BEARTOP
Teton County - Lewis and Clark National Forest - 24N-10W-35
November 27, 1924: "Next year's plans call for the construction of a new trail to Baretop Lookout." (Independent-Observer)
September 17, 1931: "James and C.K. Spires, smoke chasers on the Lewis and Clark forest this summer, departed yesterday for their home at Athens, Ga. The former, who is a graduate of the forestry school of the University of Georgia, occupied the Bear Top lookout, and the latter the Wrong Ridge lookout." (The Choteau Acantha)
September 29, 1932: "A new lookout house is being constructed atop Bare mountain on the Teton division of the Lewis and Clark national forest. The work commenced last week.
A crew of men are now engaged in packing the material from the Jack Baker dude ranch at the mouth of the middle fork of the Teton river to the summit of the mountain which is 8,090 feet in elevation.
Speaking Monday of this work, Forest Ranger W.N. Streeter said that it involves numerous difficulties. The total weight of the material to be packed is 6,500 pounds. It takes two days for a pack outfit to reach the top from the Baker ranch and a day to return. There will be in all 28 horse loads and up to Saturday 18 loads had been delivered to the spot where the lookout will be erected. The distance from the Baker ranch to the top of the mountain is approximately 27 miles.
These lookout houses are constructed according to a standardized plan of the forest service. The material is prepared in Spokane and the house is knocked down for shipping. In addition to the actual material used in constructing the house, its furnishings are also provided for. These include two cots, two mattresses and springs, stove, table, dishes, lamps, etc., along with instruments used by the lookout in connection with his fire prevention duties.
The houses are 14 feet square and the upper portion of the walls are of glass to enable the occupant to see in every direction. Much of the material in one of these houses is hinged to the walls so that it can be folded up when not in use.
The new lookout will give a complete view of the heavily timbered area at the headwaters of the north fork of Sun river. During the fire season for the past several years, Bare mountain has been used as a vantage point in fire patrol but has not been fully equipped." (The Choteau Acantha)
November 23, 1932: "Those neat little forest rangers' lookout stations atop commanding mountains require a great deal of labor. A new station on Bare mountain, in the Lewis and Clark national forest, required material weighing 6,500 pounds. Horses were used to pack the building material and all furnishings. Three days were required for each trip from a nearby ranch. There were 28 loads to be transported." (San Mateo Times - California)
November 24, 1932: "Bare Top mountain at the head of the north fork of Sun river. The cost approximated $650, and was provided for out of the emergency relief fund." (The Choteau Acantha)
August 31, 1933: "Speaking further of the storm, Mr. Streeter said that 14 inches of snow fell atop Bear Top mountain on the divide between Sun river and Deep creek. The measurement was taken by A.A. Wells, lookout at that place. The storm put an end to forest fire danger, and three lookouts were temporarily assigned to other duties." (The Choteau Acantha)
September 14, 1933: "A.A. Wells was attending to business in Choteau Monday. Mr. Wells has just completed a third season with the forest service as a fire lookout. He was stationed for a portion of the summer on Bare Top mountain." (The Choteau Acantha)
July 25, 1935: "On the Teton district, which is under Ranger McLean and Ranger L.J. Howard, the following have been assigned to lookouts: John Bosseler, Bare Top." (The Choteau Acantha)
June 23, 1938: "From Birch creek south to and including the north fork of Sun river, the assignments are: Hartley K. Phinney of Syracuse university, Bear Top lookout fireman." (The Choteau Acantha)
June 8, 1939: "Lookouts will be stationed as follows: Hugh Munyan, Beartop Lookout." (The Choteau Acantha)
June 13, 1940: "The following men, together with their stations, will be employed by the service in fire prevention work this summer: Irwin Gardner, Bear Top lookout." (The Choteau Acantha)
August 25, 1966: "On August 16, Dennis Seaton, Beartop Mountain lookout, reported a high this season with a spread index of 91 out of 100 possible." (Independent-Observer)
June 2009: The lookout had a new roof installed.
DESIGNATION - BEAR TOP LOOKOUT
PID - ST0545
STATE/COUNTY- MT/TETON
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - OUR LAKE (1995)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1940 (ANS)
BEAR TOP FOREST SERVICE LOOKOUT HOUSE IS IN THE LEWIS AND
CLARK NATIONAL FOREST ON A LOW PEAK, 31 MILES W OF CHOTEAU, 4
MILES E OF GATES PARK GUARD STATION, AND 3 MILES E OF THE
TETON-LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY LINE. THE CENTER OF THE HOUSE WAS
INTERSECTED.