Excellent report and link info.
Thanks for both.
Some of us have nibbled away at the edges of the Seattle & Tacoma watersheds over the years. It is good to see the agencies are providing "legal" visiting options.
I share your old lookout fixation, and am still looking for a copy of Austin Post's oblique aerial shot of the W Crater Mtn Lookout. There is a low-res version in one of the early Beckey guides.
Don't mean to stir the pot too much - but was looking over some of the planning & admin docs for local restricted watersheds, and got the impression that some of the area isn't as restricted as they'd have you believe.
Can't remember if it was Tacoma or Seattle, but one of them contains a lot of DNR land, and they acknowledge that they can't legally restrict people from those DNR inholdings. (Though routes and access may be tricky.)
Coming out next month:
"This new guide to hiking the fire lookouts of Washington’s Cascades and Olympics is the quintessential Northwest guide and will appeal to a wide range of hikers. Features of Hiking Washington’s Fire Lookouts include:
44 fire lookouts—those that feature access by trail
All lookouts are accessible during the typical summer season
Only lookouts that are still standing—no hiking up to a barren mound of broken concrete!
Routes are not technical—hikers just need boots, trekking poles, and, probably, lunch
Lookout history, anecdotes, and full-color photos throughout"
https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/hiking-washingtons-fire-lookouts
Here are a few of my pictures from the visit on Sunday. Thanks Eric for getting the word out for this trip!
The old Taylor Creek trestle was very cool. Kind of sad to think we may be some of the last people to see it before it is scheduled to be removed in 2018. It’s another piece of PNW history being erased to time.
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