ANGEL's Tower Tree No. 1

[+2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

We had a great time today! We went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where we stopped by the NPS Admin Building to search for "ANGEL".

 

We found what is left of the "Tower Tree No. 1".

 

 

Notice the ladder going up to where the tree broke off. The broken part is laying behind the tree in this picture. Almost on top of the station disk! The next picture is of the broken part of the Tower Tree on the ground with the ladder showing good and the station disk.

 

 

Now for my question...just who rigged these trees and who used them? The Forest Service or Surveyors? We have seen them referred to as "Lookout Trees" and now "Tower Trees". Can anyone answer this intriguing question?

 

Now for another picture of the best darn "Blaze" with a copper nail and washer that we have recovered!

 

and another of the close-up.

 

As an aside note...look at all of the other logs for this PID.

 

Shirley~

[+NorthWes]

As always, great photos & log info. Those Tower Trees are intriguing... you two are constantly finding something new for me to add to my 'I've gotta find one of those' lists! Thanks...

[+A tapeworm]

...just who rigged these trees and who used them?

THERE'S the real question!

They'd have to lobotomize me before I'd climb up there!

[AZcachemeister]

VERY COOL!

And good to know what those pesky nail-and-washer marks are supposed to look like.

[holograph]

Now for my question...just who rigged these trees and who used them? The Forest Service or Surveyors? We have seen them referred to as "Lookout Trees" and now "Tower Trees". Can anyone answer this intriguing question?

 

Google found one reference to a "fire fighter stories" document that describes the work the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) did on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The CCC was active in the 1930's and was one of the government relief programs during the Great Depression, intended to put young men to work in semi-military work camps.

 

"Almost single-handedly the CCC created a physical plant for fire control on the North Rim. Enrollees moved one metal lookout tower-North Rim tower.-to its present location and constructed a second metal tower at Kanabownits, erected cabins for both, and joined them with telephone wires. They established the tree tower network [emphasis mine]; they laid out the fireroad system; they put in a communications system, a ground return telephone net; they placed metal sheds with handtools at key locations in the woods; they laid out surface trails, some of which we uncover during the construction of the Bawgd Pass trail; they obsessively swept roadsides clean of dead and downed wood, partly for esthetics and partly as a fire prevention measure. The CCC built the first-the enduring-boundary fence. It built the original fire cache. And it fought fire."

Edited August 20, 2007 by holograph

[+2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Now for my question...just who rigged these trees and who used them? The Forest Service or Surveyors? We have seen them referred to as "Lookout Trees" and now "Tower Trees". Can anyone answer this intriguing question?

 

Google found one reference to a "fire fighter stories" document that describes the work the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) did on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The CCC was active in the 1930's and was one of the government relief programs during the Great Depression, intended to put young men to work in semi-military work camps.

 

"Almost single-handedly the CCC created a physical plant for fire control on the North Rim. Enrollees moved one metal lookout tower-North Rim tower.-to its present location and constructed a second metal tower at Kanabownits, erected cabins for both, and joined them with telephone wires. They established the tree tower network [emphasis mine]; they laid out the fireroad system; they put in a communications system, a ground return telephone net; they placed metal sheds with handtools at key locations in the woods; they laid out surface trails, some of which we uncover during the construction of the Bawgd Pass trail; they obsessively swept roadsides clean of dead and downed wood, partly for esthetics and partly as a fire prevention measure. The CCC built the first-the enduring-boundary fence. It built the original fire cache. And it fought fire."

 

Thank you holograph,

 

That answers the what, where, and why of 'tree towers'.

 

I also did a little research on 'lookout trees'. There are 11 listed in the National Register of Historic places for Coconino County. No real directions or exact place to go to take pictures though. Some just state "Kaibab Nat'l Forest'.

That's one big area to go hunt for lookout trees - chock full of other surrounding trees! Here I was hoping to be able to start finding some of these besides BMs.

 

I guess we were lucky to have found 'MURRAY' to see a 'Lookout Tree' (and this one was not included the list of historic places), and 'ANGEL' to see a 'Tree Tower'.

 

Shirley~