YUBA COUNTY
PIKE COUNTY PEAK
Plumas National Forest
September 30, 1913: "Like some of the wonderful people encountered by the Swiss Family Robinson in their travels, the keeper of the lookout station at Pike's Peak, on the Tahoe National Forest, is a tree dweller, his home day and night being near the top of a tall pine, between 75 and 80 feet from the ground.
Desiring to locate a lookout station at Pike's Peak and no funds being available for the erection of a tower, the Forest Service officials decided to utilize an immense pine which stands on the crest and overtops all surrounding timber. Nearly 80 feet from the ground the branches were thinned out and a stout circular platform built entirely around the trunk, it having a width of about 8 feet. A perpendicular ladder built against the tree extends from the ground to the platform.
On this aerial lookout a watchman has spent the entire present summer, scanning the sea of timber all about for fires.
A telephone is installed in the tree, whereby he quickly reports any outbreaks to the main office of the service at Nevada City. By the aid of the Tahoe Forest map, a copy of which is in each station and at the main office, he is able to give the approximate location of fires in his section.
From the fact that the lookout station at Banner has a height of 40 feet, it will be realized that the 80 foot tree station at Pike's Peak is considerably up in the air. When the wind blows it has a vibration which is inclined to make the uninitiated seasick. Climbing the perpendicular ladder, also is not a task to be lightly undertaken unless you happen to be a sailor or a steeple jack." (Morning Union)
Desiring to locate a lookout station at Pike's Peak and no funds being available for the erection of a tower, the Forest Service officials decided to utilize an immense pine which stands on the crest and overtops all surrounding timber. Nearly 80 feet from the ground the branches were thinned out and a stout circular platform built entirely around the trunk, it having a width of about 8 feet. A perpendicular ladder built against the tree extends from the ground to the platform.
On this aerial lookout a watchman has spent the entire present summer, scanning the sea of timber all about for fires.
A telephone is installed in the tree, whereby he quickly reports any outbreaks to the main office of the service at Nevada City. By the aid of the Tahoe Forest map, a copy of which is in each station and at the main office, he is able to give the approximate location of fires in his section.
From the fact that the lookout station at Banner has a height of 40 feet, it will be realized that the 80 foot tree station at Pike's Peak is considerably up in the air. When the wind blows it has a vibration which is inclined to make the uninitiated seasick. Climbing the perpendicular ladder, also is not a task to be lightly undertaken unless you happen to be a sailor or a steeple jack." (Morning Union)
August 26, 1921: "We'll Hand it to Lookout Foss. A fire in the center of Camptonville last week was first discovered by Lookout Foss of the Pike County Lookout. This fire was between the store of the Meek Mercantile and a garage run by Pauly Brothers Stage Company. Men working in both places knew nothing about the fire until Guard Sweet, who received the advice from Lookout Foss, arrived on the scene. The Pike County Lookout is nine miles distant. (Tahoe)" (California District News Letter)
June 7, 1923: "May 14 Joseph Shaffer opened the station on Pike County peak. The fire situation has been very encouraging, to date." (Feather River Bulletin)
August 16, 1923: "Fire discovered by tourists, near Forbestown on the west side of the Plumas Forest area, was reported to the fire lookout on Pike County peak at 11:30 0'clock Thursday night. Quick action on the part of the Forest Service limited the destruction to one acre of property. The spot burned is twenty-five miles east of Oroville." (The Plumas National-Bulletin)
October 11, 1923: "Four lookouts of the Plumas National Forest Service were released this week, but one, Joseph Shaffer, stationed on Pike County Peak in Yuba County, being retained. He probably will be discharged before next week." (Feather River Bulletin)
May 22, 1924: "Joseph Shaffer, of Challenge, will be located on Pike County Peak, during the fire hazard period." (Feather River Bulletin)
September 30, 1926: "Ranger Will Hayes went to Pike Peake lookout station recently on Forest Service business." (The Plumas National-Bulletin)
November 1, 1928: "The rain Monday night has reduced the fire hazard throughout the county sufficiently so that Forest Supervisor D.N. Rogers called in all fire guards and lookouts Tuesday night, with the exception of the lookout at Challenge on Pike's county peak." (Feather River Bulletin)
November 24, 1928: "Mrs. J. W. Vance of Clipper Mills, the only woman forest fire lookout in the Plumas National Forest, was a visitor in Oroville this morning.
During the summer, Mrs. Vance was lookout on Pike County Peak lookout station near Challenge. Her companion was her four-year-old son. She reports 15 inches of snow at Clipper Mills." (Oroville Mercury Register)
May 19, 1932: "Four of the fires, occurring in the Challenge district, were of incendiary origin. A fire guard has been placed on duty and Pikes County Peak Lookout has been manned," (Feather River Bulletin)
September 15, 1932: "Special measures to cope with the situation were taken when it was realized the fires were being set at night. A night shift was placed on Pike County Peak lookout." (Feather River Bulletin)
August 24, 1933: "Mountain lions are preying on deer in the Pike County Peak area according to reports received here and State Lion Hunter Ledshaw has been requested to go immediately to the Challenge country.
A large female lion was killed within a short distance of the Plumas national forest lookout station on Pike County Peak on August 19 by Ed Wagner, Indian hunter, from Oregon Hill. Wagner reports the lioness as having two kittens with her, but that he was unsuccessful in his attempt to capture them.
William Wall, forest service lookout man, on Pike County Peak, states that he has noticed tracks crossing the road to the lookout on many occasions recently, and believes that there at least three lions in that immediate vicinity." (Nevada State Journal)
A large female lion was killed within a short distance of the Plumas national forest lookout station on Pike County Peak on August 19 by Ed Wagner, Indian hunter, from Oregon Hill. Wagner reports the lioness as having two kittens with her, but that he was unsuccessful in his attempt to capture them.
William Wall, forest service lookout man, on Pike County Peak, states that he has noticed tracks crossing the road to the lookout on many occasions recently, and believes that there at least three lions in that immediate vicinity." (Nevada State Journal)
May 23, 1935: "Due to the present fire weather conditions existing through the forest, the lookout on Pike County Peak in the Challenge district was manned May 16. William Wall has been stationed on Pike County Peak." (Feather River Bulletin)
April 27, 1939: "George Cunha has been sent to Pike County Peak lookout." (Feather River Bulletin)
October 8, 1942: "Joe Miguel who spent the summer on Pilot Peak as a Forest Service Lookout moved down to Pike County Peak Monday to replace one of the lookouts there who had taken ill." (Plumas Independent)
November 14, 1946: "Because of extreme fire hazard, conditions on the Plumas Forest's west side Fire Control Officer Stowell stated fire lookouts were reinstated last Friday on Pike County Peak near Challenge, and at Big Bar Mountain in the Merrimac District." (Feather River Bulletin)
August 26, 1948: "Hauling water to Pike County Peak Lookout yesterday, Fireman Bill Fleming and I were surprised half way up the mountain by a coyote dashing madly across the road a few feet in front of the car. Not more than 10 feet behind the coyote was a big black tail doe, ears back and flag flying, charging the predator with blood in her eyes, and paying no attention to the oncoming truck.
The chase continued in view for a hundred yards with that coyote stepping out like greased lightning, turning quickly, dodging, and using every trick to keep the doe from catching him." (Feather River Bulletin)
1983: The 20 foot steel tower and cab on Lexington Hill was dismantled and re-erected on Pike County Peak.
