Presentations
- Connor Reakes: The Study of a Typological Artefact
- Don Patterson: Tracing Lookouts Past: Fieldwork and Fire in the River of No Return Wilderness
- Clare O'Connel: St. Mary Peak Fire Lookout: A Successful Partnership
Presentations
Topics: bear mountain lookout; typology; architecture; united states forest service; pagoda; redesign; utilitarianism; dwelling; steven kalling; pv panel roofing; integration; improvement
The Study of a Typological Artefact
Speaker: Connor Reakes
Abstract:
Bear Mountain’s 53’ L-4 lookout, built in 1951 with materials dropped by air and hauled by mule, remains staffed and maintained by the USFS—rare among towers increasingly decommissioned. My research follows three phases: typological study, improvement, and innovation. Located in one of the Idaho’s most f ire-active regions, Bear Mountain is ideal for fire observation. Insights from longtime lookout Steven Kalling inspired a “Pagoda” redesign: a utilitarian stair and railing system with PV panel roofing and a new dwelling unit beneath the original tower. The final proposal integrates f ire research, hiker recreation, and preservation, surrounding the historic structure with a protective, multifunctional lattice framework.
Topics: payette national forest; big creek; frank church river of no return wilderness; taylor ranch; south baldy lookout; the decline of lookouts; fuels inventory; historic maps; tick fever
Tracing Lookouts Past: Fieldwork and Fire in the River of No Return Wilderness
Speaker: Don Patterson
Abstract:
In the summers of 1979 and 1980, my wife and I worked for the Big Creek Ranger District on the Payette National Forest, conducting a fuels inventory across the River of No Return Wilderness. Backpacking remote trails, we documented fuel conditions and visited the district’s few remaining staffed fire lookouts—only three of the original 33 remained, and just one survives today. Our experience included wilderness challenges, such as a tick fever evacuation, and visits to Taylor Ranch. My wife also served as a fire lookout on South Baldy. This presentation reflects on our fieldwork, the decline of lookouts, and offers rare images and hand-drawn maps from this transitional era.
Topics: selway-bitterroot wilderness; selway-bitterroot frank church foundation; sbfc; st. mary peak fire lookout; non-profits; partnerships; lookout volunteer; national register of historic places; public involvement; bitterroot national forest
St. Mary Peak Fire Lookout: A Successful Partnership
Speaker: Clare O'Connel
Abstract:
This presentation highlights a successful 14-year collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service and the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation to operate and maintain the historic St. Mary Peak Fire Lookout in the Bitterroot National Forest near Stevensville, Montana. Combining federal stewardship with nonprofit engagement, the partnership encourages public involvement in wilderness conservation, strengthens fire detection efforts, and preserves a cultural landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The talk will explore the project’s origins, challenges, and achievements, demonstrating how shared efforts keep the lookout active as both a fire management asset and a symbol of wilderness heritage in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.