Monday, June 8, 1998

Lagged Lookout Trees

Christine Haese
Copyright June 1998
High Country News




Lagged Lookout Trees
     “Climbed Delodo Tree. Had a bad feeling, so dry and hot. Storm last night brought plenty of lightning, little rain. Spotted smoke to south, blowing northeast. Wind picking up. Climbed down, took compass reading and plotted site on map. Caught hobbled mare and saddled up. Rode to Little Nelson Lake Tree, saw smoke again. Looks like a big fire. Took another compass reading, plotted on map. Will tap into phone line and signal Heber Ranger Station for help. May need extra folks on this fire.” 
- July 1935. Excerpt from firefighter logbook. Heber, AZ. 
(Firefighters recounted their daily thoughts and ordeals in journals).

  
   I first heard about lagged lookout trees from a friend told me her grandfather was a lagtree sitter. So were many other men and women. I wanted to know more.
     The first time I saw a lagged lookout tree, it wasn’t what I expected, but it was certainly a historic landmark. This one was an old, dying, Ponderosa pine, resigned from duty – and barely standing .This tree was marked on an forest map and made a nice drive and day hike. The tree was about 60' tall and lifeless, except for the carpenter ants and acorn woodpeckers scrounging in its skeleton. The heavy iron lags started four feet from the ground and continued upward, greeting the lower branches. From there, boughs beckoned the daring climber. In the 1930's the Civilian Construction Corp. replaced many of the lagged lookout trees with wooden towers. Later, these towers were updated with steel and aluminum. The Deer Springs Tower near Heber, Arizona was built in 1923 – and was the oldest in Arizona.  That was in 1998. That tree is now gone, burned to the ground during the historic Rodeo-Chedisky Fire in the White Mountains of Arizona.
     Lagged lookout trees were originally created to help firefighting efforts in the early 1920's. They were located in forests throughout the West and a few still stand today - some are even still alive and green. Strategic locations were chosen for lookout trees on mountain tops, rims and overlooks. Once selected, each was marked with a wooden or enamel sign telling loggers and firewood cutters of its significance.
     The lags were designed and handmade of tempered steel by blacksmiths. They were screwed or hammered into trees, branching 5" out on each side for easier climbing.
      Some trees with map boards and platforms can also be located. The Kaibab National Forest has such trees officially listed with the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Register of Historic Places.
     If you wish to add a lagged lookout tree to your next forest adventure, visit with a U.S. Forest Service fire officer. These trees represent a significant link in history. Nature and humanity - creating legends of firefighting pioneers.


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