A Fire Lookout

tanjabrittonwriter 35 Comments

If my office sat atop a 9,748 foot rocky perch and offered panoramic views of Colorado’s mountains and plains, I, too, would happily climb 143 steep steps each morning to get to work. I would not frown upon the employer-provided domicile, or upon having to use an outhouse. Rather, I would relish residing remotely each summer, 1.5 miles from, and 939 feet above, the nearest trailhead.

Unfortunately, this lofty office, built in 1951, whose elevated raison d’etre is the early detection of wildfires, does not have any openings, as the role of fire lookout has been filled by the same person since 1984. Mr. Bill Ellis, a U. S. Forest Service employee, was in his mid-50s when he jumped at the chance to take on the full-time seasonal position, moving to the cabin with his wife and, to begin with, their four children, each fire season, with the exception of only a few years. In his mid 80s now, he has become a living legend. His is a dying profession, because modern fire monitoring technologies are supplanting the human eye.

As residents of Colorado Springs, we enjoy occasional newspaper articles about the renowned fire tower lookout at Devil’s Head, a rocky promontory reportedly resembling Satan’s noggin from a few vantage points. This destination had long lingered and languished on our wish list until late June, when we finally saw it for ourselves. Though located less than 45 miles from the city as the crow flies, the trailhead lies off the rough and gravelly Rampart Range Road, and it took us nearly two hours to drive there. Out-of-the-way as it might be, its popularity has been growing exponentially, in lockstep with Colorado’s population, and the parking lot, albeit not full, contained many vehicles on the morning of our weekday visit.

To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover the cursor over it.

Fireweed along the trail
Trailhead to Devil’s Head
Close-up of fireweed
Colorado Columbine
Wild Rose
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

The 1.5 mile, tree-lined, narrow footpath sparkled with wildflowers, glittered with butterflies partaking of their sweet nectar, and resounded with birdsong, the melancholy tune of the Hermit Thrush audible above other voices. When we reached the flat area where Douglas Fir spread their verdant boughs over the couple’s home benignantly, we did not see the second famous local resident, Mrs. Margaret Ellis, but the towels drying on a clothesline in our low-humidity air bespoke her presence.

Summer residence
Laundry day
Outhouse

Huffing and puffing up 143 stairs rewarded us with 360 degree views from the tower, balanced like a raptor’s nest on the uppermost point. Its door was wide open, and inside the well-known lookout, binoculars at the ready, went about his business – the early espying of anything that resembles flickering flames or spiraling smoke, in order to activate a network of firefighters intent on preventing a potentially disastrous spread in our region suffering from a near decade-long drought. Despite an almost constant trickle of hikers, whose numbers approximate 40,000 annually, he greeted each party individually, and seemed more than willing to answer questions, and to pose for a photo.

Fire Watchtower
Stairs to the tower
Fire watchtower
Mr. Bill Ellis

I never tire of elevated places and bird’s eye views and suspect Mr. Ellis shares this sentiment. Despite the physical challenges of living at high altitude, off the grid, and without indoor plumbing for months at a time, and despite the daily demanding trek to his high post, he seemed completely in his element. May his quiet dignity and competence continue to be part of our local landscape and lore for as long as befits him and his wife, and may their future paths be smooth, sunny, and smoke-free.

Hazy view of Pikes Peak in the south
Hazy view of the eastern foothills and plains
Hazy view of the western mountains

Click here for the German version/bitte hier für die deutsche Version klicken:

https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/ein-beruhmter-brandbeobachter/

35 thoughts on “A Fire Lookout”

  1. Wonderful post as always, Tanja! Back in Sri Lanka the company I worked for was located on the 36th floor of the then tallest building in Colombo (which has 37 floors). The views were breathtaking, but having to do fire drills twice or thrice a year was not fun! 😀

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  6. Da auch bei uns in Deutschland durch die Sommerhitze einige Brände entstanden sind, verstehen wir immer mehr, wie wichtig diese Beobachtungsposten sind und diese Arbeit noch von ein paar wenigen Menschen gemacht wird. Der Ausblick von dort oben ist auf jeden Fall wunderschön
    LG Andrea

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  10. Was für eine tolle Aussicht, grandiose Bilder! und Mr. Ellis macht einen supergelassenen und supersympathischen Eindruck 🙂 Dort oben zu leben muß befreiend sein. Immer in luftigen Höhen mit weitem Blick. Da kann man doch nur gelassen werden, wenn man es nicht schon ist! Danke auch für die “Untertitel” beim Vogelfoto 🙂 LG, Almuth

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    • Es freut mich, daß Dir diese Aussicht auch zusagt, liebe Almuth, und daß Du meine Bewunderung für Herrn Ellis teilst. Ich glaube, viele beneiden ihn um seine Stelle, doch ob wir sie so treu wie er über Jahre hinweg ausführen könnten, sei dahingestellt.
      Danke, daß Dir mein Untertitel aufgefallen ist!
      Genieße Dein Wochenende.
      Liebe Grüße,
      Tanja

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      • Mit Mr. Ellis gebe ich dir Recht, aber ich glaube schon, daß es viele Menschen positiv beeinflussen würde, in diesen luftigen Sphären zu leben. Das muß doch einen positiven Effekt haben! Dir auch ein schönes Wochenende. Endlich wieder 28 Grad, aber das fällt ja noch unter angenehm 😉 LG, Almuth

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  11. Did you count the 143 steps yourself?

    Did you notice that because the 1 and the 3 add up to the 4 in the middle, 143 must be a multiple of 11? If you want to know what multiple of 11, delete the 4 in the middle and the 13 that remains is your answer. You might say I’m always on the lookout for mathematical fire.

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  13. What an incredible story of this great man, Tanja! It is really fascinating that he has been doing the same job at the same place for decades. The views are incredible! I wonder if it’s open in winter or autumn for enjoying the views? I imagine the views to be fabulous all year round. Every day job at such a gorgeous and unique office must be like a therapy to him and his wife..

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    • Thank you, Pooja. I find their story very inspiring. I think the trail is open year-round, but I am not sure about the stairs to the lookout, which closes after the end of the fire season. Our winters have been relatively mild lately, but after a snowfall, or a freeze-thaw cycle, those steps would be very icy.

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  15. Tanja – I really enjoyed this post. One of my favorite hikes in Montana is to the site of where a fire look out used to be on the top of Steamboat Mountain. I love the view from such lofty heights. Thank you so much for sharing. -Jill

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