Recent comments in /f/Washington

Candid-Mine5119 t1_j5k0aa8 wrote

Reply to What are the towns Tacoma and Olympia like? by Kaabiiisabeast

Check out the eastern Pierce County town like Frederickson. Lots of Manufacturing jobs out there and cheaper to live, closer to wilderness.
Alternatively look north to Everett and Monroe. Western Washington is reliably blue until you get out of the urban area. So this will be more politically red than a city location. You probably need to look for a job at least 25% more to get a similar standard of living.

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SummitMyPeak OP t1_j5jyo91 wrote

Reply to comment by Hapakings808 in Woke Up at Ancient Lakes This Morning by SummitMyPeak

We got to the trail head around 2 and the lakes around 3. It was in the low 30s when we arrived and low 20s in the night. I wouldn't say any of us were super comfortable but my 15 degree sleeping bag + a blanket + a thermal pad and a sleeping pad helped me a lot. I had a four season tent but it didn't prevent the frost coming forming on the inside of the tent.

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shebringsdathings t1_j5jrldj wrote

Reply to What are the towns Tacoma and Olympia like? by Kaabiiisabeast

Ok, so I've got some unique experiences I can share here. I grew up in the area, (admittedly the eastside of Seattle not south) and then I moved to Wisconsin. I lived near Madison for 10 years and loved every minute of it. The people in the Midwest are SO welcoming and caring. Neighbors look out for each other and family/community is a real thing.

Please understand, you are moving to one of the most socially hostile areas. There are nice people everywhere, please don't misunderstand me. However, you will definitely experience some culture shock.

The woods are amazing! It is not terribly practical to live in them. I cannot speak specifically to the areas you mentioned, so I will leave the details to others.

However, 40k is going to be tight. It's difficult to find a rental for less than $1000 a month out here. Gas is $4 a gallon. Eggs are $6. A beer at a pub is $7. I just want to warn you ahead of time about the financial strain, the emotional island most of us live on, and the weather. You know how sometimes it's -20 degrees outside, but at least it's sunny out back there? We will regularly go 2 WEEKS without seeing the sun. Yes we own fewer long johns, but do you have 6 raincoats and waterproof lightweight boots? You'll live in them 9 months a year.

Good luck, whatever you do!

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Hapakings808 t1_j5ix7yq wrote

Reply to Woke Up at Ancient Lakes This Morning by SummitMyPeak

This looks very cold! Curious what were the day time / night time Temps and what was in your kit that made the biggest difference, most comfortable, etc. Thanks for sharing a very rare glimpse of beautiful winter WA.

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