SISKIYOU COUNTY
PACKERS PEAK
Klamath National Forest
July 23, 1914: "The District Forester has approved the following improvements on the Klamath Forest: Telephone line from Cecilville to Packer's Peak." (Chronological History of the Klamath National Forest, Vol. II, 1911-1920)
July 16, 1921: "Samuel McClemens and Judel Samon went up to the Packers Peak Lookout Station on Saturday. Mr. McClemens will be the Lookout up there for this season. Once a Lookout, always a Lookout---otherwise Mr. McClemens would not want to serve after his experience near Sisson last season when his station was struck by lightning and he nearly lost his life in the fire that followed the bolt. It was his second experience of that kind." (Blue Lake Advocate)
October 15, 1921: "W. McClemmons, Lookout at Packers Peak this season, has returned to his home at Callahan. The Lookout is only kept at this station during the months when the air is smoky, as nearly all the country seen from Packers Peak can be watched from the Shasta or Eddys Gulch lookout stations." (Blue Lake Advocate)
July 7, 1922: "Jacob Leschinski passed through Cecilville the last day of June on his way to the Packer's Peak lookout, where he will be stationed during the season.
The position of lookout at Packer's Peak is difficult to fill, as the station is one of the most isolated in the forest, and it is seldom a lookout returns to this lonely spot for the second year." (Santa Cruz Evening News)
September 2, 1922: "A severe hailstorm, followed by an extreme drop in temperature at the Packers Peak Lookout Station on the Trinity-Siskiyou county line last week, proves that the weather man has his dates somewhat mixed. The storm was accompanied by lightning and heavy thunder. Four inches of hail fell and thick ice formed on the water during the night. During the storm all the surrounding peaks were whitened with snow." (Blue Lake Advocate)
September 15, 1923: "Asst. Ranger Bernard Sullivan paid this district an official visit last week. He went up to the Packer's Peak lookout while here." (Blue Lake Advocate)
October 6, 1923: "An electric storm passed over Packer's Peak, Siskiyou county, with an accompaniment of thunder and lightning. A heavy shower ended with a precipitation of hail that whitened the mountains like snow.
The electric storms in this district usually center around Packer's Peak, and while they last Jacob Leschinsky, forest service lookout, is treated to some awe-inspiring displays of lightning.
The tiny lookout building is anchored to the solid rock of the peak by steel cables, to keep it from blowing off of the cliff, which rises sheer for several hundred feet on the Rush creek side.
When the lightning conductor on the building distributes the bolts that otherwise would demolish the structure, the electricity runs down these cables in shining bead-like drops. A beautiful thing to see, but at the same time nerve-racking." (Stockton Daily Evening Record)
July 5, 1924: "Charles Talcott has gone to Big Flat and will brush out the trail between the flat and the lookout station on Packers Peak. He will also do fire patrol and ride to the station once each day in order to look over the country visible from the lookout cupola." (Blue Lake Advocate)
July 12, 1924: "Talcott at Big Flat has to go to the Lookout at 6 A.M. each day and it takes two hours to make the trip." (Chronological History of the Klamath National Forest, Vol. III, 1921-1930)
August 21, 1926: "Last week Willie Gray carried supplies up to Jas. E. Olsen on the Ironside Lookout station. Gray is an old hand at that sort of thing as he used to carry the mail to Hoopa years ago." (Blue Lake Advocate)
September 11, 1926: "Samuel R. Wallace of the forest service left Thursday for Packer's peak, where they are building a lookout house." (Blue Lake Advocate)
September 23, 1926: "Left Crawford Creek with pack train of sand and cement for foundation of Packers Peak cabin for the Lookout. (The cabin was actually at Big Bend Meadow.) Built the cabin and moved in on the night of the 25th of September. Closed it for the winter on September 27th." (Chronological History of the Klamath National Forest, Vol. III, 1921-1930)
October 5, 1929: "Louis Roff, lookout stationed at Packer's Peak, shot a fat buck last week, his brother, Harlan Roff, packed the meat down to Lakeview." (Blue Lake Advocate)
July 17, 1931: "On the 17th went to Packers Peak Lookout 6:30 A.M. Made visibility map. Helped Duvall put in new window glass and repair ceiling." (Chronological History of the Klamath National Forest, Vol. IV, 1931-1940)
