I'm in North Dakota for a few days taking some time off, so I couldn't pass up taking the time to go explore a portion of the Custer Gallatin National Forest on the drive up from Wyoming. I've had this particular fire lookout tower on my to-do list for a while after seeing it in the photostream of one of my Flickr contacts thank you, Gary, for all the info.
The Forest Service roads are mostly "two-track" roads that would probably be sketchy in wet or winter weather even with 4-wheel drive I know when to say when with my 2-wd Envoy. I shot this knowing I would have a bit of distortion and some blown highlights in this bracketed sequence but the others I shot simply don't look quite as dramatic.
This is a CCC-construction, dating back to It was built on its side on the ground, then tilted upright once completed. It is very similar to the fire towers I used to climb back in Tennessee and Kentucky many have been razed now except that the stairs climb diagonally as opposed to twice as many landings that are squared to the structure and there is steel mesh beneath the handrails there was none on the Southern fire towers.
I only climbed to the first landing but the wooden treads still appear solid I often wonder how often they were replaced over the years. The antennas are probably the most modern features here, as well as a sign on the pole at the base advising visitors that this is NOT a bathroom a fresh cowpie beside the pole confirmed that the cows that graze in these hills do not read such signs lol.
Everyone knows that all the best ideas for anything, ever, have been jotted down on beer mats first. Always seeking to be topical rather than typical, we want to make a valuable contribution to the endless public debate about our giddy drinking culture.
