HIGH AND DRY

After a recent visit to the lookout tower on Dry Mountain and the need to post something here, I dug through my files and found the following news articles:

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"The Snow Mountain road crew is completing a motor way from the upper Silver Creek section to the summit of Dry Mountain on which point Mr. J.T. Choate will serve as lookout - fireman for the coming summer. A new telephone line was constructed there last year, so with these improvements more efficient fire protection can be given to that extremely hazardous portion of the forest." ~ June 13, 1929 - Central Oregonian

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"Ranger E.W. Donnelly, assisted by fireman Jack Choate and Road Foreman W.J. Baur, is constructing a platform near the top of a Yellow pine tree on the summit of Dry Mountain. On this platform will be mounted a telephone, fire finder, etc., for use of the lookout who will occupy that station. The platform will be more than 100 feet from the ground and will afford a much better view than can be obtained from any point on the ground, since the top of the mountain is pretty well covered with timber." ~ July 18, 1929 - Central Oregonian

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"Jack Choate, who occupies the "crows nest" 110 feet from the ground in a yellow pine tree on the summit of Dry Mountain, says he feels perfectly at home since four 3/8" guy cables have been placed on the tree and the ladder improved to such an extent that he can run up and down the tree in high gear. Road Foreman Baur assisted in fixing up this lookout tree which is the highest platform occupied by a lookout on the Ochoco." ~ September 1929 - The Ochoconian

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In late 1930 a fireman's cabin was constructed near the location of a future tower. The Spring of 1931 a 75-foot Aermotor tower was received by the Forest Service in Prineville. The 11,000 pounds of materials for the tower was trucked to Riley and then to Dry Mountain by team to be erected prior to the fire season. This was the first steel tower to be constructed on the Ochoco National Forest.