Bear Mountain Lookout Phase 1 2017 - Passport in Time
Main menu:
Current Projects > 2017
Arizona - Apache-Sitgreaves NF
Closed! Bear Mountain Lookout, Phase 1
The wood structures at Bear Mountain
AZ-4347
August 14-17, 2017
Must commit to entire session
Once the Apache National Forest was established in 1908, the Forest began developing administrative sites, lookouts, telephone lines, and ranger stations. Bear Mountain Lookout was one of these, and was originally constructed in the 1910s as a simple, wood platform. The 1918 map of the Apache on file with the Alpine Timber Shop shows reconnaissance was completed in the Bear Mountain area from 1913 to 1914; the lookout and telephone line were in place when that recon was completed. Later, a corral and small cabin were constructed to provide shelter for lookouts who would spend months at a time on Bear Mountain.
The aims of this year’s trip to Bear Mountain are to identify hazard trees – those that may fall or easily catch fire and endanger the structure – trees that may be appropriate for use in repairing the log structures, and to identify trees that need removal to improve historic view shed conditions. We will also undertake removal of leaf litter and duff to improve fire-defensible space, conduct corral repairs, clean up modern trash from around the property, and perform ‘mothballing’ to prevent further degradation to the historic structures over the winter months. This project will involve some hard work – and a hard climb. But, the vistas from atop Bear Mountain are tough to beat, and the forest we will be working in abounds with beauty of all sorts. We hope you will join us this summer for this preliminary phase of the Bear Mountain Lookout project!
Number of openings: 5
Special skills: Must be physically capable of hiking the moderately-strenuous/strenuous, 7-mile hike to Bear Mountain while packing most of own gear; trailhead is at roughly 5,300’(asl), and Bear Mountain tops out at 8,550’(asl); minimal livestock support will be available to pack goods and materials in and out; must be experienced in leave-no-trace backpacking ethics, and appropriate cat-hole techniques; general maintenance, landscaping, logging, and/or historic structure experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 15 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: This is a backcountry project in the Blue Primitive Area; we will tent camp in undeveloped country on Bear Mountain for the duration of the project; no electricity or toilet available on-site. Leave-no-Trace backpacking ethics and appropriate cat-hole techniques must be followed; water treatment tablets or a filtration system required for potable water; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment/filtration systems, food, water, and initial transportation to trailhead
Nearest towns: Alpine
Applications due: Closed!
View Bear Mountain Lookout Phase 1 in a full screen map