[Gimpilator]

The various lookout lists that I use (http://www.firelookout.com/wa/pinemtn.html  and  http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=5004) led me to believe that the Pine Mountain (4300') lookout tower west of Yakima was still in place.  So yesterday my friend Sarah and I hiked up the south ridge to check it out.  It was gone!  Where did it go?  There was no evidence of a lightning strike burn which if often the number one killer of these old structures.  It appeared as though the tower was unscrewed from it's foundation and just taken away.  Does anyone know more about this?  I couldn't find any hint of the answer.  Now there's only 100 lookouts left in WA.



--------------
http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=25744
http://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ClimbListC.aspx?cid=2650&sort=elevft&u=ft&j=-1&y=9999

Keep climbing mountains and don't slip!

[Eric]

Bummer. But at least now I don't have to drive all that way to do that one and then find out it is not there. 

The lookout appears on the google maps satellite image and there is no mention of it being removed on firelookout.com. Probably a pretty recent development.

You might drop an email to Greg so he can remove it from the list on peakbagger.

My understanding is that this one was on either private land or DNR land. DNR is more or less trying to get rid of all of their lookouts and a lot of the private ones are coming down to as the liability/nuisance factor outweighs the perceived benefit.

--------------
"Rock is also the only of the three that exists in nature naturally.  Next time some climber above you yells, "ROCK!" hold up a piece of paper, or thousands of papers, and see whether or not paper beats rock."

[Gimpilator]

Thanks Eric.  I actually just wrote to both Greg and Rex so that they could update Pine Mountain on their lists.  Ever gone to Jumpoff Joe?  I might try that one next time.  Hopefully it will still be there.

--------------
http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=25744
http://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ClimbListC.aspx?cid=2650&sort=elevft&u=ft&j=-1&y=9999

Keep climbing mountains and don't slip!

[Eric]

Is this the Jumpoff Joe sort of by White Pass? I visited that one on 5/30/10 and it was still there. But it was abandoned with some windows missing and in poor shape. I came in on the road from the East along Divide Ridge that starts up near Windy Point Campground and the drive was rough and required high clearance. Presumably snow covered currently quite a ways from the peak as I was blocked by snow about 2 miles from the peak in late May. No doubt you could come up with some alternate winter route from near the highway at a closer parking spot although there are some cliffy bits to navigate through in some places. Kloochman Rock to the West looks cool as do the cliffs on Goose Egg Mtn.

--------------
"Rock is also the only of the three that exists in nature naturally.  Next time some climber above you yells, "ROCK!" hold up a piece of paper, or thousands of papers, and see whether or not paper beats rock."

[lookout bob]

As far as I know, Pine Mountain was removed about 4 years ago.  Jumpoff is still there.  There is a group in Yakima that is considering renovation that lookout.  It is a damn shame when they disappear.    

--------------
"Altitude is its own reward"
John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")

[Curtissimo]

There used to be one on the Skyline trail also near Yakima but when we went up a few years ago all that was left was the foundation; sad.

[Magellan]

Bummer.  Only 90 left now...

[Redwic]

I see you took my suggestion to find a lookout tower down that way, but it was gone! It happens. 

You mean there are two Jumpoff Joes in Washington?
Is one Jump Off Joe and the other Jumpoff Joe? Weird. This Joe guy did not know when to quit jumping off peaks, I guess. 

--------------
Highpointers Aren't Born... They Ascend.

[Eric]

Yeah there are multiple Jumpoff Joes. A quick check shows 13 results in TOPO if you search for Jump and several of them are Jumpoff Joe Mtns. One Jumpoff Jim and some plain ole Jumpoffs. And actually, the lookout we are talking about is just Jumpoff Lookout rather a Jumpoff Joe.

Hopefully the memorial plaque up there by the lookout for some young guy is not for someone who took the name literally.

--------------
"Rock is also the only of the three that exists in nature naturally.  Next time some climber above you yells, "ROCK!" hold up a piece of paper, or thousands of papers, and see whether or not paper beats rock."

[Gimpilator]

Dang, I had no idea there were so many suicidal Joes out there.  Yeah, I was referring to the one on Divide Ridge.

--------------
http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=25744
http://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ClimbListC.aspx?cid=2650&sort=elevft&u=ft&j=-1&y=9999

Keep climbing mountains and don't slip!

[Bryan K]

--------------
www.youtube.com/bkraai | www.flickr.com/photos/bkraai/sets/