Evergreen Rotary

Invitation to Help Repair Squaw Mt Fire Lookout

By [tag]Sondra Kellogg[/tag]

Many of you know that I have another title besides wife and grandma and that is Director of the Colo./Utah Chapters of the Forest Fire Lookout Assn. which is dedicated to helping preserve the few remaining fire lookouts that are left. One of the most beautiful of all lookouts, is right in our backyard. It is Squaw Mt. Fire Lookout located on the east end of Squaw Mt. on the road to Mt Evans.

For decades, this tower was manned and helped to protect those of us in the Evergreen/Conifer/Genessee area. About three decades ago, the USFS began flying the forests to detect fires so no one has occupied Squaw Mt Lookout since that time. Many towers have been torn down including the one I used to “man” which was Mt. Thorodin up Coal Creek Canyon.

Squaw Mt. Lookout was built in 1925 by the CCC. It has a beautiful stone foundation and rests majestically on top of a rocky point above timberline at an elevation of 11,400.’ Volunteers from the Colorado Forestry Assn. worked from 1993 - 2003 to restore the tower at which time it was put on the National Historic Registry. At that time, it was the intention of the USFS to put the lookout on their rental system so visitors could stay in the tower. For various reasons (mainly budgetary) this has never happened. The lookout is now in need of repairs. There is a broken window, two missing shutters and the wood is badly in need of stain.

The USFS, Colo. Forestry Assn. and the Forest Fire Lookout Assn. are jointly sponsoring a work day on Sat., Sept. 22nd. All supplies, equipment and tools will be provided. The District Ranger will provide a shuttle from Highway #103 to the lookout site beginning at 9:00 AM. The jeep road is in very rough condition. I would not take my four wheel vehicle on it and do not recommend it for you. Besides, there is limited parking at the top. Lunch and
beverages will be provided.

This is not a time to bring children to the lookout. Since the tower is small, a limited number of volunteers are needed - 10-12 would be ideal. If you are interested in helping, please call me or contact me by e mail: kelloggsa@aol.com

You may have heard that our organization was hoping to staff the lookout with volunteers this summer as is done at the Deadman Fire Lookout near Red
Feather Lakes west of Ft Collins. Unfortunately, Squaw Mt. Lookout is not in condition for volunteers or rentals at this time. The District Ranger, Dan Lavato, has a very lengthy, time-consuming process to go through to get the lookout on the rental system. If this process is successful, it is his desire to rent the lookout throughout the entire year. He actually has more requests for winter rentals than summer.

It was not until last Friday that the District Ranger was able to take me and a member of the Colo. Forestry Assn. to inspect the tower. Sorry to disappoint those of you who wanted to volunteer as fire lookouts.

Thank you for considering this request to help with repairs that are needed before winter weather does more damage.