FOREST LOOKOUTS
  • MONTANA
    • Misc. notes - Montana
  • BEAVERHEAD COUNTY
    • Alder (Cairn)
    • Baldy Mountain
    • Bender Point
    • Jackson Ranger Station
    • Odell Mountain
    • Red Rocks Lake NWR
    • Selway Mountain
    • Tower Mountain
    • Wisdom Ranger Station
  • BIG HORN COUNTY
    • Black Spring
    • Bull Creek
    • Lost Creek
    • Pryor
    • Wolf Mountain
  • BLAINE COUNTY
    • Eagle Child Mountain
    • Monument Peak
  • BROADWATER COUNTY
    • Avalanche Butte
    • Boulder Baldy
  • CARTER COUNTY
    • Tripoint
  • CASCADE COUNTY
    • Sullivan Hill
  • DEER LODGE COUNTY
    • Blizzard Hill
    • Cable Mountain
    • Grassy Mountain
    • Horseshoe Mountain
    • Mount Haggin
  • FLATHEAD COUNTY
    • Akinkoka Peak
    • Angel Point
    • Apgar Mountain
    • Ashley Mountain
    • Baker
    • Baptiste
    • Bar Z Peak
    • Battery Mountain
    • Benchmark Mountain
    • Big Creek
    • Big Lodge
    • Black Bear
    • Blacktail Mountain
    • Bold Peak
    • Bruce Ridge
    • Bungalow Mountain
    • Bunker Point
    • Canyon Mountain
    • Canyon Point
    • Capital Mountain
    • Castle Rock
    • Coal Ridge
    • Crossover
    • Cruiser Mountain
    • Cyclone Park
    • Cyclone Peak
    • Deemers Ridge
    • Desert Mountain
    • Dog Mountain
    • Doris Mountain
    • Elk Mountain
    • Elkcalf Mountain
    • Emery Hill
    • Firefighter Mountain
    • Forks (Hallowat Creek)
    • Forster Mountain
    • Garnet Peak
    • Gary
    • Gateway Gorge
    • Gildart
    • Granite Park Chalets
    • Green Mountain
    • Grubb Mountain
    • Gunsight Mountain
    • Haskell Mountain
    • Heavens Peak
    • Helmet (3 Forks)
    • Hornet Peak
    • Hubbart Mountain
    • Huckleberry Mountain
    • Indian Ridge
    • Ingalls Mountain
    • Johnson Peak
    • Kah
    • Kerr Mountain
    • Larch Hill
    • Limestone Peak
    • Link Mountain
    • Lion Hill
    • Lodgepole Mountain
    • Loneman Mountain
    • Martin Divide
    • McCaffery
    • McGovern
    • McGregor Peak
    • Meadow Mountain
    • Meadow Peak
    • Mineral Peak
    • Moran Mountain
    • Mount Brown
    • Mud Lake Mountain
    • Nine Mile Point
    • Numa Ridge
    • Pagoda Mountain
    • Picture Mountain
    • Pilot Knob.
    • Pioneer Ridge
    • Red Meadow
    • Red Plume
    • Reid Divide
    • Six Mile Mountain
    • Spotted Bear Mountain
    • Standard Peak
    • Stryker Peak
    • Sunday Mountain
    • Tuchuck Mountain
    • Werner Peak
    • Whitefish
  • GALLATIN COUNTY
    • Cinnamon Mountain
    • Garnet Mountain
    • Hidden Lakes
    • Horse Butte
    • Mount Blackmore
    • Mount Ellis
    • Reid Divide
    • Salesville Point
    • Windy Pass
  • GRANITE COUNTY
    • Black Pine Mountain
    • Cinnamon Bear Point
    • Harvey Point
    • Hogback Point
    • Moose Mound
    • Mount Emerine
    • Quigg Peak
    • Sliderock Mountain
    • Union Peak
  • GLACIER COUNTY
    • Bear Mountain (Bare)
    • Crossley
    • Curly Bear
    • Divide Mountain
    • Goat Haunt
    • Hudson Bay
    • Red Eagle Mountain
    • Reynolds Ridge
    • Swiftcurrent Mountain
  • HILL COUNTY
    • Bowery Peak
    • Shoistal Park
  • JEFFERSON COUNTY
    • Bull Mountain
    • Casey Peak
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Jack Mountain
    • Shingle Butte
    • Strawberry Butte
    • Three Brothers Mountain
    • Thunderbolt Mountain
  • JUDITH BASIN COUNTY
    • Anderson Peak
    • Yogo Peak
  • LAKE COUNTY
    • Cedar Point
    • Cilly Ridge
    • Crane Mountain
    • Hog Heaven
    • Irvine
    • Jette (Big Arm)
    • Jim Creek
    • Little Napa Point
    • Mission
    • Napa Point
    • Pistol Creek
    • Saddle Mountain...
    • Six Mile
    • Van Peak
    • Woodward Point
  • LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY
    • Anaconda Hill
    • Bald Butte
    • Canyon Point
    • Cap Mountain
    • Caribou Peak
    • Colorado Mountain
    • Dalton Mountain
    • Deadman Hill
    • Falls Peak (Point)
    • Federal Building
    • Granite Butte
    • Green Mountain
    • Greenhorn Mountain
    • Halfmoon
    • Hilger
    • Hogback Mountain
    • Liverpole Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Moonlight Peak
    • Moose Ridge
    • Olson Peak
    • Patrol Mountain
    • Prairie Reef
    • Red Mountain (L&C)
    • Rogers Mountain
    • Sentinel Mountain
    • Silver King Mountain
    • Steamboat Mountain
    • Stonewall Mountain
  • LINCOLN COUNTY
    • Alexander Peak
    • Allen Peak
    • Baldy Mountain,
    • Barren Peak
    • Big Creek Baldy
    • Black Butte..
    • Blue Mountain
    • Dome Mountain
    • Fisher Mountain
    • Fleetwood
    • Garver Mountain
    • Horse Mountain
    • Keeler Mountain
    • Kenelty Mountain
    • Lost Horse
    • McMillan Mountain
    • Mount Henry
    • Mount Marston
    • Northwest Peak
    • Pinkham Mountain
    • Pinto Point
    • Quartz Mountain
    • Red Mountain
    • Stahl Peak.
    • Swede Mountain
    • Tony Peak
    • Turner Mountain
    • Webb Mountain
    • Yaak Mountain
    • Ziegler Mountain
  • MADISON COUNTY
    • Andesite
    • Lone Mountain
    • Yellow Mule
  • MEAGHER COUNTY
    • Billy Butte
    • Black Butte
    • Daisy Peak
    • Elephant Rock
    • Elk Peak
    • Monument Peak
    • Mount High
    • Porphyry Peak
    • Williams Mountain
  • MINERAL COUNTY
    • Bear Gulch
    • Birch Ridge
    • Boyd Mountain
    • Camels Hump
    • Cameron Peak
    • Cobden Point
    • Cold Peak
    • Crittendon Peak
    • Cruzane Mountain
    • Deer Peak
    • Dominion Peak
    • Fly Camp
    • Gold Peak
    • Haugan Mountain
    • Illinois Peak
    • Keystone Peak
    • Landowner Mountain
    • Little Joe Mountain
    • Marble Point
    • Newman Peak
    • Olson Peak
    • Schley Peak
    • Sheep Mountain
    • St Patrick
    • Stark Mountain
    • Tamarack Hill
    • Thompson Creek (Peak)
    • Upup Mountain
    • Wade Peak
    • Williams Peak
  • MISSOULA COUNTY
    • Belmont Point
    • Blue Mountain.
    • Blue Ridge
    • Boles Point
    • Boulder Lake
    • Boulder (ELO)
    • Burnt Fork Pinnacle
    • Cayuse Hill
    • Charity Peak
    • Condon Ranger Station
    • Cooney Mountain
    • Davis Point
    • Double Arrow
    • Edith Peak
    • Elbow Mountain
    • Frenchtown
    • Gold Creek Point
    • Hemlock Point
    • Holland Ridge
    • Hunters Point
    • Iris Point
    • Jocko #2
    • Lantern Ridge
    • Lolo Springs
    • Lolo Summit
    • Martin Point
    • Miller Peak
    • Mineral Peak
    • Montana Building
    • Mormon Mountain
    • Mosquito Peak
    • Mount Henry.
    • Mount Jumbo
    • Mount Sentinel
    • Petty Mountain
    • Plateau Mountain
    • Sheep Mountain
    • West Fork Butte
    • Woodman
  • PARK COUNTY
    • Bangtail R.S.
    • Lookout Mountain
  • PHILLIPS COUNTY
    • Bowdoin NWR
    • Scraggy
  • PONDERA COUNTY
    • Family Peak
    • Half Dome Crag
  • POWDER RIVER COUNTY
    • Diamond Butte
    • Liscom Butte
    • Phillips Butte
    • Yager Butte
  • POWELL COUNTY
    • Arrastra Mountain
    • Bartlett Mountain
    • Bison Mountain
    • Bugle Mountain
    • Bullet Nose
    • Cardinal Peak
    • Center Ridge
    • Charlotte Mountain
    • Conger Point
    • Crimson Peak
    • East Spread
    • Echo Mountain
    • Fenn Mountain
    • Foolhen Mountain
    • Gordon Mountain
    • Grace Mountain
    • Haystack Mountain
    • Jones Mountain
    • Jumbo Mountain
    • Kid Mountain
    • Lake Mountain
    • Lena Peak
    • Marshall Mountain
    • Montour Mountain (Hill)
    • Morrell Mountain
    • Mount Powell
    • Negro Mountain
    • Packrat Mountain
    • Saddle mountain
    • Shale Peak
    • Tillson Peak
    • Treasure Mountain
    • White River Butte
  • RAVALLI COUNTY
    • Ambrose Point
    • Antrim Point
    • Bald Top Mountain
    • Bare Cone
    • Beaver Point
    • Black Bear Point
    • Blue Mountain
    • Boulder Point
    • Cleveland Mountain
    • Clifford Point
    • Cooney Ridge
    • Deer Creek Point
    • Deer Mountain
    • Dominic
    • Doran Point
    • Dutch Hill
    • East Fork Patrol
    • East Quartzite
    • Elk Point
    • Falls Point
    • Fish Lake
    • Gash Point
    • Gird Point
    • Hilltop
    • Jew Mountain
    • Lookout Mountain
    • McCart
    • Medicine Point
    • Mill Point
    • Owen Point
    • Palisade Mountain
    • Piquett Mountain
    • Razorback Mountain
    • Reed Butte
    • Saddle Mountain
    • Shirley Mountain
    • Skalkaho Divide
    • Skalkaho Mountain
    • Slate Point
    • Squaw Point
    • St. Mary's Peak
    • Sula Peak
    • Sullivan Point
    • Tepee Point
    • Threemile Point
    • Thunder Mountain
    • Ward Mountain
    • Watchtower Peak
    • Willow Mountain
  • ROSEBUD COUNTY
    • Badger Peak
    • Poker Jim
  • SANDERS COUNTY
    • Andy's Knob
    • Arvilla Mountain
    • Baldy Mountain.
    • Bassoo Peak
    • Berray Mountain
    • Big Hole Peak
    • Black Peak
    • Border Peak
    • Buffalo Bill
    • Clark Peak
    • Coney Peak
    • Cougar Peak
    • Cow Camp
    • Cube Iron Mountain
    • Dad Peak
    • Divide Peak (72 Peak)
    • Dixie Peak
    • Driveway Peak
    • Eddy Mountain
    • Eighty Peak
    • Fatman Mountain
    • Ferry Basin
    • Gem Peak
    • Government Mountain
    • Green Mountain
    • Grouse Mountain
    • Haines Point
    • Headquarters Ridge
    • High Point.
    • Lone Cliff
    • Loveland Peak
    • Marmot Peak
    • Minton Peak
    • Mosquito Point
    • Mount Bushnell
    • Mount Headley
    • Mount Silcox
    • Patricks Knob
    • Penrose Peak
    • Priscilla Peak
    • Richards Peak
    • Schmitz
    • Sears
    • Seven Point Mountain
    • Sex Peak
    • Siegal Mountain
    • Smeads Mountain
    • Squaw Peak (Star Peak)
    • Stevens Peak
    • Table Top Mountain
    • Taft Summit
    • Thompson Peak
    • Twenty Odd
    • Two Trees Point
    • Vanderburg
    • Vermillion Peak
    • White Pine Ridge
    • Wild Horse
  • SHERIDAN COUNTY
    • Medicine Lake NWR (Headquarters)
    • Medicine Lake NWR (Homestead)
  • SILVER BOW COUNTY
    • High Rye
    • Highland Mountain (Red)
  • STILLWATER COUNTY
    • Limestone Butte
  • TETON COUNTY
    • Beartop
    • Bennie Hill
    • Bloody Hill
    • Mount Wright
    • Wrong Ridge
  • TOOLE COUNTY
    • Grassy Butte
  • To Locate
  • Jimmy Peak
  • New Page
  • Mount Jumbo
LINCOLN COUNTY

YAAK MOUNTAIN

Kootenai National Forest
32N-34W-2
August 27, 1931:  "Fleeing to safety from his fire-menaced lookout station in the Yaak river region of northwest Montana last night, Anton Obermeyer, 22, forest service observer, was killed by a falling tree.  His body was found today.
     Forest officials said they ordered Obermeyer to abandon his station when the fire crept toward it and to seek safety in a camp.
     Obermeyer's death brings to seven the number of men killed while fighting fires in the Montana-Idaho-Washington sector this season."  (Morning Oregonian)

July 10, 1956:  "That brings Yaak Mountain to first priority on the Kootenai.  The road to Yaak Mountain is now completed to the lookout.  The cabin on the ground is in deplorable condition, a porcupine having chewed through the floor, and with the rotten wall logs bulging out, ready to come apart.  The roof of the ground cabin needs immediate replacement, and the steps and catwalk around the cabin are rotted out.
     The four main legs of the lookout tower appear to be in fair condition as do the cross braces except for fungus fruiting bodies now growing from the apparently sound timbers.  An increment borer was not available for checking the timbers, but such check will be made immediately for safety's sake.
     The tower cab is about 8 x 8, and shows the ageing typical of such an old cab.  The guard rails on the tower stairs were round poles, never painted.  They are partly rotten and do not appear to be safe.  Most of the lookout catwalk has been replaced and the guard rails are scheduled for replacement unless a new tower can be planned on this fiscal year.
     Because of the ready accessibility of Yaak Mountain for replacement work this fall, the high priority of Yaak Mountain on the Troy District and the Kootenai and the very poor condition of the existing facilities, we would like to be able to replace Yaak Mountain this fall if it is at all possible and in line with regional plans.
     Could you advise us as to the likelihood of such replacement and we will plan our repair work on the existing structure accordingly."  (Memorandum to the Regional Forester from the Forest Supervisor)

July 19, 1956:  "Yaak Mountain will be placed on the high-priority list for replacement along with others in the region.  As you know we were able to purchase only four towers and houses and pay erection costs for those structures purchased the previous year out out last fiscal year's funds.  The picture does not appear much brighter for this fiscal year.
     The best we could plan to do would be to purchase the tower and house out of this year's funds for construction next summer.  At the present time, your needs for Yaak Mountain appear to rank high in the region and we should be able to include it in this year's purchase program.  This would mean that you should plan to make whatever temporary repairs are necessary to keep the structure useable and safe for occupancy through next season.
     You should also check the profiles for this point and let us know whether or not a 40-foot tower is the correct height needed."  (Memorandum to Forest Supervisor from the Assistant Regional Forester)

January 28, 1957:  "Reference is made to our memorandum of July 10, 1956, and your reply of July 19, 1956, which refer to the fact that the road to Yaak Mountain has been completed and the proposed reconstruction of the lookout can be completed more economically.  You indicated that the best you could plan to do would be to purchase the tower and house out of this year's funds with construction next summer.
     We appreciate your consideration of the Kootenai lookout replacement needs and hope the purchase and erection of the Yaak Mountain tower and house can be carried out as planned."  (Memorandum to the Regional Forester from the Forest Supervisor)

December 3, 1957:  "The lookout observatory and log cabin at Yaak Mountain, north of Troy, are being replaced by a new tower, it has been announced by Howard Ahlskog, Kootenai National Forest supervisor.
     The old 48-foot tower with 8-foot square house on top was built in 1930 of native timber and lumber packed to the top of Yaak Mountain by horse.  Since that date the lookout has been used as one of the primary fire detection points for the Kootenai Valley.  The untreated timbers in the tower have rotted until it is becoming unsafe for use.
     The new lookout tower built this fall is 41 feet tall, built of pressure treated sawed timbers on a foundation set on bedrock.  Erection of the tower was by personnel of the Troy ranger district.
     The observatory and living quarters will be a 15-foot square cabin to be built on top of the tower next spring.  Materials for the tower and lookout house were hauled to the top of Yaak Mountain on the road built by J.Neils Lumber Company in conjunction with the logging of national forest timber on Yaak Mountain last year.
     Yaak Mountain is one of 19 lookouts used in the Kootenai forest fire detection organization."  (The Daily Inter Lake)

December 17, 1957:  "A new 41-foot tower was built this fall at Yaak to replace the old lookout observatory tower and log cabin residence, whose timbers had become so rotten as to render the tower unfit for use.
     The new tower is built of pressure treated sawed timbers on a foundation set on bed rock.  The observatory and living quarters will be in a 15-foot square cabin to be built on top of the new tower in the spring.
     One of 19 lookouts used in the Kootenai forest fire detection organization, the old 48-foot tower was built in 1930 and since that date the lookout has been used as one of the primary fire detection points for the Kootenai Valley."  (The Daily Inter Lake)

July 5, 1966:  "Ranger Bob Lichlyter reports the Troy Ranger District put up its first lookout last week on Yaak Mountain.  Keith Kendall, a college student from California, who spent last year at school in France, will be in charge of binoculars and alidade."  (The Daily Inter Lake)
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​Member:  Forest Fire Lookout Association

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