TRINITY COUNTY
PICKETT PEAK
Trinity National Forest
1S-7E-24
1S-7E-24
October 13, 1922: "On Thursday, September 7, Carl Reynolds of Lake Mountain, was burning a log out of a trail on his own land. On Saturday, the Picket Peak Lookout noticed that this particular fire seemed to be spreading so the nearest fireman, W. H. Atkeson was sent there was to investigate. He found that the fire had got away and was nearing the Forest boundary, so he immediately secured some men and went to work on the fire.
On Friday, September 22, Ranger McNeil arrested Carl Reynolds and brought him before Judge Russell of Ruth, where he plead guilty. The man had no mercy so the judge imposed a sentence a sentenced of 30 days in the County Jail, which was suspended." (California District News Letter)
On Friday, September 22, Ranger McNeil arrested Carl Reynolds and brought him before Judge Russell of Ruth, where he plead guilty. The man had no mercy so the judge imposed a sentence a sentenced of 30 days in the County Jail, which was suspended." (California District News Letter)
June 2, 1923: "Picket Peak lookout is located on Southfork mountain between the settlements of Ruth and Forest Glen. This peak has a sixty-foot steel tower which commands a wonderful panorama of the forest. It is reached over four miles of good trail from Ruth, or over seven miles of trail from Forest Glen." (Stockton Daily Evening Record)
October 12, 1923: "G.W. Russell, the well know lookout man on Picket Peak, had a thrilling experience as a hunter on the opening date of the deer season.
With his trusty rifle in hand, he left the lookout cabin very early on the morning of September 1, expecting to take a turn around the mountain and bring back a buck before it was time to report by telephone to the District Ranger.
After traveling a short distance from the cabin, he espied a large rock set away in a thicket of brush and in that direction he made all haste with the hope of finding the treasured buck. Upon reaching the rock a rapid ascent was made and at the top, to his surprise, met face to face a huge mountain lion, who was ascending the rock from the opposite direction with evidently the same ideas in mind as the lookout man, concerning the proper place to hunt.
George states that the appearance of the Big Cat at such short range was a tremendous surprise to him but his aim was true and the first shot was sufficient to put the Big Cat non de combat. - Trinity." (California District News Letter)
June 4, 1931: "Supervisor Barnum and Road Foreman Cuff left, June 18, to select the route of a motor way along the summit of South Fork mountain. This motor way will leave the highway near the summit of the mountain between Forest Glen and Mad River and follow south along the ridge to Horse mountain. The road will go by the Pickett peak lookout station and Lookout George Russell can then go from the station to his home by automobile." (The Searchlight)
November 7, 1931: "Marvin Goodyear and Ed Wyllie moved to Pickett Peak lookout last Monday. They are constructing a new two room house at this station. Lookout Russell will appreciate this much needed improvement." (Blue Lake Advocate)
June 27, 1932: "Carpenters Edward Wyllie and W. O. Bruner are completing a lookout dwelling at Picket peak." (Courier-Free Press)
July 11, 1932: "Carpenter Edward Wyllie has completed the Picket peak lookout cabin." (Courier-Free Press)
March 8, 1933: "A 60-foot steel lookout tower on Pickett Peak, 6000 feet high, in Trinity county, which does duty for several counties, including Mendocino, during the summer fire hazard season, collapsed during the recent snow storm and will probably be an almost total loss, according to Forest Ranger J. Asplund, who made a trip to the peak and found eight feet of snow on the level.
There is a metal house atop the tower which fell in the opposite direction to the lookout house , built two years ago, which otherwise would have been crushed." (Ukiah Republican Press)
July 9, 1938: "The proverbial lonely life of a lookout is not to be this year for at least two of the Trinity Forest lookouts. Donald W. Hodgson, Pickett Peak lookout fireman, was married on June 27 to Miss Ellen Mathieson of Carlotta, and the couple are residing at the guard station." (Blue Lake Advocate)
October 18, 1947: "John Garson, forest lookout man, Wednesday morning reported two inches of snow on Pickett Peak, Southfork mountain, near Forest Glen. He closed the tower for the winter and left the peak." (Blue Lake Advocate)
DESIGNATION - PICKETT PEAK LOOKOUT HOUSE
PID - LU2187
STATE/COUNTY- CA/TRINITY
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - FOREST GLEN (1979)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1961 (JCC)
THE STATION IS THE DETERMINED CENTER OF THE BASE OF THE
LOOKOUT. IT IS ABOUT 23 MILES EAST AND 9 MILES SOUTH OF
BRIDGEVILLE, 9-1/2 MILES EAST OF THE TRINITY-HUMBOLDT COUNTY
LINE, 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FOREST GLEN AND 1-1/2 MILES NORTH
OF RUTH.
THE STATION IS A 16 X 20 FOOT CABIN WITH A 5 X 5 FOOT LOOKOUT
ON THE ROOF OF THE CABIN, WITH AN OVERALL HEIGHT OF 30 FEET
AND IT IS UNPAINTED.