Quirky things about North Idaho
Every place has its claims to fame and unique attractions, as well as its oddities and peculiarities. If you’ve visited North Idaho, or if you’ve only seen pictures (thanks, Google) you already know what a beautiful corner of the world it is. The following are some of the quirks that make north Idaho unique.
- School Levys
Most school districts in Idaho have to raise money for their district by levy, which means voters have to approve a levy which collects money from their property taxes to fund schools. Because state and federal funds fall short of funding the schools, levies are often a desperate plea to continue supporting students. And most are only good for about two years. If you are considering having your children attend public schools, this is something to consider. Also if you are homeschooling but hope to have the kids participate in extracurricular activities. If a levy is not supported, those would go away very quickly.
- Open Carry
It is legal for anyone 18 years or older to open carry in the state of Idaho, as long as the person is not otherwise disqualified to have a permit. If you are new to the state, it may be a little disconcerting when the person in front of you in the Walmart checkout line is packing heat. This has been a subject of controversy for a few north Idaho towns, where there are strong opinions on both sides of the fence. Residents have struggled to see eye-to-eye on the issue at events and venues like Sandpoint’s Festival at Sandpoint and the Bonners Ferry Pearl Theater.
- Spring Breakup Season
North Idaho winters can bring an average of 50-70 inches of snow per year, depending on the city. When all that snow finally melts, the back roads are a muddy mess. This is called Spring Breakup Season. When this happens, temporary weight limit restrictions are put in place on the roads that were hardest hit over the winter. There have been winters where my family went out of town in our RV and came back to find that we couldn’t even get the RV home and parked for a month or two until the weight restrictions were lifted.
- Lake Pend Oreille
Lake Pend Oreille, located in Sandpoint Idaho, is Idaho’s biggest lake at 43 miles long and it is also one of the top 5 deepest lakes in the country. At a depth of 1,150 feet, Lake Pend Oreille can sometimes produce ocean-like waves. Divers have found everything from boats and train cars to bicycles and the skeleton of a horse at the bottom of the lake. There are even tales of a sea monster swimming in the depths, although many believe that if there is such a fish, it’s likely a large sturgeon. With the amount of water pressure at those depths, there’s no telling what lies at the deepest point of Lake Pend Oreille.
- Rural or remote folks
Many people move to North Idaho in search of more space and privacy. Some want to get out of big cities like Denver and San Francisco, but still want to enjoy the convenience of living close to town, while others are seeking to live fully off-the-grid. The latter group would tell you that “We have been social-distancing for decades.” Either way, people are generally up here to get out of the rat-race and live more remotely. It’s not unheard of that you might not know or meet all your neighbors in the more rural locations.
- Brush pile burning
In other blogs we’ve talked about the issue of smoke from wildfires during the dry season. However, during the wet or snowy seasons, it’s not uncommon for neighbors and lumber companies to burn very large piles of tree remains. This can produce a lot of smoke and if it’s your neighbor doing the burning, you’re likely to get a good bit of smoke coming your direction. It can be quite memorable and very hot to drive past a massive burn pile just off the highway!
Thank you for visiting City2Forest and reading our blog! Have you spent time in North Idaho? What other quirks have you discovered? Leave a comment below!
About the author:
My name is Kendra. I’m a mom to three sweet and crazy boys. I’m a homeschooler, musician and blogger. I love that writing gives me a creative outlet and allows me to connect with people all over the world. Thank you for reading!