benevolent" (fuck them and the horse they rode in on, IMO), they'll lease them out long term at a back-breaking rate that probably triples their mortgage payment on the place. A hell of a lot of properties are going to be taken out of circulation, and kept out of circulation as a result of COVID, even if there is a return to "normal."

Of course, I could be mistaken, it happened once before when I thought I was wrong about something.

[snapt]

As bad as it will likely be pandemic wise, I can’t wait for kids to go back to school. Hopefully that helps return things to some sense of normalcy once that happens?

[glademaster]

As bad as it will likely be pandemic wise, I can’t wait for kids to go back to school. Hopefully that helps return things to some sense of normalcy once that happens?

No way, man, all those folks are going to enroll their kids in school in the mountain towns they've just moved to. Or they'll stay in those mountain towns and send their kids off to boarding school.

[zion zig zag]

No way, man, all those folks are going to enroll their kids in school in the mountain towns they've just moved to. Or they'll stay in those mountain towns and send their kids off to boarding school.

Nah, I think school helps, because I still contend that the crowds aren't due to people that moved there. At least in the rural mountain town discussed here.

[Benny Profane]

Dont worry. Once winter hits, with no skiing, they'll all move to Tucson.

[glademaster]

Benny, a lack of spinning chairlifts only means no skiing to some people. Now, I would certainly prefer to have the option of riding lifts, but one way or another, there will be plenty of people skiing this coming winter.

[Benny Profane]

Benny, a lack of spinning chairlifts only means no skiing to some people. Now, I would certainly prefer to have the option of riding lifts, but one way or another, there will be plenty of people skiing this coming winter.

I don't think so. 90% of people ride chairs. This skinning/backcountry thing hasn't become that popular, yet, although this winter may change all that. But, in general, the typical Zoom mountain worker isn't necessarily a earn his or her turns skier. And with no chairs running and no bars, there really isn't much to do in the mountains in winter.

[idahospud]

I don't think so. 90% of people ride chairs. This skinning/backcountry thing hasn't become that popular, yet, although this winter may change all that. But, in general, the typical Zoom mountain worker isn't necessarily a earn his or her turns skier. And with no chairs running and no bars, there really isn't much to do in the mountains in winter.

I see you've not been to Bozeman or anywhere like it lately.

[glademaster]

You can't teach an old Benny new tricks, it seems.

[Benny Profane]

I see you've not been to Bozeman or anywhere like it lately.

Bozeman is not Driggs.

[Meadow Skipper]

Bozeman is not Driggs.

Says the local...

Talking to some guys working at the local town ski area, they say the plan is to open regular time and limit the number of customers.

[snapt]

Dont worry. Once winter hits, with no skiing, they'll all move to Tucson.

Or parking on the pass will continue to devolve into madness.

[blackalps]

the bike parks are staying open. I think ski resorts will manage somehow.

that said, I think a lot more people will be doing backcountry this year. I worked in a bc shop the last couple seasons and the uptick in interest was insane. it's just going to get worse this year. and remote workers are absolutely the kind of people that do bc skiing.

[zion zig zag]

Or parking on the pass will continue to devolve into madness.

This is almost certain.

[AdironRider]

They are already closing the pass mid day on pow days because backcountry skiers can't handle themselves, I don't see how that doesn't get worse this year.

[idahospud]

Bozeman is not Driggs.

You're not wrong, but...

[Dantheman]

Trust me, that isn't unique to rural mountain towns. The covid crowds are everywhere. I've never seen it so bad at SLC/Ogden trailheads. No ones kids are playing team sports, no one is going on cruises, no movies, bars, etc. So they are all packing into the car, driving where they can for the day or the weekend and filling the trailhead lots. You can't buy RV's, mountain bikes, SUP's, boats or side by sides (fuck them) at any price. I'm hoping for a return to normal in the future, cause if not I may need to get new hobbies.

And I realize my remote worker wife is part of the problem, sorry about that, we didn't plan on the covid.

Dealing with the crowds in the Wasatch is one thing--over a million people live within a half-hour drive of these THs, it's amazing it's not far worse--but dealing with huge clusterfucks of people while living somewhere like Driggs obviates the entire point of living in Driggs. Worst of both worlds. Might as well keep living in the "big city" where going to Costco isn't an all-day affair that requires 4 hours of driving.

[Huskier]

I don't think it's a place that exists. You all are misaken. Move along....

[Djongo Unchained]

Just north of Driggs is the north Leigh creek, Badger creek and Jackpine areas.
Jedediah Smith wilderness or a west to east traverse of the North Tetons.
All within 20 miles and remote as fuck for most of the folks in here. Grizz country too.
Head on a swivel kinda recreatin'.

Driggs is still an outpost. Even if they have a stoplight.

Neckdeep from 2009 - Vanilla with Caramel sauce.

That is hilarious.

[spanghew]

Just north of Driggs is the north Leigh creek, Badger creek and Jackpine areas.
Jedediah Smith wilderness or a west to east traverse of the North Tetons.
All within 20 miles and remote as fuck for most of the folks in here. Grizz country too.
Head on a swivel kinda recreatin'.

Driggs is still an outpost. Even if they have a stoplight.

Neckdeep from 2009 - Vanilla with Caramel sauce.

That is hilarious.

and watching people hit the brakes and skid through that stoplight is good for hours of entertainment.

[Kevo]

Seems like it's become a significantly shittier place to live for the people who have a legitimate reason to be there. Kevo's post can be filed in the ever growing stack of "reasons we can't have nice things."

Last year when I visited I did a trail run up/ down Table Mountain. I was one of like 4 cars in the parking lot and my pup and I saw a small handful of people. This year the parking lot was overflowing for about a mile down the road, with perhaps 400 cars. Turns out Table Mountain became a featured hike on REI's hiking project app.

I don't think there are any undiscovered places left in the mountain west that have lift skiing. Just wait until Targhee sells to Vail or Alterra (I really hope it doesn't though).

Just north of Driggs is the north Leigh creek, Badger creek and Jackpine areas.
Jedediah Smith wilderness or a west to east traverse of the North Tetons.
All within 20 miles and remote as fuck for most of the folks in here. Grizz country too.
Head on a swivel kinda recreatin'.

Driggs is still an outpost. Even if they have a stoplight.

Neckdeep from 2009 - Vanilla with Caramel sauce.

That is hilarious.

After this ridiculousness of Table, I went and checked out the area you are talking about after consulting a topo map. It's super cool and not on any apps yet. Saw almost no people and def carried bear spray.

[2bjenny]

After this ridiculousness of Table, I went and checked out the area you are talking about after consulting a topo map. It's super cool and not on any apps yet. Saw almost no people and def carried bear spray.

I think the Darby area and Teton Canyon area have been the busiest this summer. I heard from someone yesterday that lives in Driggs that other trails are pretty quiet.

Isn't the Bitch Creek area or the area to the north of it where a number of the naughty bears get released when they are trapped for relocation?

[teleee]

I think the Darby area and Teton Canyon area have been the busiest this summer. I heard from someone yesterday that lives in Driggs that other trails are pretty quiet.

Isn't the Bitch Creek area or the area to the north of it where a number of the naughty bears get released when they are trapped for relocation?

If you really zoom in and you can kind of spot one of those naughty bears hanging out north of Bitch Creek.



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