Why rebuild the Needles fire lookout?

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cliffhanger

Trad climber

California

Jan 6, 2012 - 02:54pm PT

All structures in fire prone wildlands need to be built with a fireproof exterior. The FS should be at the forefront in promoting this, but it failed terribly with the Needles lookout. It had the worst possible roofing, explosively flammable shakes (a huge fire danger anywhere). The shakes caught a spark and burned the place down. The lookout should be rebuilt but with the fireproof standards that should be required of all structures in areas of fire hazard.

mooch

Trad climber

Old Climbers' Home (Adopted)

Jan 6, 2012 - 05:12pm PT

The SSCA also has copies of the letter.

Withdrawls are a bitch Munge!

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Jan 6, 2012 - 05:52pm PT

History bump...

Here's a few pages from a book which went up in smoke with the tower:

And this very modest entry, describing a significant FA by Rincon Rob Brown and Mike Flood...

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Feb 10, 2012 - 01:23pm PT

Here is the latest update regarding the Needles Lookout:

Needles Update

January 24, 2012 – The Sequoia National Forest (SQF) has committed to beginning the process to rebuild the Needles Lookout and its tower. Through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) the Forest is determining if there are any "significant issues" for natural and cultural resources, and/or social concerns that may need to be address prior to or during reconstruction. We are also beginning to follow up on the outpouring of public interest and offers to help rebuild the lookout, so we can determine how best to plan and organize the rebuild. Through coordination and cooperation with the Buck Rock Foundation, Sierra Club, and Giant Sequoia Monument Association over the next few months we hope to have in place conduits for accepting donations of money, expertise, and determining how to integrate volunteer labor.

Over the next six months we hope to begin developing blue prints, materials lists, equipment, and labor needs, and a signed NEPA decision.

Unfortunately, SQF was unable to contract out the hazardous waste cleanup of the site prior to the most recent storm and is planning on conducting the cleanup in the spring after the snow melts.

How YOU can help now:

We are currently seeking any information on the history of the Needles. Do you have a photos or stories of Needles you would be willing to share? Of special interest would be photos or documentation of the construction of the lookout and blue-prints, plans or drawings of the original cab and tower. Please forward any such information to the Buck Rock Foundation, P.O. Box 540, Squaw Valley, CA 93675 or email: buckrock@inreach.com

Linn Gassaway
Zone Archaeologist
Giant Sequoia National Monument
Hume Lake and Western Divide Ranger Districts
Sequoia National Forest

Phone: 559-338-2251 ext. 396

It looks to be a long and drawn out process, and a big concern is climbing access in the mean time.

One important consideration is that the clean up of the site, which must be done whether the lookout is rebuilt or not, has not yet begun despite the fact that the fire was last July.

Rankin

Social climber

Greensboro, North Carolina

Feb 10, 2012 - 01:32pm PT

Glad to see to see a new lookout is in the works. Climbing at the Needles would feel a little empty without one IMHO.

FeelioBabar

Trad climber

One drink ahead of my past.

Feb 10, 2012 - 01:51pm PT

Did Werner really say that it has "soul"...HAHAHAHAHAHA.

God the cosmic bullshit gets thick in here, but that did make my day with a deep belly laugh.

I am amazed they are rebuilding this thing...especially when they have little to no money, and no doubt it will require a few big lifts with a heavy (at least a medium) to get material in place for the rebuild.

Jet A isn't cheap....but maybe the're gonna run that heavy on Soul, Chi, or some of that other cosmic california feel good bullsh#t.

I'm guessing it's because this particluar one was almost as much of a "tourist" attraction, as a working fire lookout.

Radish

Trad climber

SeKi, California

Feb 10, 2012 - 02:03pm PT

I'm just curious. In the "old" days when there was a climbing access issue we would automatically dial the Access Fund, whose number was right next on the list after 911. This issue is actually two issues, One, to get the Lookout rebuilt and the Buck Rock Foundation is at the helm of this it looks like. Number Two, Getting access to the climbing.Do Climbers still call the Access Fund and is this that kind of issue?

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Feb 10, 2012 - 02:36pm PT

Feelio et al:

This discussion has been taking place across a couple of threads, so you may not have seen that there is zero Federal money available to rebuild the lookout. Money has been allocated to clean up the mess, which includes some form of hasmat work due to materials which burned, and I'm told that the USFS will also pick up the costs of running the proposal to rebuild through the NEPA folks.

The only way the lookout will be rebuilt, as things stand today, is if public contributions are sufficient to make it happen, and the Buck Rock Foundation is taking the point on this effort.

I am told that a large structural engineering company has already stepped up and offered to donate all the services in that regard.

FeelioBabar

Trad climber

One drink ahead of my past.

Feb 10, 2012 - 02:46pm PT

Thanks Ksolem...looking into with my donation because although I don't buy that it has soul (still laughing at that one)..I do think it's a magical place to have a fresh cookie after a route (and the wildland firefighter in me still clings to the romantic idea of fire lookouts in the west).

Cheers and thanks for the info

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Feb 10, 2012 - 02:51pm PT

So it sounds like the money is there to do clean up. Then once the clean up is done, climbing access should be restored.

Does anyone have any insight into the schedule for the clean up?

Radish, you're right. And I have not called the AF. Was hoping someone closer would. I still haven't climbed there. ARGH!

Ksolem

Trad climber

Monrovia, California

Feb 10, 2012 - 03:15pm PT

Was hoping someone closer would

I'm pretty close to the situation, which I would describe as a potential problem at this point, and have made contact with the AF.

Yes hopefully the cleanup will proceed quickly this spring as currently planned and then the road, trail and access across the slabs of Magician will be opened as soon as the work is completed. Of course no closures have been announced yet, and the closure from last season has expired. But I would consider it to be a certainty that while workers are removing wreckage and debris from the tower site the USFS will not want climbers traversing the slabs directly under the work area.

Right now I don't see any reason to be alarmed, but just to be aware of the possibilities which lie ahead.