Red Mountain

[drm]

Returned to do a traditional spring route for me, skiing to the Red Mountain Lookout on the summit. This particular Red Mtn is on the southern boundary of Indian Heaven. This year I was joined by a large group - there were seven of us total for the 6+ mile road ski up. We were able to drive to about a mile and a quarter from the Four Corners junction. Snow conditions varied and the summit was completely wind-packed unfortunately, as it often is good telemarking terrain on top. But after the grueling trip, the 360 degree views were breathtaking. The wind had been the day before and it alternated between completely calm and a light breeze at the summit.

climbing up

east side road, final section up

Turning the final corner, and there it is!

The verandah was snowy

Mt Adams and Indian Heaven peaks. That knob in the middle is Lemei Rocks (not Sleeping Beauty)

[Bosterson]

Very nice, Dean. I've only been up there in fall and the wind was always brutal, so you got both a perfect snowy view as well as nice weather!

FYI for your last photo - I believe the "knob in the middle" is actually Lemei Rock. I think Sleeping Beauty is off to the right of it in front of Adams and not really visible.

[drm]

I pulled out the map and both Lemei Rocks and Sleeping Beauty are just left of a straight line between Red Mtn and Adams. So since Red Mtn and SB are about the same altitude and Lemei Rocks (and the ridge around Lake Wapiki) are higher, I guess you are right. SB would be hidden behind the ridge immediately to the right of Lemei Rocks.

[Water]

nice pics, have wondered about winter/snowy ventures up there. Wish there was a little more soft/flat grand up there for tenting but it's slim pickings for overnight unless you slept on the cat-walk.

this was supposed to become a rental lookout.

2010 people restored it after wind storm damaged it in 2006.
2014:

Rick McClure, Gifford Pinchot National Forest archeologist and historic preservation officer, said Red Mountain Lookout, at almost 5,000 feet elevation just outside the southern end of Indian Heaven Wilderness, is close to being ready to rent.

Cheryl's LO blog says the FS said it can't be a LO because they're not a toilet up there. But Snow Camp LO down in the Coast Range, it doesn't have a toilet. It has a port-a-potty sat on a crumbly concrete slab on the side of a hill.

[wnshall]

very cool! Is this a typical time of year to do this route?

[justpeachy]

Cheryl's LO blog says the FS said it can't be a LO because they're not a toilet up there. But Snow Camp LO down in the Coast Range, it doesn't have a toilet. It has a port-a-potty sat on a crumbly concrete slab on the side of a hill.

Yeah, the toilet excuse doesn't make sense to me. When I called the ranger station (back in 2017, I think) to ask about why the lookout had never become a rental they said "because there's no toilet." Okay, so put in a toilet! They were unable to tell me why they couldn't/wouldn't construct a vault toilet or bring up a porta-potty. Also, isn't this something they should have figured out before they went through the restoration process?

[drm]

I think I usually went a little later than this, but we had a series of heavy winters between say 2007 and 2012, so that might be why.

As to it becoming a rented facility, my understanding is that any such additions require approval from the Forest Service Region Resource Advisory Council (RAC). We are in Region 6, which covers Oregon and Washington. If you do the searches, you will find that the last meeting of the Region 6 RAC was in 2010. The RAC is not functioning because it does not have enough members. The fault for this lies somewhere high in the bureaucracy well above our local people. I have heard that there are a number of facilities ready for renting but they cannot be added until approved by the non-functioning RAC.

You mention Rick McClure, Gifford Pinchot National Forest archeologist and historic preservation officer. But Rick retired years ago, and his position has also not been filled. He emailed me not too long ago that he was volunteering for a lookout restoration effort up near Rainier. I have been told that non-fire related Forest Service staffing is down 80-90% from say 40 to 50 years ago. So I guess it's not surprising.