So like title says I am looking to move to this area. Will be up there in a couple weeks to look around. Any place I should look to live? I am plated so would like easy access to hills and riding if possible. Going to rent to start with and make sure family likes living there before even thinking about buying.

I have seen some pretty nice single track videos so I am hoping their is way more up there!

Its my hometown, I grew up in East Wenatchee technically. Feel free to PM me with any questions about the area and I will help out as much as possible.

I like it here. I am biased since I was born here and moved back after being gone for a decade. I rode Devil's Gulch last weekend and it was pretty challenging in a few spots and merely gave me the willies over a lot of the rest. There is endless riding here. Over #2, up Nahahum and into Entiat or up Sand Creek and up to Camas. Up Beehive and over to Blewitt.  Cashmere will probably be more expensive than Wenatchee and Leavenworth more than Cashmere, but Cashmere is supposed to have pretty good schools. Not having kids, schools make no difference to me, so I like Wenatchee since Mission Ridge is close for snowboarding in the winter. Good luck choosing. You'll like it here too I bet. Troy341

Pretty hard to beat Wenatchee area for beauty ,weather ,amenities,and RIDING. only drawback for riding is very limited in winter and far from the woods riding on the west side. location for  summer riding is unbeatable ( awesome stuff in every direction). skiing at mission ridge is right out of town so tht i a real plus too as mentioned.

Joe

There are better areas to live if you want access to the best year round riding. South of Seattle to Tacoma would put you one to two hours from the best we have to offer.

Thanks for all the input guys. It sounds like it has a lot to offer. I ride, snowboard, fish, hunt, mountain bike, and more so this place sounds perfect. Coming from southern cali I wanted to avoid the rain as much as possible. Looks like a great place to raise a family as well.

I hear electric rates are super low and fiber connections are available in the area. Really more then I was hoping for already since I work in the IT industry. Will visit in a couple weeks and probably make our move near end of summer the way things are shaping up. Rentals look pretty far and few right now so I hope a few more open up once were closer to moving. Kind of sick of the BS here in Cali. Too many laws against having fun here and the goverment just wants all our money! Looking forward to no state income taxes and some low electrical rates for once!

SingleTrackPoacher, on 01 June 2012 - 10:14 PM, said:

Don't worry. Plenty of that to go 'round here too.

In a perfect world, I would live up around Lake Wenatchee or Plain. Rentals are pretty slim up that way, and I work in Entiat, so that's out for me. Lived up that way for about 6 years back when I worked in Leavenworth, it's pretty ideal up there. Away from town a little bit, but close to year round recreation. Lots of singletrack, hiking, snowmobiling, skiing (Stevens Pass is about a half hour away), boating, it really has everything. Cashmere is alleged to have great schools, but we lived there over the winter, and my daughter was not challenged in the least (1st grade). We had to work with her a lot at home to keep her progressing in learning since it wasn't happening at school. Finding a good rental for a good price is difficult, but the housing market took a fair dive (still a tad high) so you can buy a house for less per month than renting most places. And yes, electricity is dirt cheap. Some said you should look at going to the westside over around Seattle/Tacoma. You do not know what rain is until you live on the west side of the Cascades. I grew up in southwest Washington (the northeast corner of the Gifford Pinchot) and I'll tell ya, moss grows on anything that holds still. Suffice it to say, the weather is much better on the east side. Colder in the winter, but snow is a lot less depressing to me than constant rain.

To me:  

Wenatchee/Chelan/Leavenworth/Ellensburg  = halfway (or more) to heaven
Western Washington   = halfway (or more) to hell

Multiply above by +/-1.5 if you have kids.

I have lived in multiple places on both sides of the Cascades.

Western WA Ok (other than the rain) if you avoid  towns and cities with at least one signal light.

Edited by steve86, 02 June 2012 - 12:23 PM.

steve86, on 02 June 2012 - 12:22 PM, said:

Sheesh....i can only guess where you would put Detroit and thousands of other places if WW is halfway to hell !

Joe

You said fish and hunt, Wenatchee is your area! Alot of gov. crap here but not nearly as bad as CA and less in Wenatchee and eastern WA than the West side.

Grew up in Cashmere (up a canyon) and love the little town. I currently live in East Wenatchee and also like it. This valley is the gate way to hunt, fish, and ride. But it dosnt come without its small problems, but so far, the pro's out weigh the con's.

So just got back from my trip. Logged about 3400 miles in the RV from SoCal to Washington and back. Pretty much visited all the areas talked about in this thread. My wife really liked Chelan but thats just too small for me. I think we both agreed on the Sunny Slope area of Wenatchee. The homes in that area seem pretty nice and have some space around them which is what were looking for. The area makes a lot more sense now that I have seen it all. I have yet to see a rental in that Sunny Slope area though since we have been watching for them. That area also seemed best for entering the woods right from the garage. From google it appeared I could get all the way up in the mountains and even to lake wenatchee area if I wanted. Google also showed somone appears to have a private track up there! I want to live next to that guy .

After leaving Wenatchee we took the 2 over to Bothell and spent a week with the inlaws. Nice drive in that area along the 2 and I was itching to ride some of it. I may have to put a new chainsaw on my xmas list for this year if I do indeed move out there . It rained the entire week for the most part in Bothell. I just can't do the wet side even if the riding is good, but I can visit the wet side for riding when needed so that works for me. From Bothell we went back to east side for a couple more days at soap lake were family friends built a new home. It was warm and sunny once again. Thats when the wife finally said Sunny Slope would work (She had been pushing for wet side near her mom).

We are going to watch for rentals agressively online now and target end of summer for our move if it all works out.

Again, thanks for all your input as it made a big difference not knowing any of that area! When I get out there with the bike I will be for sure hitting you all up for some riding! I made a lot of good friends in the TT Cali forums so I assume all of you will be no different

Welcome ! and hit us up when you arrive and are ready to ride.

Joe

Don't tell your friends where you are moving, it sucks here!
You can't ride from Sunnyslope to the mountains directly, you have to hit a highway or town to do it, so need to be street legal. I live in that area now.
That track you are seeing is up Nahaum Canyon (Cashmere), and is for sale and I think vacant at the moment. Maybe it is for rent?
When you get here let me know.