TRINITY COUNTY
HAYFORK BALLY
Trinity National Forest
32N-12W-3
32N-12W-3
July 17, 1915: "Frank Hoffman is now in charge of the Hayfork Bally lookout while Bob Dahlstrom is the fire guard in this section." (Blue Lake Advocate)
July 1, 1920: "The forest service lookout at the summit of the mountain in Trinity county, known as Hayfork Bally, is Miss Elsie Luckie, a young woman of that section. Miss Luckie lives alone at the summit, 15 miles from the nearest ranch house and 6000 feet above sea level." (The Oregonian)
August 3, 1920: "July Lightning Storm on the Trinity. This storm set 24 fires, all of which were put out with but little cost. In addition four cows standing beneath a tree were killed by one bolt. Miss Lucky, Hayfork Bally lookout and Mrs. Leventon, telephone operator at Hayfork received severe shocks while using the line. -- Trinity Forest News." (California District News Letter)
August 14, 1920: "Miss Elsie Luckie, forest service lookout on Hayfork Bally mountain within the Trinity national forest, although not exposed to danger from mountain lions, finds it necessary to salt the deer at some distance from the lookout station in order to prevent them from congregating about the house.
This lookout station happens to be within game refuge No. 1D, which was established several years ago and which is effectually fulfilling the object of its creation.
Various lookouts on this mountain within the past few years have noticed a great increase in the number of deer and Miss Luckie sees a great number of them daily. One morning she counted at one time 87 deer, mostly large bucks, feeding in the brush just beneath her lookout, and during the month of July she counted 1250 deer. Undoubtedly, in both cases, the counts were far below the number of deer actually within the vicinity of the lookout." (Red Bluff Daily News)
June 24, 1931: "Marion Kay is busy hauling lumber from the Diamond Match Company's yard at Redding to the end of the Big creek road in the Hayfork district. The lumber is to be used for construction of a two rooms house for the lookout and a horse barn at the station." (The Searchlight)
July 9, 1931: "Marvin Goodyear of Weaverville has been employed to construct a house for Hayfork Bally lookout. The lumber is being packed in with a string of six mules." (Shasta Courier)
August 20, 1932: "Mr. Prescott of Hayfork Valley pleaded guilty in the Federal court in Eureka on August 8, 1932, on a charge of breaking in a Lookout Station on Hayfork Bally some time last winter. One pair of binoculars and other lookout equipment were taken, also provisions left in the cabin by the observer when going off duty on October 10, 1931. Ranger Beals investigated the case and with the aid of finger prints and tracks made in the snow the guilty party was easily followed." (Blue Lake Advocate)
October 17, 1932: "Hayfork Bally lookout station is being abandoned for the season. Charles Farmer moved to Hayfork, October 13." (Courier-Free Press)
May 27, 1939: "Trapped in a six-by-six foot iron and glass cage atop a thirty-five foot steel tower in the heart of a roaring thunder storm, amid blinding flashes of lightning and deafening thunder claps, was the experience of a forest lookout man on Hayfork Bally during the recent storm.
Ordinarily descending from the tiny 'crow's nest' to the shelter of the cabin when a lightning storm moves close to the mountain top, the observer on this day was intent on recording strikes from the approaching storm and when he started to descend he found the tower, although equipped with lightning insulation, so charged with electricity that tiny flashes shot from his body to the metal parts of the stairway with an accompanying sensation that was decidedly uncomfortable.
The Lookout states that while a severe electric storm is a magnificent spectacle when viewed from such a vantage point, one such experience is enough." (Blue Lake Advocate)
October 18, 1947: "William Rowland, lookout on Hayfork Bally, is recovering from an illness which struck suddenly Monday afternoon which he was on duty at his remote station. Al Weisgerber made the trip to the lookout station on horseback and brought Rowland down. Ray Beals and Dan Weddie took him on to Weaverville where he was hospitalized." (Blue Lake Advocate)
September 9, 1958: The U.S. Air Force acquired approximately one quarter of an acre near the lookout for an unmanned Gap Filler radar station. The improvements included a concrete block building, two 15,000 gallon underground fuel tanks, antenna tower, fencing and an improved gravel road.
April 26, 1963: The site was discontinued and returned to the Forest Service.
April 26, 1963: The site was discontinued and returned to the Forest Service.
DESIGNATION - HAYFORK BALLY LOOKOUT TOWER
PID - LU2132
STATE/COUNTY- CA/TRINITY
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - HAYFORK BALLY (1982)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1961 (JCC)
THE STATION IS LOCATED ON THE SUMMIT OF HAYFORK BALLY MOUNTAIN,
15-1/2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEAVERVILLE, 8 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST
OF HAYFORK AND 6 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF THE BIG BAR GUARD
STATION.
A TRAVERSE CONNECTION WA MADE TO TRIANGULATION STATION HAYFORK
BALLY FROM THE CENTER OF THE LOOKOUT, DISTANCE BEING 120.55
FEET OR (36.744) METERS EAST OF THE STATION.
THE LOOKOUT HOUSE IS ON THE TOP OF A 4 LEGGED STEEL TOWER THAT
IS 50 FEET HIGH AND PAINTED WHITE.