VOL. 26 NO. 4 WINTER 2015-2016 LLOOKOOKOUTOUT NETWNETWORKORK THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE LOOKOUT ASSOCIATION, INC.

· 2016 Western Conference - June 10-12, John Day, · FFLA Loses Founding Member - Henry Isenberg · Northeast Conference - September 17-18, New York www.firelookout.org ON THE LOOKOUT From the National Chairman Keith A. Argow Vienna, Virginia Winter 2015-2016 FIRE TOWERS IN THE HEART OF DIXIE On Saturday, January 16 we convened the 26th annual member of the Alabama Commission who had meeting of the Forest Association at the Talladega purchased and moved a fire tower to his woodlands; the project Ranger Station, on the Talladega National Forest in Talladega, leader of the Smith Mountain fire tower restoration; the publisher Alabama (guess that is somewhere near Talladega!). Our host, of a travel magazine that promoted the restoration; a retired District Ranger Gloria Nielsen, and Alabama National district with the Alabama Forestry Commission; a U.S. Assistant Archaeologist Marcus Ridley presented a fine Forest Service District Ranger (our host), and a zone program including a review of the multi-year Horn Mountain archaeologist for the Forest Service. Add just two more Lookout restoration. A request by the radio communications members and we will have the makings of a potentially very people to construct a new effective chapter in Alabama. communications tower next to The rest of afternoon was spent with an inspection of the the lookout occasioned a continuing Horn Mountain Lookout restoration project, plus visits review on its impact on the 100-foot Horn Mountain Fire Tower, an historic landmark visible for many miles. The Forest Fire Lookout Association partnered with the Alabama State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO - a partner in the National Historic Lookout Register) and the CCC Legacy Association representing the CCC enrollees who constructed the tower, the adjacent picnic area, and the Talladega Mountain Scenic Drive in the 1930’s. At 10 AM we convened the Annual Meeting of the FFLA Board of Directors by tele-conference. Three officers - Jimmy Lanier, Willey McCollum, Gloria Nielsen, Keith Argow, Chairman Argow, Treasurer/Editor Weber, and Secretary and Mike Wilson at Horn Mountain Firetower Grimes - were in attendance along with FFLA Alabama to other fire towers. Before Gary and I left Alabama, we had Representative Andrew Zerbe. A total of 16 Directors plus 3 visited 42 fire towers, in addition to three in Georgia. In the members joined in on the phone. It was good meeting, a southeastern U.S. it is possible to visit many standing fire summary of which appears on p.3. The 2017 Board Meeting lookouts. As they get older, fewer are used as radio facilities will be held near Savannah, Georgia on January 14, a very or landmarks for state forestry offices and become surplus. good time of year to visit southeast Georgia including parts of FFLA continues to find new homes for many of them, but we South Carolina and Florida. need more hands to lighten the load. Come join us next year, Following the board of directors meeting and additional I think you will enjoy it. Keith A. Argow presentations, including an inspirational story of the restoration CEO/Chairman of the Board on Smith Mountain Fire Tower on a 17,000 acre block on the [email protected] Lake Martin project woodlands, we were treated to a homemade Alabama stew (two varieties) prepared by hosting Ranger LOOKOUT NETWORK (ISSN 2154-4417), is published quarterly by the Forest Fire Lookout Association, Inc., Keith Argow, Publisher, 374 Maple Nielsen. Nobody left hungry! Ave E, Ste 310, Vienna, VA 22180. Subscription: $15.00 per year, included As we wrapped up the business we realized that we have in annual Forest Fire Lookout Association membership dues. Non-profit nearly enough FFLA members in Alabama to form our newest postage paid at Canton, OH and at additional mailing offices. chapter (minimum of 10 members), which we hope will happen POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Forest Fire Lookout soon. The list includes the new FFLA state rep, Andrew Zerbe; Association, 2590 W Versailles Dr, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815-8127. Subscribers: Please send us your old address as well as your new address the former Alabama state rep, Tom Kaufmann, an historic when you move. The Postal Service will not forward your newsletter unless architect with many NHLR nominations to his credit; a current you guarantee forwarding postage with your local post office.

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: Gary Weber, Editor 2590 W Versailles Dr, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815 March 31, 2016 email:[email protected] cover photo: I always sleep better at night knowing there's a snowman with a guarding my lookout (Baptiste Lookout, MT) - Chuck Manning photo 2 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 Board Meeting Notes The 2016 FFLA Board Meeting was held at the Talladega 2016 Approved FFLA Budget Ranger District office in Income Talladega, Alabama, on Balance Forward $10,723.60 January 16. After local Dues $14,000.00 presentations, the meeting Donations $ 500.00 started at 1000. Chapter Grants Pass-through $10,000.00 Present were Merchandise Sales $ 1,800.00 Chairman Keith Argow, Interest $ 15.00 Treasurer and North - Total $37,038.60 Montana Director Gary Expenses Publication $12,500.00 Weber, Secretary and New Chapter Distributions $ 2,000.00 Jersey Co-director Ray Brochures $ 3,000.00 Grimes, Alabama FFLA Restoration Grants $ 2,500.00 member Andy Zerbe, host Emergency Stabilization Grants $ 300.00 Talladega District Ranger Chapter Grants Pass-through $10,000.00 Gloria Nielsen, Assistant Liability Insurance $ 2,000.00 Merchandise Purchase $ 1,500.00 Forest Archaeologist The Hollins Firetower cab now in Operations $ 1,000.00 Marcus Ridley, Alabama front of the Talladega office Forestry Commission History/Archive $ 1,000.00 Website Upgrade $ 500.00 retiree Willey McCollum, and Jimmy Lanier and Mike Wilson Total $36,300.00 of the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trails Association. Sixteen Year-end Balance $ 738.60 additional board members joined the meeting via conference before moving over to the Historian position. call. In old business, Chairman Argow went over the details of The meeting began with the formal approval of the minutes the FFLA finally obtaining liability insurance. Specifics as to from last year’s meetings as posted on the FFLA website. any coverage limitations will be forthcoming. The election results tabulated by Elections Officer Rob New business included a proposal for recognition of Hoeye were read; 28 ballots were received out of the 35 sent lookout enthusiasts’ visits to a certain number of lookouts in a out, for an 80% return. The three incumbents, Chairman Keith given state. Details of this concept are to be worked out. Argow, Eastern Deputy Chair Mark Haughwout, and Treasurer The idea of a “restoration guide” was also presented. This Gary Weber were all re-elected. would include dos and don’ts and tips so others who would like A review of Executive Board actions since the January to work on a lookout or fire tower would have some guidance 2015 board meeting confirmed the following actions: on getting started and some of the things that might be 1) Discontinuance of membership to the Forest History Society encountered during a project. 2) Appointment of Mike Finch, Jr. as Southern Deputy Chair Brief chapter reports were given by all present or on the 3) Elimination of the Life Membership category call. Full reports are posted on the FFLA website. 4) Approval of the new California South Coast Chapter The 2017 Board Meeting will be held January 14, 2017 5) Increase of PLUS Membership rate to $25/year as requested (MLK weekend), with plans for again utilizing the conference by NWOA to cover costs of increased size magazine call format. The Savannah, Georgia area has been targeted 6) Offer NWOA members a non-member subscription to for the physical meeting site. LOOKOUT NETWORK for $10/year Minutes and reports are available on the FFLA website The preliminary Treasurer’s Report that had been emailed to all directors was summarized; the FFLA continues to operate Before and After the Board Meeting well into the black in all categories. The Membership Report Prior to the meeting, everyone gathered at the ranger was presented; there was a net gain of 52 members in 2015 station at 8:30 a.m. After introductions, Marcus Ridley gave a for an ending total of 1009 paid members. In the Historian’s presentation on the Horn Mountain project, including the role Report, Ron Stafford noted that after getting all the files from the FFLA played in the efforts to preserve the historic site. Bob Spear, he now has everything on his computer, backed up Willey McCollum had several interesting stories from his days on external hard drives and DVDs. with AFC and proved to be a great source of historical With one adjustment to publication costs, the proposed information. Andy Zerbe told of his quest to visit all towers and budget that had been sent out to all board members was former sites in the state; he has a good start on that part of the approved state north of his home in Birmingham. After the meeting, Jimmy Webmaster Bill Cobb advised that on-line membership Lanier and Mike Wilson gave a presentation on the restoration registration and payment is now up and running. Website traffic of the Smith Mountain tower that Keith, Ray, and Gary just was up 13% with lookout rentals and lookout jobs being the happened to have visited the day before and recognized as big-ticket items. Other outdoor sites have linked the FFLA site one of the finest tower restorations seen, especially in terms to theirs; a lot of hits are coming from that. of providing for public safety. FFLA member and restoration Reports were given by the three deputy chairs; Eastern specialist David Vana was involved in the project; Mike also Deputy Mark Haughwout noted the conference being hosted worked with David on other tower projects to the point that by the NY Chapter in September, Western Deputy Howard David tried to lure Mike away from his Alabama home to come Verschoor advised that the Western Conference will be held in work full-time in New York! Following the delicious lunch John Day, Oregon in June, and Southern Deputy Mike Finch provided by Gloria, it was off to visit Horn Mountain! thanked previous Southern Deputy Ron Stafford for all his work --- see Alabama Tower Touring in Spring issue ---

Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 3 Directory/Webpage Updates FFLA NEWS New York Director Laurie Rankin has a new email: Western Conference [email protected]. John Day, Oregon June 10-12 California Sierra/Nevada Director Bill Luedeke has a new FFLA-related email: [email protected]. The 2016 FFLA Western Conference will be held in John FFLA California Pacific Director Bill Ulmer has a new Day, Oregon the weekend of June 10-12 at The Outpost. The website up for the Central California Western Region of his conference will again have the morning sessions Friday and chapter’s area www.ffla-ccwr.org/. Saturday, with afternoon lookout trips both days, as well as all FFLA member Tom Kremer’s web page chronicles day Sunday. For those arriving early, tours are also planned Minnesota's towers http://minnesotafiretower.blogspot.com/. for Thursday, June 9. Out of the 25 lookouts within a half-day drive of John Day, host Howard Verschoor has a dozen Henry L. Isenberg identified for these tours. Further conference details will be in The FFLA lost another of its founding members when the Spring issue, but lodging/camping options are below. Henry L. Isenberg, 56, passed away from an apparent heart LODGING attack January 15. FFLA board members thought it strange America’s Best Value Inn, 390 West Main Street, John Day when Henry wasn't on the board meeting conference call on http://www.americasbestvalueinn.com, 541-575-1462 the 16th, then learned why later in the day when word was Best Western, 315 West Main Street, John Day received that he had died the night before. Henry had had http://www.bestwestern.com, 541-575-1700 health issues during the past several years. Budget 8, 711 West Main, John Day, 541-575-2155 Dreamers Lodge, 144 N Canyon Blvd, John Day Henry was born in Maine on February 8, 1959 to 17-year http://www.dreamerslodge.com, 541-575-0526 old single mother Mary Cummings, and was placed out for Elkhorn Country Motel, 755 S Canyon Blvd, John Day, 541-575-2111 adoption. Henry became a fire tower operator for the John Day Motel, 250 East Main Street, John Day, 541-575-9000 Massachusetts Bureau of Forest , and was well Boulder Creek Ranch, Middle Fork of John Day River known as "Sharon Tower" until health issues forced him out of http://www.bouldercreekranch.net, 541-575-1827 the tower several years ago. While a tower operator, most of Blue Mountain Lodge, 150 West Main, Mt Vernon his peers in the department thought he was the best lookout http://www.bluemntlodge.com, 541-421-3031 they had. Prairie Rose Guesthouse, 206 E. Front Street, Prairie City As Henry became interested in fire tower research, he https://theprairieroseguesthouse.wordpress.com/, 620-2020 sent inquiries to other states. His inquiry to the Pennsylvania Riverside School House B&B, 28076 North River Rd, Prairie City Bureau of Forestry was handed off to one Stephen Cummings http://www.riversideschoolhouse.com/, 541-820-4731 Historic Hotel Prairie, 112 Front Street, Prairie City (who it turned out was a distant relative), and the rest is history.... http://hotelprairie.com/, 541-820-4800 starting with that first meeting of the "Committee to Establish Prairiewinkle Inn, 134 Front St, Prairie City, 541-820-4369 an Association of Lookout John Day Valley Rentals, John Day and Prairie City Enthusiasts” at Hopewell Fire Tower http://www.johndayvalleyrentals.com/, 415-748-8697 in January of 1990 where Henry, Pine Shadows Getaway Cabins, 25923 Green Haven Rd, Prairie City Steve, and nine others became the http://www.pineshadowsgetaway.com/, 541-820-3736 founders of what would become the CAMPING Forest Fire Lookout Association. Grant Co. Fairgrounds RV Park, 411 NW Bridge St., John Day From the start, Henry was the http://www.grantcountyfairgrounds.com/rvpark.php Massachusetts Chapter Director, 541-575-1900, Full hookups, Tent, Showers, Reservations later that became the Southern New Clyde Holliday State Park, 6 miles west of John Day, Hwy 26 541-932-4453, Full hookups, Tent, Showers England Chapter, as Rhode Island Henry Receiving the Doug Prairie City Depot RV Park, Main & Bridge St., Prairie City and Connecticut were included. In Newman Award in 2000 541-820-3605, Full hookups, Tent, Showers 1993, Henry was elected as the first FFLA Archivist, but became Bates State Park, Middle Fork Rd., Bates 541-448-2585, Tent the FFLA's second chairman on a write-in campaign in 1994, There are several USFS campgrounds within 45 minutes of John Day serving two terms. In 2004, he was elected to the Eastern Deputy Chair position that he held for two terms. Henry had a Save the Date - Northeastern Conference veritable wealth of lookout and fire tower knowledge, so was On the weekend of September 17th and 18th, the New the FFLA's first "Answerman", responding to internet inquiries; York Chapter of the FFLA will be hosting the Northeastern he maintained that role until his death. Conference in the Adirondacks. Quite a bit of progress has Henry was involved in various been made; a location and schedule should be available for restoration projects, including early the next issue. Stay tuned for more details and keep that efforts at Beebe Hill, New York, with weekend open! If you have suggestions or would like to help Mark Haughwout. He had a true out, please contact New York Director Laurie Rankin. passion for lookouts and research, and loved to work in the field looking New California - South Coast Chapter for sites and visiting standing towers. With well over half of the membership of the parent He enjoyed visiting towers elsewhere, Southern California chapter, the San Diego-Riverside local especially during several years of chapter inquired about becoming a full-fledged chapter. With annual winter trips to Florida. the concurrence of Southern California Directors Pam and Henry was a gifted, complex, George Morey, this was approved. The chapter’s area will and sometimes contrary person; he follow the coast north and include the Los Padres NF. Before Fences couldn’t keep liked to be involved in things, Henry away from a tower! to this, SD-R leader Curt Waite had turned over that post to sometimes dramatically, but always Scott McClintock, who accepted the interim Director position. with a love of lookouts in his heart! Rest in Peace, Henry. 4 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 Three Fingers Lookout has a New Roof It is a challenge just getting to Three On an evening radio call with his wife Fingers much less working on the roof of Annie, Arthur found that their lead roofer the 1931 L-4 lookout perched on a 6,854’ had come down with the flu, so wouldn’t pinnacle with sheer drop-offs, but FFLA be coming. On Wednesday, Matt and member and Everett Mountaineers Skylar had to leave, but Dustin Wittmier Lookout and Trail Maintenance (the second roofer), Don Sanderson, and Committee (LOTM) project leader Arthur Lois Peterson were on their way in. Wright and his team of volunteers were Roof work began on Thursday with up to it. Their September 6-14 project the removal of the old roof. As with most culminated in a new weather-tight roof on Three Fingers Lookout in the Boulder River in ’s Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. roofers, there was only one. Over 400 While work on the roof may have hours of all-volunteer labor went into the started in September, the project began project, one that likely would have never more than a year before that with all of come to fruition without Arthur’s the detailed planning. Arthur, LOTM Chair leadership, organization, and hard work. (and FFLA Director) Forrest Clark, and Thanks, Arthur! others first had to determine everything that would be needed and then go about acquiring all of the materials, supplies, and tools. Decisions had to be made, such as the one to use yellow cedar shingles for maximum longevity. Projects tasks at Three Fingers, there were extra such as this on National Forest lands (and challenges - the old shingles had to have in wilderness) don’t come off without their nails removed and then be sorted and share of paperwork - analyses, reviews, bundled to be hauled out. Dustin - Finishing the ridgecap (above), and approvals, that all take time. Standing by the finished product (below) Weather had the ability to be a deal- breaker in the airlift of the materials and supplies, but the chosen day, August 24, turned out to be clear and the slingload was perfectly delivered by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s to the “back porch” of the lookout, where Arthur, FFLA member Don Sanderson, and Brian Berggren were waiting to receive it. On the rainy morning of Sunday, September 6, Arthur, Gwen Tollefson, Matt Burton, and Skylar Esparza started off by By Friday, installation of the new roof (All photos courtesy of Arthur Wright) bicycling nearly nine miles of uphill closed had started, but it was time for Gwen and For additional photos of the project, road and then hiking more than four miles Lois to head off the mountain, leaving go to https://picasaweb.google.com/ of trail to camp at Goat Flats - all with 50- Arthur.Wright/ThreeFingersReRoof pound packs. The next morning, after Sept6132015. waiting for the sun to help dry things out, Volunteer Gwen Tollefson’s account they continued on, reaching the top by of her part of the project is online at https:/ mid-afternoon. There were plenty of tasks /bootsontrail.wordpress.com/2015/10/ to be done before tackling the roof - 27/re-roofing-the-top-of-the-world/. , painting, miscellaneous repairs, For more information on the Everett Mountaineers Lookout and Trail Maintenance Committee and the lookouts they maintain, go to www.everett Arthur, Don, and Dustin. Don had to leave mountaineers.org/LOTM/LOTM.html. on Sunday, leaving Arthur and Dustin to finish up and head down on Monday. When it was all over, the project took three days longer than planned - the old roof couldn’t be removed before there was assurance that a roofer would be there to and this time, adding support to the center put the new one on, demolition of the old beam to re-level the lookout that had roof was tedious and took extra time to developed a sag in the middle. (And the duplicate the nailing pattern and shingling roofers weren’t there yet, anyway.) details, and instead of two professional One of the perks of working at Three Fingers Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 5 Notes from All Over MAINE in well with their programs and thus 2015 Survey encourage attendance. ADK Fire Towers Interpretive Materials are available at The 2015 survey of Maine’s lookout http://www.adkhistorycenter.org/edu/ inventory is now complete. Out of 143 fire.html in both a printable student booklet known sites, 56 are still standing, with 3 still staffed by volunteers. This is down and the teacher's edition. by 1 from 2014. The reduction was due Lighting of the Fire Tower to Mount Abraham, which we lost due to The Lighting of the Fire Tower Event high winds. The footings gave away and with the Catskill Fire Tower Project went the tower toppled over. It remains on the well on September 5th with lovely clear summit. of ignitable liquids in close proximity to an skies and all five Catskill towers plus Squaw Mountain Update open flame.” Utsayantha in western Delaware County Now that the rebuilt cab has been Please be careful with fire this year. placed on the steel at the visitors center, Chris Haartz we have moved onto constructing items PENNSYLVANIA that will go into the cab. Over the winter, Forest Heritage Association we will rebuild a map table and search for In November, the directors of the vintage items such as a telephone and Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum radio. Outside construction of a staircase Association approved a name change to to the cab and deck will restart in the the Pennsylvania Forest Heritage spring. Association. This will enable them to draw lit up. This was a reminder to both local Mount Agamenticus Update broader support for fundraising for the communities and visitors of the men and This year’s Go Fund Me campaign Museum site that Steve Cummings was women who were watching faithfully over raised over $10,000 for the restoration able to secure on Highway 30 in Micheaux the lands from these towers for years. effort, but other hurtles exist before any State Forest. work can be done. Town officials and NEW YORK WISCONSIN the York Volunteer agree Tower Staffing Discontinued Adirondack Fire Tower Program that a structural analysis be conducted Following evaluation of how are before any restoration efforts begin. The The Adirondack History Museum reported and considering the age and town also needs to look into the tower presented the Adirondack Fire Tower condition of the state's network of fire ownership, which involves researching Program July 22 and August 12. The towers, the Wisconsin Department of the currently expired state lease on the sessions, led by David Thomas-Train Natural Resources is implementing plans tower. And finally, the town and fire (FFLA member), were designed for to remove the towers from service. Over department still need to decide if the children in the 4th to 8th grade level and the past year, the DNR conducted a broad lookout still adds enough value for the began with a 1-2 hour class at the evaluation of its work including the use of effort to continue. If the project is given Adirondack History Museum in lookout towers for fire reporting and the the green light, it will likely begin next Elizabethtown, followed by a guided hike costs to maintain, repair, or replace the summer. Bill Cobb to the restored Poke-O-Moonshine fire 72 fire towers currently utilized throughout tower in the nearby town of Chesterfield. NEW HAMPSHIRE the state. The class examined Adirondack fire tower The conclusion of this assessment During 2015 there were 98 fires in history and the natural history of Poke-O- is that the towers are no longer a New Hampshire that burned 595 acres. Moonshine and its fire tower in protecting necessary tool, and built mainly in the Most of this activity occurred during April the surrounding forest. The mountain’s 1930s and '40s, have safety concerns with and May. On the White Mountain National informative trail brochure, the restored the cost of Forest there were only a few small fires “fire finder” map, and the interpretive replacement being that burned less than one acre total. Bare photographic panels in the fire tower’s cab prohibitive. The ground conditions continued in many parts provided the background for this department has of the State through the end of the year exploration. concluded that but precipitation and colder temperatures NY FFLA Director Laurie Rankin, resources are best reduced fire danger. with her husband and two of their spent enhancing The State hired a competent grandchildren, joined the August program; aerial detection. contractor who did very good rehabilitation Laurie noted that it was a very thoughtful DNR Bureau of work at Mt. Prospect. There is still a bit and educational presentation with more work to complete next spring. information provided in an interesting and Director Trent The New Year started tragically engaging manner to both the young and Marty said that with when a retired Nashua, NH police chief young at heart who attended. David also the prevalence of died from inhalation starting a offers this to area school groups. As an cellphones and that brush pile burn on his property in central Many of Wisconsin’s educator himself, David took care to be more people live in NH. In a news release by the Fire certain that the presentation meets the towers have Marshall, “The cause of the fire was areas that were enclosed ladders current educational requirements of once sparsely accidental in nature and included the use schools so that instructors find that it fits rather than stairs. 6 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 populated, well over 90 percent of the of all lookouts in the Cleveland National Continental Divide between Lincoln and forest fires that occur in the state are Forest; the original tower went into service Helena near Stemple Pass. The lookout reported by citizens, unlike the 1930s in 1912. A second structure replaced the is positioned directly adjacent to the when fire towers were the primary means original in 1928 and the current wooden Continental Divide National Scenic Trail of forest fire detection. lookout was built in 1942 with a 14 x 14 and offers unobstructed views of the Bob In the early 1930s, DNR had 119 fire C-3 cab. When San Diego-Riverside Marshall Wilderness Complex and the lookout towers, mostly in the northern half FFLA members visited the site in 2009, greater Helena valley. The lookout will of the state. Last year, the DNR staffed they found the structure very weathered have heat and basic amenities, but visitors 60 fire lookout towers; in recent years and open to the elements with the glass will need to provide bedding, water and these towers have only been staffed on and interior furnishings gone and parts of other personal effects. It will be available average of 17 days per year through use the roof missing; since then, the cab for rental year-round with drive-up access of seasonal employees on a limited call- continued to deteriorate and was partially in the summer and early fall and over the in basis. collapsed in 2014. snow access in winter with a rental fee of Going forward, DNR fire control will $45 per night. rely solely on aircraft and citizen reporting The Helena NF partnered with the for the detection of . Continental Divide Trail/Montana What will happen to the towers Wilderness Association in the restoration remains unclear, although some will likely of the lookout with funding for the project be dismantled. Several are located on also coming from the Missouri River RAC private property with easements from committee, private donors, and the FFLA. property owners that may dictate their While CDT did not have a lookout work disposition; the DNR will now be notifying party in 2015, it did work on the trail private landowners and presenting options IDAHO for the future of those towers and the sites. FFLA Chairman Keith Argow has been in Bell Mountain Removed contact with DNR officials regarding the When FFLA member Luke Channer future of the towers; it is hoped that was planning a lookout trip to Southern positive outcomes can be found. Idaho last summer, he discovered that the BLM had continued with their program of CALIFORNIA removing unused lookouts. Bell Mountain Mt. Tom Maintenance Lookout, last staffed in 1998, had been Buck Rock Foundation volunteers demolished in September 2014. replaced the roof on Mt. Tom Lookout (Sierra NF) last summer. A new incinerating toilet was installed and the nearby and volunteers had the opportunity exterior of the cab, catwalk, and shutters to check out the lookout. were scraped and painted. The interior should be completed next summer. FFLA NEW member Marta Kroger, the lookout, has Barillas Tower Hatch Assist been a great advocate and caretaker. WASHINGTON A catwalk hatch assist was installed There are great views from the lookout! at Barillas Lookout last summer. While Students Work on Heybrook this may not mean much to many, it was Nordhoff Peak Outings Students from the Seattle Parks and Craig Carey and his Cub Scouts a major improvement at Barillas. The two Recreation’s Outdoor Opportunities metal catwalk hatch doors weigh 45 returned to Nordhoff Peak (Los Padres program spent a week last fall on the NF) in October. They had a great time pounds each, and are not easy to lift, Skykomish District of the Mt. Baker- making it easy to slip and get hurt. watching the Draconids, lounging atop the Snoqualmie National Forest working on tower superstructure, and hiking Topatopa Lookout Barb Zinn pushed for this for 3 a variety of recreation and trail projects. years, and Santa Fe NF engineering Bluffs, and even had a surprise visit from Under the direction of FFLA Director Condor No. 616 while atop the platform! personnel Curtis Steinman, John Jordy Forrest Clark, one of their main tasks was and Steve Quintana assembled the In 2014, they had spent a service to provide maintenance on Heybrook weekend there for a microtrash clean-up. counterweight system and got it installed Lookout, replacing old, graffiti-filled in August! See the video at https:// More photos can be seen at https:// railings with new boards. www.flickr.com/photos/umotamba/ youtu.be/HPaCkMpkW2k. sets/72157646750798344/. MONTANA "Fire Lookout" Hot Springs Cab Collapses Granite Butte Closer to Rental by C. Rod Bacon It was discovered last fall that the While restoration at Granite Butte We plunge into the future, cab of the Hot Springs Lookout has totally Lookout was basically complete a year which changes much too fast. collapsed. Hot Springs Mountain Lookout ago, the Helena-Lewis & Clark National I sit atop a mountain, is located on the Los Coyotes Indian Forest is now working through the eyes trained upon the vast. Reservation in northeastern San Diego bureaucracy, and has made the request Within a weathered structure, County near Warner Springs. Hot Springs for public comments on the proposal to one of the very last. Mountain is the highest peak in San Diego add it to the cabin rental program. Built to protect the future, County at 6,533 feet. The site is the oldest Granite Butte is located on the by a disappearing past.

Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 7 New York Restorations Abound Restoration ... Finally! stair stringers. Four The St. Regis Mountain and days later, three Hurricane Mountain fire towers have sat sling loads were neglected for decades, but not forgotten. airlifted to the To bring areas into compliance with the summit of St. Regis State Land Master Plan, Mountain. both fire towers were proposed for September 21 A series of anonymous donations removal by the state Adirondack Park was an historic day has allowed the Friends to contract with Agency in 2010. Ever since then, the - restoration actually David Vana of Davana, LLC to remove the Friends of the St. Regis Mountain Fire began! With seven old roof, fabricate new parts and assemble Tower and the Friends of the Hurricane Student Conservation Association them on the tower. The project is Mountain Fire Tower have led efforts to members that camped on the mountain, scheduled to take place early to mid-June. restore the towers to their former glory and six Friends of St. Regis volunteers, a DEC The railing to be placed around the reopen them to the public. In November employee and a DEC/SCA intern, the first hatch opening is currently being fabricated 2014, the NYS Department of flight of stairs was installed and the group at the DEC’s Saranac Inn Maintenance Environmental Conservation approved Center (SIMC). It is being made from 1- updated unit management plans that 1/4” pipe and fittings instead of angle deemed the footprint for each tower a steel. It is being modeled after similar historic area. That decision meant work railings produced by Vana. It will be easy could begin on the aged structures, and to disassemble for transport and that's exactly what happened last fall. reassemble on site. The SIMC will also The St. Regis tower was built in pre-drill the window framing steel using 1918 and Hurricane in 1919. The state templates made on the November 24 trip. closed 62 of its 103 operational fire towers The fire tower is not finished, and is in 1971. Others followed, including started working their way up the tower. NOT open to the public; the cab still needs Hurricane, which was closed in 1979. St. By Wednesday, everything was still on safety railings, a new roof, and window Regis wasn't closed until 1990, making it schedule; all the stairs and landings were dividers installed, and the full tower needs the longest operating fire observation in and railings were being worked on. The painting, but barring unforeseen station in the state. Both structures had circumstances, will be open in 2016. been closed to the public ever since. See the Friends' website, A big part of making everything www.friendsofstregis.org, or their come to fruition was the collaboration Facebook page (Friends of St. Regis between the DEC and the Student Mountain Fire Tower), https:// Conservation Association's Adirondack www.facebook.com/Friends-of-St- Program. DEC staff provided guidance Regis-Mountain-Fire-Tower-14024379 and also provided materials via a 43404006 for updates and photos. helicopter drop, but the SCA work crew Hurricane Now Open! performed much of the labor. DEC also It’s been years in the making, but provided half of the funding for the crew now the wait is over; the process of and AmeriCorps, a national community restoring and rehabilitating the historic service organization, made up the rest. Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower has begun St. Regis Restoration Underway and the tower is open! The construction work group met in New York State formally approved July to plan for creating a materials list a plan to restore the tower for public for the project. FFLA member David access in the Fall of 2014, essentially Petrelli climbed the tower and took affirming the grass roots campaign, led by numerous pictures and measurements of Gretna and Melvin “Stub” Longware of various structural parts to facilitate the Elizabethtown, to oppose the state’s SCA crew and Friends installed more original decision to remove the tower. production of the materials list that was railings, stairs, safety fencing and the floor then presented to the DEC. Later on, the Thousands of local people joined the of the cab on Thursday; the SCA worked campaign, and local and county officials group used some modern technology – a overtime to wrap things up with plans to drone was used to take photos of some also chimed in with letters of support for leave Friday. the tower. Now the tower is listed on the of the areas of the tower that were a bit After a nice late November hike, difficult to see; very helpful to someone National Register of Historic sites, and it three of the Friends battled the cold, sits on a quarter acre historic district carved not on site. The video from the drone is blustery wind to install one window panel online at https://youtu.be/gmxLfcSVr5s. out of the Hurricane Mountain Wilderness. divider. The metal was pre-cut, but needed The DEC is overseeing the On August 21, materials were to be drilled and bolted onto the frame prepared to be air lifted to St. Regis, restoration project, with help from the after the old wooden frame was removed. Friends of Hurricane Mountain. Materials Hurricane and Lyon Mountain fire towers. The pieces fit perfectly, holes were drilled, Specific to the St. Regis tower were the were delivered by a NYS helicopter during and a template was made so that the other the August 25 airlift for this and the St. for the steps, cab flooring and pieces can be pre-drilled. landings, and the fencing, hardware and Regis and Lyon projects. 8 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 Plenty of work still remains. DEC work in 2015. The 73-foot Aermotor LS- plans to install a new roof this spring, as 40 tower, on the 2009-foot summit of well as the emergency services radio Spruce Mountain, was built in 1928 and repeater called for in the State’s staffed until 1988. restoration plan. This will fill a critical gap New York State's Environmental in emergency communications in the Protection Fund (EPF) provided $25,000 Eastern High Peaks. Replacing the in support of the work on Spruce Mountain windows, painting the entire tower, and through a trail maintenance agreement Late in September and early cleaning up the site itself are also on the with the Adirondack Mountain Club and a October, a Student Conservation to-do list. While the state is shouldering conservation stewardship agreement with Association crew, aided by Friends most restoration costs, the Friends of the Student Conservation Association. volunteers, spent a week on top replacing Hurricane Mountain group is responsible The Adirondack Mountain Club's all the wooden stairs and landings, for the interpretive materials, which means Professional Trail Crew recently finished installing protective fencing and adding raising additional funds. a reroute of the trail from private land onto support braces. By the first weekend in See the Friends' website, http:// Wilcox Lake Wild Forest and then onto October, hikers were back in the www.hurricanefiretower.org/ or their Saratoga Preserving Land and Nature observer’s cabin on top of the tower! Work Facebook page (Friends of Hurricane (PLAN) property. Access to the site had started on Monday, September 28; in the Mountain), https://www.facebook.com/ been restricted for nearly 20 years until wind and rain, the crews got the first run HurricaneMountainFireTower/ for the Saratoga County Board of of steps in place, and pre-cut more for the updates and more photos. Supervisors transferred county-owned upper sections. Lugging the galvanized Opening of Spruce Mountain Tower land atop the mountain to the New York angle irons and tools up the mountain was Department of Environmental On October 8, NYS DEC Acting Conservation and the state reached a Commissioner Marc Gerstman cooperative agreement with Lyme announced that Spruce Mountain’s Adirondack Timberlands to cross its land rehabilitated fire tower and new trail in the just below the fire tower. In accordance town of Corinth, Saratoga County are with that conservation easement, the trail open for public use. From the top of the is closed to the public during hunting tower, the public can now enjoy views of season. Vermont, Gore Mountain and the southern Adirondacks, previously unavailable from Lyon Mountain Open ground level. The 2.4-mile round-trip trail The DEC also announced that the traverses through wooded gentle terrain Lyon Mountain fire tower is now open to with an elevation change of approximately the public. The 35-foot fire tower was 1,000 feet. Gerstman noted, "Throughout erected in 1917, and remained in the hard part. On Friday, the sturdy SCA the 20th century, fire towers played a operation until 1988. Restoration of the crew and Friends volunteers wrapped up critical role in the protection of New York tower began in 2005 and is now complete. their project on a cold, windy day; the State's natural resources; now fire towers Lyon Mountain is located in the tower stairs were all replaced, as were attract visitors and serve as both historic northeastern part of Adirondack Park, landings and the floor in the cab. Safety and economic assets to Adirondack west of Plattsburgh, NY in the Chazy fence was installed and new bolts added. communities." Highlands Wild Forest; at 3830 feet, it is Student Conservation Association the highest point in Clinton County and (SCA) Adirondack members began the highest point north of the Saranac restoration work on the fire tower in 2014 River. A new trail was also built to access and DEC completed the remainder of the the tower, it winds its way to the summit with an overall elevation gain of 1900 feet over the 3.4 miles.

Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 9 Stillwater Restoration Sterling Fire Tower A volunteer group, Friends of In September, the Sterling group Stillwater Fire Tower (FSFT), is working had a very successful organizational to restore the fire tower on Stillwater meeting and their work began when Mountain to make it a hiking destination engineers secured the tower and began again and to improve emergency the first footing repair work. While communication at the remote location. In 2009, the group began working on restoration of the historic 1919 tower, but the project stalled because of a lack of funding. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has an many volunteers they were practically agreement with the group through 2020, crawling all over each other" and and has money budgeted to help cover "Because every landing had a volunteer supplies. NYSDEC is also proposing to working their butts off." All the jobs that install a solar-powered repeater to had to get done were made easier and improve radio communication among more efficient because they had the right forest rangers and other emergency tools and people who knew how to use volunteers were in short supply, work personnel. The tower is on private them. Two DEC employees transported continued through the fall; by November, property owned by Lyme Adirondack a locking "job box" that was kept at the two footings had been repaired and three Timberlands, but a conservation tower to store material and tools. They landings replaced. As the nice fall easement will allow for public access transported materials like cement, paint weather hung on, they were able to get in (except during big-game hunting season) and lumber, and authorized FSFT to use three workdays in November and one once restoration work is completed. an ATV and trailer to transport heavy more in December. Unfortunately, high A lot of work was needed on the 47- equipment needed on workdays. They winds one day prevented getting some of foot Aermotor LS-40 tower, including wire also secured permission from Lyme the planned work done, but progress was brushing and painting, installation of new Adirondack Timberlands to use a made with three new tower landings and flights of stairs, railings, landings and wire road that is not part of the easement. the removal of the porch floor that was in fencing, and concrete repairs. FSFT just desperate need of replacement. got reorganized and began holding work days in late September, but in only two weekends, got an amazing amount of work accomplished. Their first workday saw 21 volunteers including Boy Scouts from Lowville's Troop 162 and their leaders and people from several nearby towns and cities enjoying a gorgeous fall day. Concrete piers were repaired, two sets of stairs reset and pressure treated treads installed, fencing and steel trusses wire brushed, scraped and painted, a new

Thanks to the 34 volunteers, work is way ahead of schedule and will continue Lookout Items on Zazzle first landing installed, the cab painted in in May to replace six more landings and Oregon FFLA member Elaine Broskie has a and out, windows removed, nuts removed floor of the cab, paint the stairs after the wide variety of products featuring Oregon from treads on six staircases, and the trail fencing is removed, install new safety lookouts available on zazzle.com, including cleared. Their last work weekend of the fencing, and paint the roof. The tower is posters, note cards, season was another huge still officially closed, but barring unforeseen stamps, calendars, accomplishment; twenty one different delays, should be open by the 4th of July. shirts, coffee mugs, volunteers got all of the stair treads Visit the group's website, envelopes, postcards, replaced, most of the tower painted, and www.friendsofstillwaterfiretower.com and more. Elaine will or their Facebook page (Friends of donate profits from the the concrete piers finished. Volunteers lookout items to the FFLA. Visit her zazzle even came from New Jersey and Stillwater Fire Tower) https:// store at www.zazzle.com/ebroskie1234/ Massachusetts. When asked how FSFT www.facebook.com/Friends-of- and navigate to “Fire Lookouts and occasional got so much done in such a short time, Stillwater-Fire-Tower-234801852849/ guard station”. The Bald Butte Sunset image the answers were, "Because they had so for updates and additional information. above is available on several products.

10 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 Passport in Time and HistoriCorps Projects During two weeks of last July and Big Hole Peak Devil's Head August, HistoriCorps staff and volunteers Phase three of restoration on the Devil's Head Lookout is one of the began work on the Wyoming lookout in historic Big Hole Peak Lookout on the best-known fire lookouts in Colorado. preparation for it becoming a rental. They Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger District Each year, over 15,000 visitors hike up a rehabbed the windows and doors, (Montana-Lolo NF) continued in July and 1.5-mile trail to the 143 stairs leading up replaced deteriorated catwalk decking, August. Under the direction of Lolo West the granite face to the lookout. At the base repainted the railing and catwalk, and Zone Archaeologist Erika Karuzas, the of the stairs is the ranger's cabin, built in repainted interior paneling. Work will accomplishments were a combined effort 1951 and still in use. Bill Ellis has staffed continue this year. involving YCC students, Passport in Time Devil's head for over 30 seasons; he and his wife Margaret raised six of their nine Hahns Peak children in this two-room cabin. Hahns Peak, traditionally known as In 2013 and 2014, HistoriCorps Old Baldy, was named after Joseph Henn completed the first phases of rehabilitation who discovered gold on the mountain in work on the lookout in partnership with 1862, but died of starvation and exposure Passport In Time, Forest Fire Lookout in 1867. Constructed in 1912, the Hahns Association, State Historical Fund, and the Peak Lookout is a testament to early Pike and San Isabel National Forest. Last construction; it required more than a ton June, HistoriCorps partnered with of cement and building materials to be volunteers, Forest Service heritage Denver's Mile High Youth Corps to repair packed up to the 10,759 foot-high site on specialists, the Wild Horse Plains the Routt NF! The foundation was Backcountry Horsemen, and Forest constructed of broken rocks laid in Service retirees. cement, and the doors and windows were framed dimensional lumber. Hahns Peak has been named one of Colorado's Endangered Places, a program of Colorado Preservation Inc. HistoriCorps returned to Hahns Peak for a third season, spending four weeks the ranger cabin's deteriorating roof. Youth in September continuing to stabilize and corps members learned to remove roof restore the structure. HistoriCorps shingles and underlayment down to the Operations Manager Chris Frank led roof deck, remove and replace metal volunteers and Rocky Mountain Youth flashing, and install cedar shingles. Corps members in tasks including The last of the rotted logs were replacing roofing replaced, shutters and gable ends were Blackhall Lookout material, rehabbing repaired/replaced, and the entire building The current R-6 Flat lookout on floor structure and was painted, now a bright white spot on Blackhall Mountain, wall framing, laying the mountaintop. perched on a rock tongue and groove The plan for the final Phase 4 in outcropping in the fir flooring, re- 2016 is to complete the interior tasks - Medicine Bow framing window floor, ceiling, rat-proofing, furniture. The National Forest, and door openings, idea is to add the lookout to the rental was constructed in and rebuilding program after restoration is completed. 1963 to replace a stairs and railings. Molly Morrison, the last person to smaller 1916 A fourth season is staff the lookout during the summer of wooden cab. From planned for 2016 in partnership with 1971, again visited her old home during 1916 through the Historic Routt County and the Medicine the project for the second year in a row. late 1970s, the Bow-Routt National Forest. FFLA member Libby Langston once again lookout was staffed for detection by produced a short video of the project, with firewatchers, like 19 year-old Virginia the musical score provided by Molly: McIntyre who was stranded with her 12 http://youtu.be/dHbRE47ZaS0. year-old cousin on the peak during a 1955 forest fire.

See http://historicorps.org/ for upcoming projects and other information. Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 11 Busy Times in Northwest Montana 2015 was an exciting and extremely plays a role in supporting our environment, partners Rick Mathies, Pam Stocks, and successful year for the Northwest all of our actions add up to big impact.” Dawn Brennan from the Backcountry Montana Chapter of the Forest Fire The grant will be used to improve NWMT- Horsemen to get an unassembled picnic Lookout Association (NWMT-FFLA). FFLA's operations by upgrading table six miles up the trail to the ridgetop Thanks to the enthusiasm and support of technology, expanding outreach and perch of Baptiste Lookout at the edge of their volunteers, members, partners and engaging in strategic planning. A laptop, Bob Marshall Wilderness. The table, donors, they completed six projects, with QuickBooks, and membership/donation stained by Debo Powers, was 1000 volunteer hours valued at over management software were some of the reassembled by NWMT-FFLA volunteers $22,000. Indispensable partners, first uses of the funds and the process of Rick and Marli Davis. Backcountry Horsemen and Salmon developing a 5-year strategic plan to guide Forks Outfitters, future efforts has begun. NWMT-FFLA is supported their efforts very grateful to NEEF for this grant to help with time valued at us take their organization to the next level! over $15,000, for a Jumbo Lookout total combined value In early August, NWMT-FFLA of over $37,000 of volunteers Zoe Zander, Nancy Cronin, work contributed to and Mark Manning spent three days in the partner Agencies. Mud Lake Lookout Bob Marshall Wilderness on Jumbo The scope of their work continued This restoration project was 23 Lookout above the confluence of Youngs to grow; in March, Glacier National Park miles into the heart of the Bob Marshall Creek, Danaher Creek and the South Fork and the NWMT-FFLA signed a Wilderness at Mud Lake Lookout, built in of the Flathead River. Pack support was cooperative agreement to work together 1932. It required a rock solid partnership provided through Northwest Montana to promote restoration and preservation between the USFS, Back Country Backcountry Horsemen, including Andy of the Park’s lookouts. These structures Horsemen, Salmon Forks Outfitters, and Brelund, Chuck Allen, Robert Eversole, are exposed to extreme weather volunteers from the NWMT-FFLA. They Tina Mae Weber and Tim Weber. Zoe, conditions, and the Park’s grizzly bears repaired the cabin, hung new shutters, Nancy and Mark joined up with Spotted often try to gain access. In May, they scraped and painted the structure, Bear Ranger District’s Backcountry completed a Challenge Cost Share installed a wood stove and generally dialed Facilities Manager, Andy Nelson to work Agreement to work with the Kootenai in the interior to make Mud Lake Lookout on a number of maintenance and National Forest for the common goal of improvement projects including digging a maintaining and preserving fire lookouts new privy hole, constructing a new for the next five years. Several upcoming hitching rail, cutting firewood, rebuilding projects partnering with ranger districts on the Kootenai are anticipated in the next few years. Varied fundraising efforts during the year brought in more than $4500. A real highlight was the reminiscences of Jeanne Kellar Beaty, author of the 1953 book Lookout Wife. Programs such as "Pints for Preservation" and "Brews for Benefits" a more viable tool for fire management in were a fun way to raise a glass, meet new the Bob. Back Country Horsemen friends and talk about lookout visits past volunteers Chip Beck and John Peine a stone wall, painting trim and shutters, and future. Thanks to Kalispell Brewery packed supplies and materials into the and patching the roof. Thanks go to all and Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company Salmon Forks cabin. Janis and Mark the volunteers who participated in this for hosting these events. NWMT-FFLA Moss along with Gordon Gibbs of Salmon remote project and to Amy Pearson, who also participated in Give Local Flathead, Forks Outfitters “bumped up” the food and was staffing Jumbo Lookout, for her an on-line giving event in May, raising materials from the South Fork of the hospitality. $770 in 24 hours. Flathead to the worksite. They also went NWMT-FFLA Receives First Grant the extra mile and carried a load of gear to the Meadow Creek Trail Head at the On September 3, Toyota Motor end of the hitch. This project was facilitated Sales, USA and the National through the cooperation of Spotted Bear Environmental Education Foundation Ranger District managers Seth Carbonari (NEEF), announced a $4,950 grant award to the NWMT-FFLA. "NEEF and Toyota Motor Sales, USA award grants across the country to local groups who are getting their communities involved with our public lands, which helps ensure the wellbeing Baptiste Lookout Picnic Table of the earth and its people,” said Carol While it might seem like a simple Watson, Senior Vice President for task, it took plenty of careful planning and Programs for NEEF. “When each of us logistical support by NWMT-FFLA's great Mud Lake Lookout 1945 (USFS photo) 12 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 season; meetings with partners this winter will help determine how to best accommodate this in future years. Moran Patrol Cabin Update In the fall of 2014, NWMT-FFLA purchased siding and trim to support the Moran Patrol Cabin refurbish project. Under the direction of Leif Haugen, and Andy Nelson. This project would not Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger have been possible without the volunteers, District employees installed the material. Tom Caughlan, Malcolm Brooks, Cole In September, NWMT-FFLA members Steve and Barb Penner lead a group of Brooks, Zan Deery, Doug Morehouse and cab ceiling, removing old loose glazing, fellow lookout friends to NWMT-FFLA board member and project re-glazing, priming and painting 76 the site to share the new coordinator, Rick Davis. window panes, and removing the door and look; unexpectedly the windows that open for ventilation to be Huckleberry Lookout group shared the four- repaired, re-glazed, painted and rehung NWNT-FFLA volunteers Kathy mile climb with members later in the fall by district employees who Butterfield, Greg Evans, and Scott Murphy of the Flathead Hotshot were also going to repair the roof, rebuild teamed up with Nick Leritz, Glacier Crew packing new one window, and replace the shutters. National Park Maintenance, and spent flooring lumber to the several days last summer at Huckleberry cabin site, climbing the Lookout. Accomplishments included trail with smiles on their faces. The sweat and efforts of the and Leif Haugen in saving this historic cabin are

painting the exterior Lookout Assessments of the lookout Condition assessments were completed on Mount Brown (left), and much appreciated! The new siding makes structure while it much easier to spot from the trailhead. repairs consisted of Apgar (right) lookouts in Glacier National glazing and painting the many windows that surround cab in addition to securing the guy wires that hold the structure to Park, and Meadow Peak on the Kootenai the mountain top. National Forest. These assessments will be used to Sex Peak Lookout determine In August, NWMT-FFLA volunteers, maintenance Cathy Calloway, Daniel Revell, Doug schedules in the Snowman Goes Viral Berglund, Doug Lang, and Chuck future. Thanks go (cover photo) Manning participated in the group's first to Mark Hufstetler, By September 6, everyone was SO renovation partnership on the Kootenai Molly Tingley, Terry ready for a change to the fire season, but National Forest. The project, done under Richmond, Rick volunteers Nancy and Chuck Manning, the guidance of Jason Cooper and Les Davis, Chuck who were staffing Baptiste LO, never Raynor of the Cabinet Ranger District, Manning, Scott Murphy and Sue Paulson imagined the change would be so quick included repairing two walls, cleaning the for participating in these trips. and dramatic! The result of the change in the weather was the photo that graces Unexpected Delays the cover of this issue; it was posted on A planned project at Little Napa the NWMT-FFLA Facebook page and was Lookout in the Swan State Forest was a big hit with 111,563 views, 1073 shares, delayed until 2016 to allow for more and 510 comments within a week or so! detailed engineering on some aspects of the needed work; this has been completed, Visit http://www.nwmt-ffla.org for and the project is set to proceed. Some more information on this very active and projects were delayed due to weather, or extremely successful chapter! Watch the to the vagaries of last summer’s busy fire next issue for their 2016 tentative projects. Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 13 The Konocti Story by Bill Ulmer At the FFLA Board Meeting, that Lake County had a five-year lease story, Volunteers sought for effort to January 2015, I agreed to accept the with Cal Fire and had purchased over 500 staff Cal Fire tower on Mt Konocti. Director position for the California-Pacific acres surrounding the tower. Lake County On my return trip home, I detoured Chapter. The position had been vacant developed this property as a park and to Morgan Hill and met with Cal Fire's Fire for over two years with a chapter area that recreation area. Prevention Specialist regarding the includes the Mendocino National Forest With many emails and phone calls Copernicus Peak Tower on Mount on the north to the Los Padres National to Cal Fire, most of the issues were Hamilton. Cal Fire has three towers in Forest to the south and from the Pacific resolved. Santa Clara County and would like to Ocean to I-5 and Highway 99. 1. Memo of Understanding (Cal Fire/ restore the other two and staff all three. The following week an all-out FFLA) - In final review The Copernicus Peak Tower has been search began to locate existing fire 2. Workman Compensation - Cal Fire staffed by Cal Fire a total of five days this lookout towers in my area to determine Volunteer in Prevention (VIP) program fire season since it was restored. the owner. The first chore was to find the 3. Tower Electricity - Generator would be Within days of returning home, there status of the tower (private owner, re-installed by Cal Fire were 48 names and phone numbers on removed, relocated, etc.) and then list the 4. Base Radio - Cal Fire to furnish the list of individuals interested in towers that no longer existed. The 5. Overnight in the tower - Not at this time, volunteering for the Konocti Tower. Now remaining towers needed to be to be reviewed the challenge was on my back and researched and then make contact with 6. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector mindboggling, how do I properly train and the owner to determine the feasibility of in Cab - Open certify the new volunteers 585 miles restoration if required and/or possibility of 7. Insulators for Bed Legs - Open away? (Sometimes you get more than you staffing with an FFLA volunteer staff. 8. Short Stool w/insulated Legs - Open asked for.) I set out to modify the SD/R Many late night finds became exciting and 9. New Map for Osborne - Open training program into a one-day classroom enlightened only to be dashed the 10. Walk-out Kit - Open training with extra days of in-tower following day with the owner's (Cal Fire) With most of the items listed training. The training dates were typical mind-set of 1980's, "with cell needing further discussing, I agreed to established for September 12th and 13th. phones, satellites and video cameras, drive to Kelseyville for a two-day meeting Recognizing my task was overwhelming, fire lookouts are no longer needed". (August 17-18) with Lake County and Cal SD/R Chapter member Shane Harris Months pasted with the same story Fire and other members of their staff. I agreed to travel to Kelseyville and help line of the 80's, until in early May I received departed August 16 for the 585 miles (12- with the training. a link for Wolf Mountain Fire Tower, Grass hour) one-way trip with only one stop for On September 11, Shane and I Valley, CA, Wanted: Volunteer lookouts gas. Cal Fire offered the Kelsey-Cobb started the 585-mile journey to the to staff California fire towers. Only weeks Kelseyville Hilton. Greg Bertelli, (Cal Fire later I found a link for a news story on the ), met us after dinner and staffing of Copernicus Peak Fire Tower by we discussed training of the new recruits, Cal Fire. These links were forwarded with which was to be held on September 12th. an introductory letter to many Cal Fire The Kelseyville Fire Department set up Battalion Commanders with limited for the training and the local crew was results. Then on May 27, I found that "needle in the haystack" that I had been looking for, Konocti Fire Lookout Tower.

Fire Station as "room and board" for several days and I accepted without hesitation. Of course, I re- named the station the Kelseyville great and gave us assistance setting up Hilton. I had the tables and chairs for whatever we needed. Captain's quarters Training went well until 1330 when and food the Hilton would be proud to the three Cal Fire giving the serve. training were suddenly It was a very productive meeting interrupted with a message of "Return to with Cal Fire, except one issue was still Duty". Shane Harris stepped up and unanswered: How to recruit new completed the Fire Shelter training volunteers? Thinking back to 2013 when process. Within five minutes of the initial Now the challenge was for me to FFLA San Diego/Riverside Chapter call, approximately ten of the class know as much of the history of Mt. Konocti Chairman Curt Waite stepped in front of attendees received calls that their house Tower and Kelseyville as possible a camera begging for new volunteers, I was burning or a neighbor's property was (amazing what's on the internet). I found had the answer: a Lake County News on fire. With permission for them to leave, 14 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 North Mountain Lookout Out from under the Glacier Perched atop North Mountain, near Photos taken at the top of Mount the rustic town of Darrington, Washington Adams, Washington in early October is North Mountain Lookout, a tower once show much of what remains of the prominent in The North Cascades, but lookout. This is the most in anyone’s presently a ghost of its former eminence memory that the D-6 lookout cabin, built and is in need of some tender loving care. in 1918 and abandoned by the USFS in A plan has been implemented by a group 1925, has been exposed from beneath the of enthusiastic folks who want to restore 12,276’ summit glacier. Ray Kresek the lookout to its former golden heyday. we continued with those remaining. This Friends of North Mountain is a was the beginning of what is now the well- grass roots organization that is building known "Valley Fire" which burned 73,700 community and preserving history through acres, destroyed 585 homes and the restoration of the North Mountain hundreds of other buildings, threatened Lookout. It is their vision that restoring 7,473 other homes, displaced 13,000 the lookout will foster pride among people, injured four of the 4,096 townspeople in Darrington, impacted by firefighters fighting the fire, and had three the tragic mudslide near Oso in 2014. confirmed deaths. Upon completion, the North Mountain Shane and I returned to Kelsey- Lookout will be available for nightly rental, Firewatch Video Game Cobb and were informed that bringing visitors to this rural town and Several FFLA members have noted the Cal Fire station we were staying at providing local residents with an the new video game, Firewatch. was three miles from the fire, and CHP opportunity to share their unique history Firewatch is a first person adventure video had already set up a roadblock 100 feet and culture. game developed by Campo Santo and up from the station. We packed our gear, Their goal is to have the lookout published by Panic for Microsoft Windows, secured the station and drove towards ready to rent by Spring 2017. Guests will OS X, Linux, and PlayStation 4. It was the Kelseyville as we plotted our strategy. The have use of propane for heat and cooking debut video game by both companies. massive column of smoke was impressive as well as panoramic windows and the Firewatch takes place in the Wyoming and we watched Pyrocumulus clouds wraparound catwalk to take in the world- wilderness in 1989. Players take on the form. Shane called the Kelseyville scenery. With over 2,000 volunteer- role of Henry, a fire lookout who is Station and told them the situation and hours to date, beams have been replaced assigned to his own tower in the they told us to come down and they would to make the tower structurally sound, a . Through find us beds. We offered our assistance new roof was installed on the cab, and exploration of the surrounding area, Henry to the crew and then we went and bought the outhouse has been rebuilt. After the uncovers clues about mysterious pizzas to feed ourselves and the crew. initial investment and once restoration is occurrences in the vicinity that are related Cell and internet reception was almost nil completed, the rental system should cover to the ransacking of his tower while out as thick smoke enveloped the area, so we maintenance and operating expenses for on a routine patrol and a shadowy figure decided it was pointless to try and email years to come. that occasionally appears watching him people to cancel the second day, and we Work is planned to continue at North from afar. Henry's only form of would just wait and see who showed up. Mountain; the first 2016 workparty is communication is a walkie-talkie We woke on Sunday to the air thick, scheduled for April 15. Go to their connecting him to his supervisor, Delilah. choking with smoke, and ash drifting in facebook page (Restore the North Players may choose from a number of the air like a light snow. About 15 people Mountain Lookout), www.facebook.com/ dialog options to interact with her when showed up (all expecting the day to be northmountainlookout or their website, players discover new interactive objects cancelled). From 1330 Saturday until http://northmountainlookout.com/ for or environments, or refrain from updates and more information. responding. The player's choices will 0800 the next morning the fire had grown to 20,000 acres, needless to say our in- CROWDFUNDING UPDATE! influence the tone of Henry's relationship tower training for September 13th was On March 7th, the Friends went with Delilah. As the story progresses, new cancelled. In an attempt not to lose the public in a 40-day indiegogo.com internet areas will be opened up for players. The momentum, we developed a new plan for campaign designed to raise $50,000 to game also features a day-night cycle, but in-tower training. One of the new fund the next phase - the big stuff – time will only shift if players successfully volunteers (Randall Grindle) who has over lightning arrestor system, gravel, interior complete all the objectives set for that 25 years of experience as a fire lookout, structures, propane lines and the period of time. eight of those years at the Konocti Tower, acquisition of an Osborne Fire Finder. If you're a gamer, check it out! volunteered to do all of the in-tower This has been all volunteer community http://www.firewatchgame.com/ training using our current manuals and effort thus far and will continue to be so. Electronic Copy of procedures. Meeting this monetary goal will ensure Mother Nature made her intentions that the tower is prepared for nightly LOOKOUT NETWORK clear that weekend, but all things rentals. Please share the enthusiasm of LOOKOUT NETWORK is available considered, it was a successful training this dream with friends and colleagues, electronically, in pdf format. If you would course. I'm very pleased on getting this and better yet, donate to this most worthy like to receive the pdf version by email, new chapter up and running (almost) and cause! https://www.indiegogo.com/ either in place of, or in addition to the hope to have many more soon. projects/restore-the-north-mountain- printed copy, please notify Editor Gary http://www.ffla-ccwr.org/ lookout--2#/ Weber at [email protected]. Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 15 On Pigeons, Lightning Strikes and Learning the Ropes: A Fire Season in the Ute Fire Tower By Clare Boerigter I watched as lightning threaded Completed in 1937 by the Civilian course in all the basics. I read a binder down behind Hogsback-a butte so named Conservation Corps, the Ute Fire Tower compiled over the last 30 years with an because of a red swathe of rocks was the first fire lookout in Utah to be built extensive amount of information about the stretching down its southern flank-and I with above-ground living quarters. Today, Ute Tower: everything from blueprints to traced it as it rushed across the peaks of it is the last remaining lookout tower in proper grounding techniques to a far- the High Uinta Mountains. When a ground the Beehive State. Closed in 2008 due to reaching history of the Ashley National strike flashed down into nearby Half Moon overwhelming wood rot in its spindly legs, Forest. I even embarked on the exciting, Park, I felt the breath catch in my chest. A it underwent a complete restoration and and potentially disastrous, "Homing few minutes later, I watched as a plume was reactivated for service, after a closure Pigeon Project." Through this project, rose south of the strike. I examined it with of seven seasons, this past summer. Nathan and I sought to re-create a cautious excitement but it was only a On my first official day as lookout, I communication technique used by truck's high floating dust trail. discovered with a frisson of excitement firefighters in the 1920s, in which homing Last summer was my third fire that it was the 78th anniversary of the pigeons were used to send messages season on the Ashley National Forest in tower's completion. Signed into a wood across difficult terrain. This idea originated northeastern Utah, but my first as the panel were the names of the C.C.C. with the US military, who successfully lookout at the Ute Fire Tower on Ute workers who had built the tower. At the deployed carrier pigeons during WWI. Mountain. As the summer fires began top in big cursive letters: May 17, 1937. I After weeks of planning and discussion, raging in Alaska and the Pacific was the first to be stationed at Northwest, my old crew and most of my the tower as a lookout since 1969. I was fire buddies disappeared for two-, three-, the only lookout in the entire state of Utah. sometimes four-week-long stretches, This was a new and different sort of while I remained behind at the Ute Tower. challenge, and I had a lot to learn. During previous seasons on the My supervisor, Assistant Fire Kings Peak Fire Module, I'd suffered Management Officer Nathan Shinkle, took through a death march with my crew-10 a progressive approach to the Ute Fire miles with a 75lb pack. I'd been handed a Tower: not only was it an active fire-watch, drip torch, and once a flare gun, and been it would also serve as a living historic directed to put fire on the ground-a lot of monument. My job, then, was two-fold. I fire. As an on-the-spot birthday present was to learn the ways of lookoutry while when I turned twenty-one, I was given a versing myself in the historic past of the radio without warning and instructed to Ute Fire Tower. call in a helicopter's cargo drop. Tower life, I visited nearby Round Top Lookout after days like these, was an adjustment- in Dinosaur National Monument, but one that I was ready to make. Colorado, where Phil, a lookout with 26 years of experience, gave me a crash

we adopted a small flock of homing pigeons and I began the work of "homing" them to Ute Fire Tower. The summer passed quickly. We had a fairly uneventful fire season on the Ashley-to my chagrin, I did not call in one single -yet the Ute Fire Tower managed to keep me more than busy. I received an average of 26 visitors a day at the historic lookout tower, once welcoming 78 people in one 6-hour span. After a handful of deliveries I recited my interpretive program effortlessly: "In 1980, the Ute Tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This spurred the first of two restoration projects..." And as the summer began to wind down, I started to take the tower's homing pigeons out on training flights.

16 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 There were days when I resented the The original 1965 "Linda" booklet 48 steps to the tower cab, the rattling The Cross Shot was a 32-pager, selling for 65 cents and windows and the perpetual buzz of flies Do you have follow-up information, was fairly successful. I was really who were inextricably drawn to my glass corrections, or comments to a story in surprised when Naturegraph Publishers room on stilts. There were days when I LOOKOUT NETWORK? “The Cross contacted me early last year and said they leaned against the railing, watching the Shot” was initiated just for that. Send wanted to do a 50th Anniversary edition. rains blow in, noting the contours of the responses to [email protected]. They wanted to enlarge it to more than mountains, mouthing the names of ridges Indian Hill Follow-up double its original size, so I suggested including some of the early 1960's "Linda" and lakes so that I would not forget them. In the Autumn issue, we reported cartoons that had appeared in a lookout There were days when I felt overwhelmed on two lookouts that received fire damage newsletter for the DNR lookouts on by the never-ending stream of visitors. Or last summer. We received the following Washington's Olympic Peninsula. In a days when I would sit in the silence of a information on Indian Hill (ID), but never way, the new edition became sort of a calm afternoon and feel intensely, heard whether temporary repairs were "memoir" of my earliest summers on wonderfully alone. able to be made at Buck Mountain (WA) lookout, and although most of the folks Perhaps the most difficult thing for before winter set in, although it was known who manned those lookouts are gone, me to realize was that the Ute Fire Tower that the DNR had it on their radar. those remaining still remember "Linda" was not mine and that it never would be. At Indian Hill we replaced the two fondly. A 92-year old member of the It was hard not to feel possessive with my horizontal members that were completely FFLA, Marianna Kearney, of Vancouver, maps on the table, my books on the shelf, burned through. We braced up the two WA, kept contacting me while I was my oatmeal in the cupboard beneath the horizontal braces that were partially working on the book, asking when it would bed. The tower was the stable point from burned. The rest should be fine until we be available, saying she didn't have "all which I watched the forest change. Safe complete the repairs next summer. the time in the world to wait for it." I told yet silent, it had a presence all its own. I'd Travis Mechling, PE her I didn't have "all the time in the world latch back the trapdoor, pull open a sticky North Zone Engineer to get it done, either" - but now it's out! window, laugh or sing or talk out loud to Forest Service After eleven summers on lookout, I myself, always aware of the tower, as Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forest was lucky to become a permanent Park though the two of us were keeping each The Creation of “Linda Lookout” Ranger for the , other company. Keith Lundy recently told us about where I continued doing cartoons and But here's the honest truth: I was just the original “Linda Lookout” as well as how other artwork for a few more decades. I'm one of many lookouts to have spent their his new 50th anniversary edition of the currently busy with a book of my NPS days looking out through that wall of book came to be (see New Books, p. 23). cartoons in time for our Centennial, windows. I was one of many people who I did "The Story of Linda Lookout" August 25, 2016. had worked on the tower, who had cared when I was a mere "pup" on Mt. Holmes Incidentally, I was a ranger for a for it, repaired it, supported it in one way Fire Lookout in Yellowstone National Park. year or two at Saguaro Nat'l Park near or another. I could lay no valid claim to Originally I came up with the Linda Tucson, AZ, so I enjoyed the article you the Ute Fire Tower, no more than anyone Lookout cartoon character when I spent ran a couple issues back about lookouting who had come before me, or anyone who my first summer on lookout for the there. I've been meaning to send you a would come after. Washington State Dept. of natural photo of the lookout the author mentioned What I do have, however, are a Resources on Weatherwax Ridge in the was going to be built. I took the photo season's worth of memories and tower southern foothills of the Olympics, where while on one of my backcountry knowledge. I now know the view from the most of the other lookouts were older horseback patrols. My Chief Ranger at tower so intricately that it may as well have women. Saguaro had been my boss also at been seared into my eyelids. I know the Yellowstone, and he offered to write the usual shape of the weather-how it fans Foreword for "The Story of Linda from west to east-and how the waters of Lookout", which is in this edition as well. Sheep Creek Lake become that much Yellowstone currently mans only Mt. more visible when the afternoon light hits Washburn Lookout, which I was on just right. summers of 1970 and 71, but the park has I know now that, at night, the only taken care of the lookout structures on Mt. constant light comes from the town of Holmes, Mt. Sheridan, and Pelican Cone. Manila to the north, and that on the Fourth Mt. Holmes is in better shape today than of July I can just make out fireworks as it was in 1963-1967, when I was there. A they clear Death Valley so that, for a brief state of the art, steel lookout tower, Divide moment, the window panes spark and Creek Lookout, between Old Faithful and glow. West Thumb, was removed in the 1990's, but the others remain. I always look forward to receiving Clare Boerigter is an editor for First Class "Lookout Network", and am hoping to get Lit, a journal that publishes handwritten to some of the get-togethers and fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reviews and other conferences sponsored by FFLA in the experimental forms that can fit on a postcard. future. For more of Clare's writing, including essays about her time as a wildland firefighter, visit All the best, clareboerigter.com. Keith Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 17 Johnston Hill Fire Tower, Bremen Maine Memories of Lucille Bangs, watchman 1953 In July 1953, I replaced Roscoe Maine Forest Service must be kept in they could have seen the tower if they had Hinkley of Waldoboro as watchman at this good repair, the cabin and grounds neat helped a tall boy climb up a . They tower in Bremen, on the coast of Maine. and clean, and the trail cleared. The cabin had never heard of such an easy way to To reach the tower, one must park at the was outfitted with three beds, a cookstove, find all directions and never thought about side of Rt. 32 opposite the Medomak turn, Indian pumps and equipment for any trying it. I called the camp director and and hike less than a mile up a trail emergency. Public relations is another he assured me that a bus would pick them that was once an old logging road. The phase of a watchman’s work. Visitors are up at the end of the trail when they came tower is a shaft of steel, 65 feet high, always welcome. They came from many down from the tower. Luckily the boys reached by climbing six flights of stairs states because the tower was easily were near enough and the wind blowing which come up to the tower through a trap reached. To people who were interested, in the right direction so that I could hear door in the floor. Large glass windows I explained the details of the Forest their shouts through the open windows, completely surround the tower and give Service and pointed out the places of otherwise they might have been lost for a an excellent view of the area for 15-20 interest in the surrounding area. I enjoyed long time. Edward Ifill, a lame man who miles in each direction. I could see a wide handing out descriptive leaflets to the walked with crutches, was a watchman expanse of the Atlantic Ocean dotted with children to take back to their classrooms at the tower before Roscoe Hinckley took green islands and the white sails of boats, so they could tell about their visit to the over the position. I was told that during a the lush green meadows, the dark green fire tower, and the valuable services bad fire, Eddie has to make his way on wooded tracts, the cultivated fields, the provided by the Maine Forest Service. I crutches down through the strange farm homes and the white church spires, told them that although a watchman’s woodland because the trail was no longer while soft sea breezes kept the tower chief duty is to watch for fires, he also usable. It was reported that he was very comfortable even on very hot days. helps people. One day as I was explaining lucky to have made his way out of the Standing there, I could easily understand to a family about a fixed smoke in woods alive. When the watchman at how the person felt who wrote upon the Thomaston, I was interrupted by a shout Mountain Hill Tower in Jefferson had a day metal wall of the tower: of, “Hello, the tower.” I rushed to the open off, I had to go up to take his place. That HE WHO STANDS HERE window through which the sound came tower served as a weather observation HAS BEEN A BIT NEARER TO HEAVEN and I shouted, “Where are you?” The station. Instruments used there to In the center of the tower, there was answer came back that they were lost. I determine the wind velocity were a great a big, round table about 30 inches in then shouted, “Is anyone hurt?” A loud improvement over the early method used diameter. On the table was a felt mat of “No” came back in reply. So, the shouting by watchmen to estimate such conditions. the same size as the table top. Over the match continued until the group was in With the use of this and other instruments, mat was a thickness of drawing paper and sight of the tower. The family prepared to day-to-day observations of the area’s on top of this was a topographical map of leave so that the newcomers could come weather is accurately recorded and the surrounding county. A plate glass up into the tower. They were from the reported to the Augusta office. The cover one-fourth of an inch thick fitted over Boy’s Camp in the valley and had tried to weather station at the Johnston Hill tower the map. An alidade was fixed onto the make their way by coming straight through was discontinued as the weather there map table. This instrument has two the woods. On the way, they had to go was too varied and changeable to be sightings to look through to spot the exact around a large swamp and lost their sense considered reliable. A watchman could location of the fire. Other instruments of direction. Because the tower is so high be enjoying cool sea breezes while others close by were binoculars, the telephone in the air, they could have easily located were sweltering in the hot sun. Fog which and radio used for Forestry Department it if they had only known that, at any place often enshrouded the tower could make communications if help was needed in the weather sticks register moisture as if pinpointing a smoke or blaze. During it has rained. The Mountain Hill tower, unusually dry periods, lightning caused usually referred to as the Lookout, was many fires. A lightning strike may not familiar to many as a picnic area with show for two or three days after the tables and fireplaces for public use thunderstorm, for it sometimes smolders maintained by the State Highway underground for a long time before it Commission, making it possible for people breaks forth and becomes visible from the to drive directly to the tower. On clear tower. Intimate knowledge of the area days when the visibility was excellent, they surrounding the tower was an invaluable could plainly see the White Mountains in aid when dense fog, wet and clinging, New Hampshire. In the autumn during a rolled in from the ocean and settled over terrible hurricane, salt spray from the the district for days at a time, blotting out ocean lashed the Johnston Hill tower and the entire surroundings. The most left a coating of salt so think that I could important duty of a watchman is to keep brush it off with my hand. Weather here, a constant vigil for new , because hear the ocean, could be wild or speed and accuracy in spotting smokes wonderful, but there were occasionally can save much damage and destruction. days that were calm and peaceful. So When a fire danger is low and a watchman each day held a new adventure, is not headed to the tower, there are many something to look forward to, something other duties to perform. Property of the Johnston Hill in 1953 to be remembered. Lucille Bangs, 1996

18 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 Lookout Show ‘n Tell #7 A North American History 1914 Osborne Firefinder of Forest Fire Detection In 1914, the second year of By C. Rod Bacon commercial production by Leupold & Chapter XXXXI Volpel Co., William B. Osborne modified LIGHTNING TRACKING his Fire-Finder; only slightly changing the The previous chapter looked at the a site located on the Central Research front and rear upright sights, but beginnings of fire patrol by air. Forest of the Canadian Forestry Service This chapter looks at the beginning near Ottawa. None of the sensors were of tracking lightning activity. capable of distinguishing between cloud- The Digital Age is a major contributor to cloud and cloud-to-ground flashes. to the detection and suppression of wild During the thunderstorm season of fires. Improvements on the ground to fire 1973 it is planned to test the storm- finders, GPS as well as infrared scanning tracking concept in a large area of . from space and remote sensing are The plan is to place 20 to 25 sensors at recently added and detection existing forestry field stations. Each tools. Many new ways to incorporate morning the sensor counts will be radioed digital technology are ongoing in tests and into the center where a plot could be made Osborne Front Sights Osborne Rear Sights implementation. The most widely of the thunderstorm paths and special 1913 (L) & 1914 (R) 1913 (L) & 1914 (R) accepted technological advance has been lightning patrol routes planned. discarding the center-pivot bar in favor of the system to track lightning activity. Source: "Fire Management Notes" Fall 1981, Vol 42, No 4, "The Fire Management Electronic a circular ring around the outer rim of a Source: "Fire Management" Summer 1972, Age" by Fred McBride. newly designed 14” cast iron plate. This Vol. 34, No. 3, "Lightning Sensors Tested" by Peter Kourtz. This summer, the USD1 Bureau of Because lightning causes so many Land Management (BLM) will test an fires, scientists in are testing the electronic system for fire suppression in effectiveness of lightning sensor design. Vale, Oregon using existing lightning One of the sensors will be selected for detection equipment, remote automated testing based on a computer model in weather equipment, and existing 1973. computer fire behavior models. The new It is standard practice for most forest system will provide local fire managers protection agencies to supplement their with the information necessary to make offered a more accurate azimuth reading existing detection system with additional accurate judgments on how to respond on a far distant smoke. It was a transition visual air patrols in areas thought to be to a potential fire threat. that would prevail with all new Osborne hit by thunderstorms. In 1974, as part of an effort to Firefinder models of the future into the Sophisticated combinations of improve fire suppression capability, BLM 21st century of production. weather radar and spherics equipment launched a campaign to detect more of Ray Kresek capable of accurately tracking storms over the lightning fires. By 1978, BLM had a Fire Lookout Museum large areas are available, but their costs basic lightning detection system in place. Spokane, WA are too high. This system covered the entire western Fire Tower Lego Set Another approach now seems and Alaska. Lighting data were being sent to every BLM office in a Gathering Support for Smokey feasible. The concept involves a dense network of inexpensive, limited range, near real-time operation. Other agencies Bear/Fire Tower Legos electronic lightning sensors. These were being provided with the information One of the Smokey Bear/Forest sensors would be located at existing on a request basis. Lego sets being considered is a fire tower. forestry weather stations and field offices The amount and accuracy of the 10,000 supporters and would provide a count of the number information the lightning system provided are needed to have of lightning flashes that occurred within was astounding. The fire suppression LEGO consider their range. Such counts would be organization was receiving more making the sets relayed, possibly along with weather data, information than it could efficiently handle. available for to central collecting points where storm The number of interested users far purchase. Lego tracks would be plotted and detection exceeded the distribution capability. Early requires you to log on and create an i.d. patrol routs determined. in 1979, the Fire Management Branch of so that they have a legitimate e-mail In 1971 the Forest Fire Research BLM, Scientific Systems Development address so someone cannot just vote over Institute began a program to develop a Division of the Denver Service Center, and and over again. The link is https:// storm-tracking network based on this the Boise Interagency Fire Center began ideas.lego.com/projects/99422. There concept. The initial phase of this work an analysis of what would be required to are still six months left, but much more involved the testing of a research make the lightning system the valuable support is needed! Your help can make instrument on loan from and designed by tool that was indicated. By February this a reality! Project Skyfire of the USDA Forest Service. 1981, the design had been refined to the Early in 1972 the Institute contracted point that we could proceed with the test Buck Rock Foundation of the integrated system in Vale, Oregon. Buck Rock caps, t-shirts, pins, tote bags the construction of four designs of lightning sensors. These were placed at The new system was named the Initial www.buckrock.org/giftshop2.html Attack Management System, (IAMS). Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 19 Fire Towers for Sale FIRE TOWER RESTORATION all structural materials are sound. A new TWO TOWERS AVAILABLE IN CURRENTLY HAS FIVE FIRE set of all the X-Braces and small WISCONSIN TOWERS AVAILABLE FOR SALE dimension infill structurals has been Wisconsin FFLA Representative These five towers are all located at fabricated and hot dipped. The 7' x 7' Tom Baer has two 100-foot fire towers for owner David Vana's base of operations Observers Cabin is currently sale at his location in Manitowish Waters, in Saranac Lake, New York. disassembled; a set of new wall and roof in the northern part of the state. The The towers currently in stock for sale panels are needed. The remaining heavier towers are disassembled, with some new range in height from 20 feet to 120 feet structurals of the tower should be given a parts. They came out of Florida; at least with cabin sizes ranging from 7' x 7' to 14' totally new hot dipped coating of zinc, one is an Aermotor LS-40 model. After x 14'. They will work with any buyers to which would give the structure a 30 to 50 assure that all parts are in the package. year no-maintenance finish. All the The original bolts are included with each original frame bolts are present. Fire Tower. A sheet of original assembly O'Neal, Alabama - $28,000.00 This drawings is included. All will require 60-foot tall Aermotor MC-39 tower was serious efforts and a serious amount of taken down in Limestone County, funds to safely and properly re-assemble Alabama in 2011. This tower is in great as a DIY project. They can also offer a condition and can go up "As Is". All complete installed price for any of these structural materials are sound; this tower Fire Towers. has original expanded metal mesh stair they were delivered to Wisconsin they DAVANA LLC has saved, restored, treads and landings. The tower was well- were gone thru with new pieces made for and re-erected over twenty towers to date. maintained and has been painted several the damaged or rusted ones. The cabins They also restore towers in situ. New times during its life. The 7' x 7' Observers have been all redone like brand new. The structural steel components and cabin Cabin is currently assembled, a new roof only things missing are the wood for sheet metal packages are available to is suggested. The entire tower could be landings and stairs, bolts (new ones are meet or exceed original specifications. painted to refresh the tower although if recommended, anyway) and glass for New A325 bolt packages for any Fire installed "As Is", it will appear to have been windows. Baer is asking $20,000 each. Tower are also available. They offer bolt- there forever in great original condition. Contact Roger Crass, 715-617-2608. on options for the taller 100- to 120-foot All the original frame bolts are present. MC-39 Fire Towers, including flagpoles, Moosehead Mountain, New York - restored or new alidades, interior cabin $15,000.00 This 40-foot Aermotor LS-25 paneling, mid-point deck and railings, as tower was located in St Lawrence County, well as a catwalk and railings around the New York. It was obtained from the observer's cabin at the top. person who took it down in 1978 and Luverne, Alabama - $24,000.00 This never used it. It was built in 1916 with a 100-foot tall Aermotor MC-39 tower was ladder access; an internal tower stairway taken down in Crenshaw County, Alabama was added later. The Observers Cabin in 2011. It is in fair to good condition, all will require a new set of wall and roof structural materials are sound. The 7' x sheet metal panels, roof framework and 7' Observers Cabin is currently needs windows. The structural steel is in disassembled; a new roof is suggested. excellent The entire tower could be painted or given condition. They will a totally new hot dipped coating of zinc, fully inventory and which would give the structure a 30 to 50 can fabricate any year no-maintenance finish. All the missing parts to original frame bolts are present. assist the buyer. Lookout Lightning Protection Green Cross, North Carolina - All the original Montana FFLA member $28,000.00 This 100-foot tall Aermotor frame bolts are Mike Kuefler is a certified MC-39 tower was taken down in Bertie present. lightning protection County, North Carolina in 2010. It is in Please call specialist; Kuefler good condition, all structural materials are with any questions Lightning Protection, Inc. sound. A few hand railings will be about these has replaced. The 7' x 7' Observers Cabin is specific Fire been assembled; a new roof is suggested. The Towers or the used by the Forest entire tower could be painted or given a process of Service for several totally new hot dipped coating of zinc, restoration and re-erecting a Fire Tower. lookout projects. KLP is which would give the structure a 30 to 50 Davana LLC based in St. Ignatius, year no-maintenance finish. All the Fire Tower Restoration Montana, but also has original frame bolts are present. 393 Fletcher Farm Road offices in Florida, Georgia Carpenter, Alabama - $38,000.00 Bloomingdale, New York 12913 and Minnesota. Visit their website, This 120-foot tall Aermotor MC-39 tower 518-891-4802 home/office www.kuefler-lightning.com/, email was taken down in Baldwin County, 518-354-0763 cell [email protected], or Alabama in 2013. It is in good condition, [email protected] phone 406-745-3800. 20 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 FFLA MERCHANDISE Order all items on this page from: FFLA - Gary Weber FFLA Logo Decals FFLA SHIRTS! 2590 W Versailles Dr Full-color FFLA logo vinyl decals Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815 with rear adhesive. Three sizes are now [email protected] available, the large is 5” across (3-3/4” Make Checks Payable to FFLA or per side), the medium is 3-1/2” across (2- Pay through PayPal 1/2” per side), and the small is 2-1/2” (https://www.paypal.com/) across (1-3/4” per side). The small decal is ideal for hardhat applications, the medium is the same size as the popular FFLA multi-colored patch. Large (5”) decals, $1.50 each, Payable to [email protected] Medium (3-1/2”) $1.00 each, Small (2-1/ FFLA CAPS 2”) $0.75 each. Shipping: $.50 per order Black/white design w/4-color Embroidered FFLA logo caps are FFLA CAN COOLERS FFLA logo on Ash color shirts now in stock, available in two styles, both Keep your drinks colder longer Wide range of sizes available! adjustable to fit. For those preferring the while displaying the FFLA logo! stand-up, shaped style, structured caps T-shirts (short-sleeve) are available. The unstructured style is The crisp white S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X $13.00 available for those preferring soft, low- FFLA logo outline T-shirts (long-sleeve) profile caps. Both styles come in stands out on two sides S, M, L, XL, 2X $15.00 gray or forest green. Specify structured of the royal blue foam Sweatshirts (long-sleeve) (left) or unstructured (right) style. can cooler. The coolers S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X $20.00 $15.00 each + $3.00 shipping/handling are made of Shipping/handling: polyurethane foam with t-shirts $3, sweatshirts $5 a no-slip grip. (additional shipping for larger orders) 2 for $5.00 + $2.00 s/h NEW T-SHIRT FFLA PINS Small Logo FFLA Logo and PATCHES on Left Chest New larger size pins! short-sleeve New FFLA logo lapel pins are now Forest Green in stock! The new larger sized pins (right) S, M, L, measure 1 inch across (3/4” per side). XL, 2X Multi-colored $15.00 LOOKOUT COOKBOOK embroidered FFLA logo + $3.00 s/h patches (lower left), measuring A Collection of Recipes by 2-1/2 inches per side (3-1/2” LOOKOUT NETWORK CD Forest Fire Lookouts across), are also available. The entire collection of LOOKOUT by Libby Langston The pins and patches NETWORK issues is now available on Lookout Cookbook is a blend of are $5.00 each, including CD. Each issue, beginning with Vol.1, recipes, history, shipping/handling. No.1, has been scanned and saved as a personal stories, .pdf file. An index is also included to and over 100 FFLA Brochures easily search for past articles. As a photographs The bright bonus, a variety of local/regional editions bringing together orange- produced prior to the advent of central the lookout colored FFLA printing/mailing are also included! staffers, their membership $20.00 each, includes shipping/handling stations, and their recruitment creativity. Lookout brochures will Cornell Hill Tower Patch Cookbook is a be reprinted The patch commemorating New York’s cooperative this spring. Cornell Hill Fire venture between Brochures will Tower and Camp the North Idaho/ be available to Saratoga (Spring 2011 Montana Chapter of the Forest Fire anyone with issue) is still Lookout Association, the Lolo National access to available. The 3-1/2” Forest and the Museum of North Idaho. lookouts or other places to make them x 4” patch may be $14.95 each + $4.00 s/h for first available to prospective new members. ordered from “FFLA- book, $1.00 s/h for each additional book Contact Gary Weber or your chapter Gary Weber”, $10.00 to same address. director to arrange for a supply. each (includes s/h).

Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 21 Books FIRE LOOKOUTS OF THE NORTHWEST I REMEMBER WHEN: The Untold Story Les Joslin Books Lookout Inventory - Revised 2015 by Ray of Helen Ellett by Randy Kneer, The story of UNCLE SAM'S CABINS, A Visitor's Guide Kresek. Nearly 500 of the 3,344 lookout sites in the courageous Dickinson Hill Observer in to Historic U.S. Forest Service Ranger Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are Grafton, New York. $9.95 + $2.00 shipping/ Stations of the West by Les Joslin. Revised updated with the latest status compiled in this 86- handling from: Podskoch Press, 43 O’Neill Lane, and enlarged edition of Uncle Sam's Cabins. The page book that complements Fire Lookouts of East Hampton, CT 06424, 860-267-2442. original edition, long sold out, contained the the Northwest. Proceeds go to the non-profit HIKING NORTH CAROLINA’S LOOKOUT stories of 75 historic ranger and guard stations. Fire Lookout Museum. $20.00 check or money TOWERS by Peter Barr. Guidebook to the This new, revised, enlarged edition has 92 order to: Fire Lookout Museum, 123 W. Westview, lookout towers in western North Carolina. (including the one that's served its purpose at Spokane, WA 99218, 509-466-9171, peterontheat.com/hiking-north-carolinas- three locations since 1933 and inspired this book). [email protected], www.firelookouts.com. lookout-towers/, $15.00 (includes s/h), or email The 333 pages include 260 historic and current FIRE LOOKOUTS OF THE NORTHWEST, Peter at [email protected]. ISBN: 0895873567 photographs and eight maps. $20.00 (includes Third Edition by Ray Kresek, Check for NORTHWEST MONTANA FIRE s/h) from Wilderness Associates, P.O. Box 5822, Availability from Fire Lookout Museum. LOOKOUTS: A Hiking Guide by Steve Rains Bend, Oregon 97708, 541-330-0331, FOUR-ELEVEN! Pulaskis, Planes & Hiking guide to 30 lookouts includes trailhead www.wildernessheritage.com. Forest Fires by Rich Faletto. Four summers directions, route statistics, and photos. Available Other books by FFLA member Les Joslin are also around Lake Chelan on Washington’s Wenatchee from bookstores. ISBN: 0988948001 available from Wilderness Associates: TOIYABE NF in the early 1960s. Available from bookstores. BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST, PATROL: Five U.S. Forest Service ISBN: 1452892903 Harney Peak and the Historic Fire Summers East of the High Sierra in the A VIEW FROM THE TOP: Maryland’s Fire Lookout Towers (Images of America Series) 1960s, $14.95 (s/h included), RANGER Towers by Barbara M. Garner, Descriptions of by Jan Cerney and Roberta Sago, Over 200 TRAILS: The Life and Times of a Pioneer all of Maryland's fire towers - 46 locations. images of Black Hills lookouts. Available from U.S. Forest Service Ranger in the West Dozens of maps and photos. $16.95 + $4.00 s/h bookstores. ISBN: 0738583707 on the La Sal, Santa Barbara, Cache, and from Barbara Garner, 608 Norhurst Way, GUARDING DINOSAUR by Jean Burt Deschutes National Forests, 1907-1913 Baltimore, Maryland 21228, 410-788-3767. Polhamus. The 1953 adventures of a young by John Riis, prologue/epilogue by Les Joslin, BETWEEN LAND & SKY: A Fire Lookout couple serving as fire lookouts on Round Top in $15.00 (s/h included), WALT PERRY: An Story by Dixie Boyle. Former FFLA director’s Dinosaur National Monument. Available at Early-Day Forest Ranger in New Mexico www.lulu.com. experiences from twenty years as a fire lookout. and Oregon by Walt Perry, edited by Les Joslin, THIS IS OUR FOREST: A Collection of Available from bookstores. ISBN: 1432704397 $20.00 (s/h included). Stories from a Lookout-Smokechaser BETWEEN FOREST AND SKY: A Fire Marty Podskoch Books Who Worked in the Bitterroot Mountains Tower Journal by Sharon Stratton. A fire tower ADIRONDACK 102 CLUB, Your Passport journal of several seasons in northern . of Montana and Idaho by Harold E. Coffman & Guide to the North Country by Martin Available from bookstores. ISBN: 1894974166 Out of print, may be available from STANDING WATCH: The Fire Towers of www.Amazon.com or other used bookstores. Podskoch. An attempt to get people to visit and get to know all the 102 towns and villages in the Arizona by Eileen Moore. Features the state’s ISBN: 0971554005 Adirondacks. Autographed copy, $20 + $3 s/h, info eighty-one fire towers and cabins and includes LONELY ON THE MOUNTAIN: A Skier’s at www.adirondack102club.com. 115 photos. $13.99 plus $3.00 s/h from Memoir by George M. Henderson, Memoir of Other books by former FFLA NY Director Marty www.mortenmoorepublishing.com. growing up in Montana and Idaho logging camps, Podskoch are featured on another of his websites, CLIMBING THE LADDER LESS as an Oregon lookout and smokechaser, and as www.adirondackstories.com/: ADIRONDACK TRAVELED, Adventures, Insights and a pioneer in the development of skiing on . $23.00 + $3.00 s/h, from Donna CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS Life Journeys by Joe Bill. $15.00 (includes s/ CAMPS: Their History, Memories and h) from Mountain Forest Publishing, 12240 N. Henderson, 14050 Maxfield Creek Rd., Legacy, $20.00, ADIRONDACK STORIES, Barrel Cactus Way, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 Monmouth, OR 97361, [email protected]. BUCKSKIN LARCH AND BEDROCK by Also available at the Government Camp (OR) Historical Sketches $18.95, ADIRONDACK Mike Hiler. Collection of poems and passages General Store, or bookstores. ISBN: 1412082331 STORIES II, 101 More Historical Sketches from the Central Washington Cascades. Available MOUNTAINS OF MEMORY: A Fire $18.95, ADIRONDACK FIRE TOWERS, Their from bookstores. ISBN: 1453844074 Lookout’s Life in the River of No Return History and Lore, The Northern Districts HIGH-MOUNTAIN TWO-MANNER by Frank Wilderness by Don Scheese. Available from $20.00, ADIRONDACK FIRE TOWERS, Their Fowler - A Montana ’s memoir based www.uiowapress.org/ or from bookstores. History and Lore, The Southern Districts on letters home to his mother. Available from ISBN: 0877457840 $20.00, FIRE TOWERS OF THE CATSKILLS, bookstores. ISBN: 1599269570 LOOKING OUT FOR OUR FORESTS, the Their History and Lore (reprint with new cover LOOKOUTS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN Evolution of a Plan to Protect New design) $20.00. Add $3.00 s/h (for 1 or more REGION is available online: http:// Hampshire's Woodlands from Fire by Iris books). Send check or money order to: Podskoch ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/handle/ W. Baird, $20.00 + $2.00 shipping from: Iris W. Press, 43 O’Neill Lane, East Hampton, CT 06424, 1957/9577. Baird, 11 Richardson Street, Lancaster, NH 03584 860-267-2442. FINDING FIRE: A Personal History of Fire A FIELD GUIDE TO NEW HAMPSHIRE MORTON PEAK by Jack Dietz. Novel set at Lookouts in Lane County, Oregon by Doug FIRETOWERS, second revised edition by Morton Peak Lookout in the San Bernardino NF. Newman. From bookstores - ISBN: 0964843439 Chris Haartz and Iris W. Baird, Available from bookstores. ISBN: 1441511938 or www.lanecountyhistoricalsociety.org/ $5.00 + $1.50 shipping (same address as above). FIRE WATCH, A Summer to be FIRE LOOKOUT HIKES IN THE FROM YORK TO THE ALLAGASH, Forest Remembered by Ham Rideout. The “Summer CANADIAN ROCKIES, Second Edition by Fire Lookouts of Maine by David N. Hilton. of 42” on two Wenatchee NF lookouts. $15.25 + Mike Potter, $24.95 (US) includes s/h, to Limited number of copies still available at $3.00 shipping, online at: www.steilacoom.net/ Luminous Compositions, 2815 Lionel Cres SW, www.firewackerworld.sellorfind.com/store/ rideout/. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3E 6B1. e-mail: products/, or at bookstores. ISBN: 1890454044 HOW TO RENT A FIRE LOOKOUT IN THE [email protected]. Also THE FIRE OBSERVATION TOWERS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST (2nd Edition, 2005) by available from bookstores. ISBN: 0969443854 NEW YORK STATE, Survivors That Still Tish McFadden and Tom Foley. Available in EYES OF THE FOREST by Vivian Demuth Stand Guard by Paul Laskey Available in bookstores. ISBN: 0899973841 Novel set in the boreal forests of Canada. ISBN: bookstores. ISBN: 0974620408 FIRE TOWER by Jack Kestner (republished in 9780968562352. Available from bookstores. FISH CREEK: A Western Adventure by 2007) online at www.clinchmountainpress.net FIRE WATCHER by Vivian Demuth Robert Lodder - Working on Fish Creek Lookout, FIRE SEASON: Field Notes from a Collection of poems written at a Canadian fire tower. near Grangeville, Idaho in 1960 and 1961. Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors, Available from bookstores. ISBN: 1550716964 Available from bookstores. ISBN: 1420861301 Available from bookstores. ISBN: 0061859362

22 LOOKOUT NETWORK Winter 2015-2016 BLUE RIDGE FIRE TOWERS SMOKECHASER (Third Edition) New Books! by Robert Sorrell (FFLA Member) by Warren Yahr (FFLA Member) THE STORY OF LINDA LOOKOUT Arcadia Publishing, 2015, paperback, 144 New pictures and two chapters added to the original 1995 edition, telling the story of a (50th Anniversary Edition) pp. ISBN: 1626198179 Fire lookout towers Wisconsin teenager’s lookout experiences by Keith Lundy Hoofnagle (FFLA Member) have graced the Blue during the 1940s on the remote Bungalow Naturegraph Publishers, 2016, paperback, Ranger District of Idaho’s Clearwater NF. Ridge Mountains for more 72 pp. ISBN: 0879612835 Available thru www.Amazon.com and other than a century. By the This anniversary edition bookstores. ISBN: 1467595225 1930s, states and the supplements the original 32-page federal government had FIRE LOOKOUTS OF GLACIER booklet, published built thousands of towers NATIONAL PARK by Naturegraph around the country, many (Images of America Series) fifty years ago, in the Blue Ridge. Many of these towers by David R. Butler (FFLA Member) with vintage still stand as a testament to their The story of the rise and fall of the extensive lookout cartoons significance. Author Robert Sorrell details lookout network that protected Glacier and memorabilia. the fascinating history of the lookouts in National Park, including those still operating This history of today. ISBN: 1467131148. Available from the Blue Ridge forests. Available from lookouts through www.Amazon.com. www.Amazon.com. cartoons, humor, BAKER BUTTE JOURNAL 2010 and information WALKING ON Plus Some Pretty Good Recipes gives knowledge Views from the Back Country by Shirley Payne (FFLA Member) of what living high by Russell Drew Hanbey Journal of the 2010 summer at Baker Butte on an isolated mountain top 24-7 in a Third Place Books, 2014, paperback, 152 Lookout in Arizona’s Coconino NF watching lookout was like, including the terrifying pp. ISBN: 0991494008 for forest fires, with 99 recipes. $20.00 + thunder and lightning storms. Fires This collection of $5.00 s/h (for one or more books); ordering were spotted and reported, the lingo stories details the author's information at www.berryqueenpress.com/ was a set of basic codes, brief and to working journey through THE ENCHANTMENT OF NEW the point sent by radio. This is a book the wild lands of the North MEXICO: Local Stories of the Land & for those who cherish the memory of fire Cascades of Washington People by Dixie Boyle Stories include a lookouts in America. and beyond, sketching out section on the fire lookouts of the Cibola Available from www.Amazon.com. a seasonal life working a National Forest and more. Available from variety of jobs in remote locations, www.Amazon.com. ISBN: 1499129297 Coming Soon! including fire lookout, smoke chaser and Fire Lookouts of Oregon wilderness ranger. He was a caretaker DVD (Images of America Series) for Green Mountain Lookout throughout THERAPY by Cheryl Hill (FFLA Member) the 90's. Available at www.Amazon.com The story of Oregon’s fire or www.thirdplacebooks.com. Life at Tope Creek Lookout lookouts and the effort to Vicky MacLean Books Therapy is a documentary created save the ones that are left. A HOME IN THE WOODS, Montana's by Tope Creek Lookout owner, renovator, Publication Date: March 28 Westside Ranger Stations, the second and savior, Brian Wizard. Time: 2:56. Other Recent Books of two volumes covering the history of Forest It follows his life at Tope Creek Lookout for the first ten years after he Richard H. Holm, Jr. Books Service ranger stations west of the purchased it in 1991. You see him make BOUND FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY II, Continental Divide in Montana. These facilities range from small backcountry the rundown, shot A History of Airstrips in the Wallowas, guard stations to extensive facilities with up, abandoned Hells Canyon, and the Lower Salmon housing for staff as well as seasonal crews. property into a River, FFLA member Holm’s second This book provides information about the volume on backcountry airstrips provides a beautiful park-like facilities and helps preserve Forest Service setting. You see comprehensive history of more than forty of history. Available from www.Amazon.com. the isolated airstrips of west central Idaho ISBN: 1503164454. Other MacLean books Brian making art, and eastern Oregon. Interesting stories, are the companion, HOME ON THE playing music, maps and over 250 photographs are RANGE, Montana's Eastside Ranger plowing snow, as included. $29.95 + $6.00 shipping from Cold “This is the life you Stations, Available from bookstores. ISBN: well as spotting, Mountain Press, c/o Richard Holm Jr., P.O. could be living” 1494367041, and The HELENA calling in, and Box 294, McCall, ID 83638 or online at putting out forest fires. He lives the dream! www.coldmountainpress.com. NATIONAL FOREST, The Early Days , Helena NF History includes a chapter on The unabridged video contains a Other books by Holm, available at Cold few seconds of naked man scenes, Mountain Press, are the first volume, lookouts. $16.95 from the Montana including peeing over the edge of a 103- BOUND FOR THE BACKCOUNTRY, A Discovery Foundation, 406-495-3711. foot tall tower from a man’s point of view. History of Idaho's Remote Airstrips, FIRE IN THE FOREST a comprehensive history of nearly one Forest Service Fire Fighters There is also an abridged edition without the fun bits (no naked man). hundred of Idaho’s isolated airstrips, with by Philip G. Smith (FFLA Member) 560 pages and over 1,000 photos, $59.95 Synopsis of fire incidents, events, and Visit www.brianwizard.com to + $6.00 shipping, and his first book, training in Arizona and California in the early order; look under Store Menu for Therapy POINTS OF PROMINENCE, Fire 1970's, a time of not always being politically DVD. Purchase item securely through Lookouts of the Payette National correct. Available from www.Amazon.com. Paypal, specify original or abridged Forest, $16.00 + $3.50 shipping. ISBN: 1492887013 version. $20, plus s/h.

Winter 2015-2016 LOOKOUT NETWORK 23 FOREST FIRE LOOKOUT ASSOCIATION 374 MAPLE AVE E STE 310 VIENNA, VA 22180-4718

FOREST FIRE LOOKOUT ASSOCIATION DIRECTORY CA- Bill Ulmer NJ Ray Grimes, Jr. : FFLA Website: Pac. 30021 McKenna Heights Ct (see Secretary) VIC Paul Jones www.ffla.org Valley Center, CA 92082 Bob Wolff PO Box 93 (714) 473-5111 PO Box 221 St. Andrews 3761, Victoria Chairman: Keith Argow [email protected] Blairstown, NJ 07825 Australia 374 Maple Ave E, Suite 310 CA- Bill Luedeke (973) 900-1559 [email protected] Vienna, VA 22180 Sierra45940 Classic Way [email protected] Area Representatives: (703) 255-2700 Nev Temecula, CA 92592 NM Mark Gutzman AK Vacant [email protected] (951) 699-8606 603 Sundown Ave Dep-Ch. E: Mark Haughwout [email protected] Alamogordo, NM, 88310 AL Andrew Zerbe PO Box 1058 CA- George & Pam Morey (575) 434-7276 244 E haven Dr Wilmington, VT 05363 (So.) PO Box 9354 [email protected] Birmingham, AL 35215 (802) 464-5599 Cedar Pines Park, CA 92322 NY Laurie Rankin (205)854-0186 [email protected] (909) 338-3923 8 Wallkill Ave [email protected] Dep-Ch. S: Mike Finch, Jr. [email protected] Tillson, NY 124869 GA- Mike Finch, Jr. 110 Summit Centre Dr CA- Scott McClintock (interim) (845) 926-2182 SC (see Dep-Ch. S) Columbia, SC 29229 S.Cst 3521 Corte Delfinio [email protected] HI Ray Kresek (803) 331-1345 Carlsbad, CA 92009 OH David White 123 W. Westview [email protected] (760) 585-8400 2049 Rainbow Dr NE Spokane, WA 99218 Dep-Ch. W: Howard Verschoor [email protected] Lancaster, OH 43130 (509) 466-9171 PO Box 611 CO/ Kent Argow (740) 974-0585 [email protected] Lyons, OR 97358 UT 2001 Emerson St. [email protected] KS- Joe Hartman [email protected] Denver, Co 80205 OR Howard Verschoor NB PO Box 1336 Secretary: Ray Grimes, Jr. (720) 771-3078 (see Dep-Ch. W) Elkhart, KS 67950 232 Garden Way [email protected] PA Steve Kidd (620) 697-2254 Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 FL Bob Spear 698 Shermans Valley Rd [email protected] (973) 835-4487 18 Postman Lane New Bloomfield, PA 17068 MD- Vacant [email protected] Palm Coast, FL 32164 (717) 275-5725 DE point of contact: Treasurer: Gary Weber (386) 313-5461 [email protected] Ron Stafford 2590 W. Versailles Drive [email protected] S.E. Ron Stafford (see Historian) Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815 ID(N) Gary Weber US (see Historian) MI John A. Miller (208) 765-1714 /MT (see Treasurer) TN Ed Holt 9187 Valetta Drive [email protected] ID (S) John Rose PO Box 367 Temperance, MI 48182 Historian: Ron Stafford PO Box 649 Etowah, TN 37331 (734) 657-8828 102 Cove Drive Challis, ID 83226 (423) 263-7528 [email protected] Edinboro, PA 16412 (208) 879-4121 [email protected] MO Jim Lyon (814) 734-1273 [email protected] VA Krissy Reynolds 1955 Windy Hill Road [email protected] IN Teena Ligman 717 Raymond Ave Kirkwood, MO 63122 Youth Outreach: Sam Duffey 648 Vinegar Hill Road Roanoke, VA 24012 (314) 965-4511 PO Box 1698 Bedford, IN 47421 (540) 309-0244 [email protected] West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (812) 279-5547 [email protected] MS Vacant [email protected] [email protected] VT Peter Hayes point of contact: Webmaster: Bill Cobb KY Danny Blevins 24 Heritage Dr Ron Stafford 17 Greenwood Road 8330 US 60 East West Dover, VT 05356 (see Historian) Northborough, MA 01532 Morehead, KY 40351 (802) 464-3169 SD Vacant (508) 351-6007 (606) 784-3869 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] WA- Rod Fosback TX Ralph Harp AU Research: Andre Belterman LA Bobby Sebastian (E.) PO Box 47 3331 Three Pines Drive webmaster@ 8620 Ridgemont Dr Colville, WA 99114 Kingwood, TX 77339 firelookoutsdownunder.com Pineville, LA 71360 (509) 684-5478 (281) 359-7011 (318) 640-0080 [email protected] [email protected] Directors: [email protected] WA- Forrest Clark WI Tom Baer United States: ME Bill Cobb (W.) 3221 157th Ave SE 89 Forest Dr AR/ Michael A. (Smoke) Pfeiffer (see Webmaster) Snohomish, WA 98290 Manitowish Waters, WI 54545 OK 845 Cagle Rock Road MA- Bill Cobb (interim) (425) 478-3426 (608) 774-0392 Russellville, AR 72802 RI-CT (see Webmaster) [email protected] [email protected] (479) 280-3686 MN Jan Bernu WY Vacant WV Robert Beanblossom [email protected] 4202 Brookston Rd 107 Savilla Lane AZ Dave Lorenz Cloquet, MN 55720 Charleston, WV 25312 16820 E Pintail Ct (218) 879-4433 (304) 389-5041 Fountain Hills , AZ 85268 [email protected] Canada: [email protected] (928) 607-8373 NC Peter Barr ALB Cory Rhett [email protected] 35 Mountain Site Lane 5020-52 Ave. CA- Vickie Lamoureux Asheville, NC 28803 Whitecourt, AB T7S 1N2 No. PO Box 993802 (704) 941-9296 Redding, CA 96099 (780) 778-7167 [email protected] [email protected] (530) 215-6539 NH Chris Haartz Questions?? [email protected] Robert Young PO Box 162 RR 5 Site 7 Box 7 FFLA Answerman: Campton NH 03223 Tofield, AB T0B 4J0 (603) 536-1694 (780) 662-2840 [email protected]