Administrative agency:
Deschutes NF
Staffing status:
Paid position
Elevation:
6436ft
Structure:
65ft modern L-6 built in 1995
Access:
the shortest access from highway 126 requires driving
approximately 4 miles on a paved road, then around 6 miles on a
gravel road to reach the trailhead, then hike two miles of trail
to the lookout, the FS road is signed at the highway junction, it
is then signed again at the gravel road junction, specifically
mentioning the Black Butte trail, it also mentions that trailers
are not recommended beyond that point, a NW Forest Pass sign is
present at the trailhead, as well as some other signs and a fence,
it is well marked, the trail is moderately difficult, and is
rather heavily used,
the lookout buildings on the summit are closed to the public
Road conditions: the paved road is in pretty good
condition, the gravel portion had a lot of wash boarding on it
during my visit, it is windy in some places and should be taken
slowly
Interior:
The interior of the tower consists of a propane heater, benches
surrounding the walls, and some shelves
Other structures on summit:
a crows nest was built around 1910, a copula cabin was built in
the 1920's, in 1934 an 82ft L-6 tower was built and used until
approximately 1990 when it was condemned, it fell due to heavy ice
in the winter of 2001-2002, in 1980 a log cabin was built for the
lookout to live in, until that time the lookout had been living in
the copula, the present tower was lifted to the summit in 1995, it
had been assembled below and was then lifted by a helicopter in
two pieces, the copula is now used for storage, the old tower is
presently lying in a pile surrounded by construction fencing, and
a radio repeater building sits near the new tower, two larger
propane tanks are present for the tower and cabin, these are flown
up via helicopter
Electric power source:
the radio repeater has several solar panels mounted on it, which
may also power the lookout, loads in the lookout include lighting,
radio and phone, the cabin also has a solar panel mounted on it
which powers several florescent lights, a charger for the handheld
radio as well as extra outlets
Other:
this is the perfect location for a lookout, it has a commanding
view of surrounding area, many mountains are visible as are many
homes and farms, Black Butte can be seen from many other lookouts,
as well as many roads and highways in the area, the lookout
reports many fires during the season, the summit is very popular
and receives many hikes daily and thus the lookout is closed to
visitors, however the view from the ground is good and there are
many interpretive signs on the summit as well as several on the
walk up, at least one pole that once held the lookout phone line
is in place as well
Visited:
Dominic Luebbers August 2002 |
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