Pullman WA/Moscow ID Summer Beta?

[wanghoeby]

I've got an offer for an internship at the University in Pullman this summer. Other summer opportunities exist in different locations but this one pays a little better and the head of my department has a strong wish for me to choose this one. I'm quite worried about the city being located amongst so many wheat fields to say the least.


Is this too far away from any snow and or large mountains?

Opinions on the city/surrounding area?


Thanks in advance.

[danimal's dead]

Flat Eastern Washington desert, but really not that far from good rivers and mountains. Not such a bad place to spend a summer.

[Northway]

do you paddle? lochsa/selway/clearwater can't be beat in the spring.

you could lose yourself in the selway-bitterroot wilderness for a very, very long time. pullman may be in the wheat fields, but you are pretty darn close to some amazing country.

[GoldMember]

Wallowa's, Snake River, Bitterroots, etc. Pullman's not flat desert but is actually at about 3,000' in the rolling hills of the Palouse. It's not a long drive to get into some decent terrain. Summertime in Pullman though is deadsville. It's a pure college town and in the summer is boooooooring.

[Conundrum]

Moscow and Pullman are dead in the summer. Both are really good schools though. Be prepared to drive but if you are cool with that, there is some fun stuff around. Not a ton of hike to skiing but Hood isn't that far away.

[wanghoeby]

Mountain biking? Anyone know the drive times to the volcanoes?

[KIRinPNW]

Strap some C4 to Lower Granite dam and get some of those steelhead back up the Snake. That would provide hours of entertainment.

[Conundrum]

Mountain biking? Anyone know the drive times to the volcanoes?

Moscow Mountain is not horrible and 15 minutes from town. Mostly fire roads. Once again, really epic riding but it's a couple hours away. Really good paddling a couple hours away too.

[dk_alaskan]

drinking, HEAVY drinking and more drinking there is NOTHING to do in pullman or moscow. 2 hell holes. moscow mnt has a shit load of ticks in the summer so leave the dogs at home. it is hotter than HELL down there , 100+ a lot of the summer. drier than most places, it is, as gm said, at 2500+ ft and like a desert. Hope you have a strong liver w/some good kidneys

[snowfunk]

drinking, HEAVY drinking and more drinking there is NOTHING to do in pullman or moscow.

Funny, because it is true.

I went to summer school in Moscow and lasted about 1 week and had to quit it was so bad, although it was a nice place to have a home base after being on the Salmon or Snake for a week (river guiding). There really isn't any water near...there is some pretty good bouldering at some basalt rocks right in Pullman and the Snake at Granite point isn't too far (30-40min?) for swimming. To be honest its one of the last places I'd want to be in the summer given how sweet the rest of the state is for outdoor activities.

[Lumpy]

Go Cougs!

Its all what you make of it in Pulltab. I loved it, Idaho Panhandle close, cruise down to Orofino area, then over to Montanna, lots of great fishing, river running, hiking, etc..not too far away.

Yeah, and the drinking is good in the summer,and fall, and winter, and even better when spring fever hits. Of course last early summer (I'd bail for AK in mid June) was when GN'R was new on MTV. I'm old.

[cramer]

Hope you have a strong liver w/some good kidneys

pretty much sums it up. Thats About all there is to do there.

[wanghoeby]

So would making 2K more than any other location make it worth while? Keeping in mind a college income.

Also, drive to Seattle on weekends; is this too much? 5 hours... more?

[nate s]

Depends what you like to do in the summer. XC biking is ok at moscow mtn. Freeride/DH stuff you have to drive 1.5 hrs north. Kayaking is awesome in the springtime, mostly playboating in summer (Salmon is 2 hrs south). Good stuff is either payettes, Hood River or BC. Sometimes local stuff will run in the early summer but thats rare, most stuff is dry by late June.

You can ski in the Devils once the road opens up, pretty rad up there.
Other than that the Cascades are the closest bet.

Climbing is ok, Spokane or Riggins/McCall are closest options besides few small local spots.

If you fish there is good fishing all over.

Some the best dual sport riding around if you are into that kind of thing.

Basically, if you sit in town and do nothing you will think it sucks, if you are up for driving a few hours there is just about every activity imaginable available. I always like summers because all the students are gone, however, I haven't actually spent a full summer here as I am usually on the river all spring/summer so what do I know...

Another thing, if you are the type that likes Seattle, you probably won't like Moscow.

[wanghoeby]

Depends what you like to do in the summer. XC biking is ok at moscow mtn. Freeride/DH stuff you have to drive 1.5 hrs north. Kayaking is awesome in the springtime, mostly playboating in summer (Salmon is 2 hrs south). Good stuff is either payettes, Hood River or BC. Sometimes local stuff will run in the early summer but thats rare, most stuff is dry by late June.

You can ski in the Devils once the road opens up, pretty rad up there.
Other than that the Cascades are the closest bet.

Climbing is ok, Spokane or Riggins/McCall are closest options besides few small local spots.

If you fish there is good fishing all over.

Some the best dual sport riding around if you are into that kind of thing.

Basically, if you sit in town and do nothing you will think it sucks, if you are up for driving a few hours there is just about every activity imaginable available. I always like summers because all the students are gone, however, I haven't actually spent a full summer here as I am usually on the river all spring/summer so what do I know...

Another thing, if you are the type that likes Seattle, you probably won't like Moscow.

Wow, thanks for the solid info. Just a few questions.

How far away are the "Devils", I couldn't find them on a map.

The only reason I was curious about how far away Seattle is, is that of the massive population of mags. I did so many things solo last summer because of the lack of partners and would just prefer to have someone else along when doing desolate back country trips.

Oh, and we just sold our XT 350 so unless I shell out for a new bike, I won't be able to take advantage of the trails.

[dk_alaskan]

plan on 6 hours minimum to drive to seattle, you can do it in 5, but that is pushing it in my experience.

Another thing, if you are the type that likes Seattle, you probably won't like Moscow.

that is VERY true. Small town rural feel and little to do in the near vicinity.

[wanghoeby]

Not to worry, I've made it through the first two decades of my life growing up in a college town of 7K.

[midget]

plan on 6 hours minimum to drive to seattle, you can do it in 5, but that is pushing it in my experience.

How slow do you drive? I did it in 3.5 hours a few times. Standard is about 4-4.5 hours at about 5mph over speed limit.

Pullman sucks balls in the summer. I did one there i hope to never be there again in the summer.

Silver Mt. is small but is fun, 2.5-3 hours away, schweitzer too at about3 hours away, 49 degrees north at about 3 hours away, Red mt. at around 3.5 hours away. Spo-compton is the closest city at about an hour and a half away, but that place sucks.