Interesting, I was born in Scottsdale and moved to MN. Getting close to retirement and considering back to AZ (my mom is there), but the heat is brutal yes. Considering WY but brutal winters, so maybe summer there and AZ in the winter. Does ID get the crazy winds like WY?
Not even close. I am in a deep canyon. We get wind, but nothing like flats in WY. My main house is at 4500' (I have 1100 acres) surrounded by BLM. Only about half a mile from pavement. MN winters are bad (I remember some Januarys not seeing sunshine for a month or more). Not so bad here. Sunny (warm in comparison to MN) winters, and not much work on the ranch. I "off-road" on the horseback (not in Bronco). Winter is my favorite season here (same in AZ and Cali but definitely not in MN). The only thing I enjoyed in MN was snowmobiling all the way to Stillwater and Hudson. The rest sucks, especially the winter traffic in/around Twin Cities.
Very nice! Yes MN seems gloomy at times, not much sun. I could deal with some snow, but not the windchill and freezing temps.
I am not a skier, but I've seen many times people sunbathing at ski lodges. It's like that here. I can be on the horseback in January at 7-8000' in a t-shirt. Sun is VERY strong at that elevation, and most of the time you're above clouds. But after the sundown, you better be below 4000' in a shelter.
