First, see what you can power in a sustainable, non-electric way, to lessen electric load. Look at what your needs are, and how to fulfill them, rather tahn just transforming how you live now to there.
And, I get what you are saying about propane and gas, that is still part of the grid, you can do without, if you realy want to.
Wood. You have access to plenty of that, so space heat with wood, cook with wood, heat water with wood.
Biogas. Contact Hestia Biogas about your area, they have even relocated to Washington state and are the experienced designers of Pacific Northwest Biogas, and home biogas plans and units. Biogas can cook your food and heat your water, someimes there is enough excess to power a generator, but contact them about this.
That leaves lights, refrigeration, clothes washing and gadgets. None of which is absolutely necc for survival, although I like them.
Assuming it gets cold there when the sun isnt out ? So, for refrigeration, look to a thermal mass refrigerator with an electric compressor for back up -- Mike reynolds in his Earth house systems book describes this. Basically, this is a built in place refrigerator. Lots of mass inside ( in his case he plastered in sixpacks of cheap beer on the inside, but whatever you choose, thick inner mass to hold "coldth", surrounded by insulation, and then, key part, is an operable opening to the outside cold night air. You also build in a standard DC refrigeration compressor, so when the sun has been out, you have solar and it uses its compressor, when you have little solar, it is cold outside, and you let the cold in.
There are other ways for keeping some food cold.
So, if you build in your thermal mass refrigerator, that leaves lights, clothes washing, and gadgets.
You can also wash clothes without an electric washing machine. Look to Lehmans non-electric catalog for bought options. Or, scour the internet for DIY plans to run a washing machine off a pedal power or what have you.
That leaves lights and gadgets.
Anyways, you dont need any electric, look at the Amish. So, if you want a small solar and battery backup for gadgets and electric lights, and can afford it, you will also survive just fine on days when your batteries dont have any juice. I realy like the Aquion batteries, check those out if you are going to put in solar/batteries
edted to add thoughts on having water : Duh. Sorry about that. Can you have a tank just a bit uphill ? My tank is barely uphill, and gives enough pressure for the downstairs. Rainwater catchment ? Well ? well pump can get water out of the ground to your tank when the sun is out. small rain catchment tank built into your second story ? or uphill ? for when You have your long sunless, but rainy times. You may also be able to hand pump frpm your well. I hear that not that long ago, it was a short, daily task for a member of the household, often a young boy, to hand pump water to a small tank on the roof, that would be enough for the households needs for 24 hours. You can let the rain do that for you
