cosmokenney
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Cosmo
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2019
- Threads
- 40
- Messages
- 861
- Reaction score
- 594
- Location
- Loyalton, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 JLR (2-door)
Thanks for the great info!The population of Bellingham is only 90,000. Crime here is better than average; mostly petty crimes. We do have a homeless problem, kind of like most places these days, but it's nowhere near as bad as Everett, Seattle, Portland, etc. I live close to downtown, and we do have car prowls of unlocked vehicles; break-ins are rare. There really isn't what I'd call a bad part of town, though there are some less-desirable areas. Overall, my wife and I don't have a problem walking anywhere at night.
Pot is legal in Washington ... and I've never heard of any illegal grow operations in the mountains. We've never had any problems exploring back roads in the mountains -- anywhere in the state. During hunting season, you may encounter hunters, but that's about it.
RE animals in the mountains: There are rattlesnakes on the east side of the Cascades, but there are no venomous snakes on the west side. We definitely have mountain lions (a mountain biker was attacked and killed by a mountain lion near Seattle last year, but it's extremely rare) and black bears, plus a handful of Grizzlies in the far northeast corner. I've only encountered cat tracks a couple times, though we've come across bears many times (never had any problems). As long as you don't leave food in your vehicle, animals shouldn't bother it. I've never heard of bears breaking into vehicles in Washington like they do in California.
I've smelled skunks, but never come across one. Never seen a porcupine up here, either. Can't think of any other dangerous animals. On the upside, bald eagles are everywhere. I see them all the time, even from my back yard. Just watch your small dogs and cats, as they'll snatch them.
There is quite a bit of backcountry skiing around here. Some is easy to access, such as the out-of-bounds areas near the Mt. Baker Ski Area. Other areas are a bit tougher to get to, as you may have to hike in a ways and/or bushwhack a bit. It gets pretty remote pretty fast in the North Cascades. You also must be very knowledgeable about avalanches, have the proper equipment, yada yada. The North Cascades region (the National Park and the mountainous region around it) has 300 glaciers and it gets a crapload of snow. A portion of the North Cascades Highway (20) shuts down every winter because it has so many avalanches.
Dirt biking: Yes. There's TONS of it. Lots of forest roads across the state. Some stuff just a half hour or so from town. Maybe some better stuff a bit farther out. You'd love the Methow Valley area (Winthrop, WA), 3 hours east of B'ham (when Hwy 20 is open) ... or the Cle Elum to Ellensburg area (about 3 hours SE). Miles and miles and miles of dirt roads to explore.
If that's not enough, there's this 575-mile route through WA for Jeeps and dirt/adventure bikes:
https://ridebdr.com/wabdr/
RE fly fishing, I'm not an angler, but I know there's a ton of fishing in nearby lakes, rivers, and the sea. If it's trout you want, I've heard you may have to go to the east side, such as Yakima Valley, or maybe north into B.C. I could be wrong though. I just know I see a ton of people fishing along side countless roads in the mountains (Hwy 542, Hwy 2, Mtn Loop Hwy, etc.).
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