Here are some more photos from the lookout (DIAL-UP WARNING)

[DemoTex]

My new vertical angle scope on an old Osborne Fire Finder (Nick in bed)


The lightening chair


Sunset over the Newberry Cauldera (with China Hat in the near ground and the Cascades (Three Sisters) to the right of the setting sun)


Lookout interior with Osborne Fire-finder in center and the plotting map pulled down


That is pea-size hail on the ground


After the hail storm


Lookout kitchen. Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrige, soapstone countertops, Miele ovens (just kidding!)


Steak, fresh steamed wax beans, yellow rice .. yummm!

[Mythsaje]

1. It's funny to think I've probably been within a few miles of that place

a time or two. I grew up down there and spent a couple years as a teen helping to clear out beetle-kill from the forests.

Stark, but beautiful.

[annabanana]

2. What a great way to spend a few months!

Do you ever get stir-crazy? What did you end up bringing to read?

I think there was a shout-out to you somewhere in the lounge this past week.. search your name.

Tell me a story. I want to know what it's like away out there....

[DemoTex]

22. I've been too busy to do much of anything.

But that will change as I learn the area. I brought lots of books, CDs, and movies. The books' authors include Kerouac (natch!), Gary Snyder, Faulkner, Stegner, Norman Maclean, Joseph Heller, Thomas Wolfe, Rachael Carson, Neal Cassady, Philip Whalen, Cheever, and others. I also have reference books (birds, trees, wildflowers, etc).

Most of my many CDs are classical. One project is to get them loaded into the computer so that I can listen to them on my I-Pod.

The movies include the classic Viet Nam genre (Hamburger Hill, Full Metal, We Were Soldiers, Platoon), some documentaries, and a few I have never watched (Capote, Brokeback). And, of course, four seasons of "Reno 911." Got to have my "Reno 911".

[tekisui]

3. Nice!

I like the set-up!

[skooooo]

4. Awesome!

Love the glass insulators on the legs of the chair.

[d_b]

5. awesome!

[blogslut]

6. You're a treasure

Living in a treasure.

May your time be as uneventful as possible.

[graywarrior]

7. Outstanding!

I envy you. What a life!

[The Doctor.]

8. Looks like heaven.

So... what books you wind up bringing?

Have some good music?

[DemoTex]

23. See my reply to annabanana .. #22

In addition to all of the books, CDs, and DVDs, I have an extensive ham radio station (HF, VHF, UHF, PSK-31, etc).

[BrklynLiberal]

9. Guess you and Nick are very good friends...spending alot of time up there

together.
Thanks for doing the job you do..It must be lonely and hopefully boring most of the time, but it must be GLORIOUS to wake up every morning with the incredible view and the smells, sites and sounds of the forest.
Please publish more pics and tell us all about what you do up there.

Thanks for these posts. Absolutely fabulous. I would love to be able to spend some extended time in your world.

[lunatica]

10. Thanks for the photos. I love the wraparound view!

Are you writing a journal? It could turn into a cool little novella. Or a collection of short stories.

[TahitiNut]

11. Yeah, yeah, yeah ... so what does Nick-Nick get to eat???

:silly:

I hope he's AT LEAST as well-fed as his two-legged friend. :rofl:

[DemoTex]

24. Very few table scraps.

I'm eating very light. In fact, I had to order some suspenders to keep my jeans up. I might have to order new jeans. But when it gets warm again I'll be OK. My shorts have elastic in the waist band. I fully expect to lose 20-30 pounds out here this summer.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

12. We stayed at a tower

down in far SW Oregon, a few miles inland from Humbug Mountain. The amenities were a little rougher than what you're dealing with, but the surroundings were just plain stunning.

I hope your summer is uneventful!

[DemoTex]

25. Which lookout?

I had rented several before this job came through (Snow Camp, Lake-of-the-Woods, Quail Prairie, Bald Butte, Drake Peak).

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

48. Quail Prairie

There was some fire damage in the immediate area, but it was still amazing. Primitive as they were, the amenities at the lookout were most welcome.



http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/recreation/rentals/rrs-quail-prairie-lo.shtml#maps

[havocmom]

13. No room service? But, a room with a view, none the less.

And WHAT a view it is.

Keep checkin in. Lots of us look for your posts to make sure you are OK and having a good time.

[femrap]

14. That's a wolf???

Is it an old one? Built to last if that's the case.

Sub-zero fridge....top of the line. I used to sell kitchen appliances.

[DemoTex]

31. Did you notice the disclaimer?

I wish it were a Wolf!

[tridim]

15. Lower it to 20 feet and I'd live there.

I love rooms with lots of windows.

[LostinVA]

16. How do the stove and fridge work -- propane?

[DemoTex]

27. Yep,

Propane. Propane and solar battery lights too.

[LostinVA]

45. Very interesting!

My 6th grade teacher quit teaching a year or so after me and became a Forest Ranger. I know she did alot of lookout stuff.

Thanks for sharing. My grandfather was a lighthouse keeper for many years, and your stories remind me of that.

[rug]

17. Where's the bathroom?

[TahitiNut]

18. Leeward.

:evilgrin:

[DemoTex]

28. Down 60 steps and 100 meters west.

The white building is the outhouse (standard USFS/Park Service vault toilet .. not bad). The dark building behind the pine is the shower house. However, I just ordered a portable camp toilet with bio-degradable "doodie bags" for late night and thunderstorm emergencies. Liquid waste goes over the rail .. to the lee side, as TahitiNut accurately predicted.

[merh]

29. Have you one of these?

It came in handy when we had not electricity and only cold well water.

What a great view - thank you for sharing the images and for watching over the forest.

:hi:

[DemoTex]

33. Yep.

But it's been to rainy and cold to use it. That will change. I also have ordered one of these:

[merh]

36. is that the camp toilet?

I haven't seen that type before.

I have one of these on the pontoon boat so when I take the little peeps out they have a place to go.



It uses the bio-degradable "doodie bags".

The solar shower is wonderful, I keep one filled and attached to the outside of the house so I can have warm water for clean up after gardening and to wash the little peeps after fishing and fun.

[DemoTex]

38. A cheapo camp toilet from Cabela's.

I like the hassock, but this is for emergency use only. But it is a step above the toilet seat for a 5-gallon Home-Depot bucket.


I. Don't. Think. So.

[merh]

40. LOL, definitely a step up

:hi:

[mdmc]

19. nice pics

:toast:
r

[Turbineguy]

20. Nice work!

[Blue Diadem]

21. Very efficient.

I really expected nothing more than a camp style stove. I'm impressed. It looks like a great way to spend some time doing something very important. Big storms might not be so fun though. :scared:

How'd the pooch handle the hail storm?

[seabeyond]

26. how do you rate such a job. i am jealous. except so afraid of heights cant stand on chair

but otherwise. the very coolest. just ideal. i love my alone time and windows

[merh]

30. Can you explain the lightning chair?

Is it just a novelty or is there a purpose?

[DemoTex]

34. Good question ..

I think it is just a novelty .. a pacifier. The lookout tower itself is a Faraday cage. It is engineered to be electrically isolated. That is all you need. But the glass insulators give some people a warm fuzzy feeling (perhaps a poor choice of words for describing lightning issues!). But I do find myself sitting on it during close-by lightening storms. Why not? Got to sit somewhere!

[merh]

37. I'd sit on it too.

Is there a pulley system or dumb waiter of sorts that makes getting your gear up there easy?

I mean, lugging stuff up to the top has to be a challenge without a device to assist.

[DemoTex]

41. There is a wench hoist system, but I condemned it.

It is a very dangerous home-brew system. It hurt me badly my first day here. I told my boss about it and he is going to get some USFS maintenance guys out to re-build it.

[merh]

42. That's good that the USFS folks will build you a safer one.

I live 10feet off the ground and grocery shopping is a chore only because of the effort involved in getting the bags up the stairs. I can't imagine what it would be like to try to get things up to the height you live without a wench.

[DemoTex]

43. Not the best photo for the wench system, but look at the right corner of the LO

You can see the bent pipe "crane" of the lift system from hell. I'll take some detailed pics tomorrow and post them here. Wench with no ratchet and no locking mechanism. I got four wallups to the scalp and a goose-egg the size of my fist from the handle. I was lucky as hell I did not get a significant laceration.

[merh]

44. I see it to the right in the photo.

Please do post some up close images. I've got a hand crank wench like what is used on a small boat trailer. I can't decide how to build the arm, planning in my head before I even try to make it happen.

I'm glad you didn't get hurt too badly by the contraption that is there now.

[hootinholler]

47. Dang you have your own woman to carry stuff up?

Oh, nevermind, you meant wInch.

:evilgrin:

-Hoot

[proud patriot]

32. Very peaceful .. I head to the High Sierra at the end of the month

:hi:

[DemoTex]

35. Ohhhh ..

I've only seen it from the air. Take some pics and post them.

:hi:

[ColbertWatcher]

39. This is so fucking cool that you are doing this! k+r, n/t

[sellitman]

46. That's a Pro 360 on the Telescope.

I use to work for that company.

Cool.