When I was researching my book I discovered that the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest was readying the Squaw Peak lookout to be a rental. The lookout even had a page on recreation.gov. The project hit some kind of unspecified snag, though, and seemed to be in limbo for awhile.
Yesterday I got the Late Autumn 2016 issue of Lookout Network and it mentioned that the lookout got a new roof, so I went looking online. Sure enough, the RRSNF had posted an update back on September 19:
The Mail Tribune did an article on September 19: “Squaw Peak lookout being readied for possible rental”
The insulated roof that made the Squaw Peak fire lookout a little more comfortable than most in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest almost proved to be its demise.
The fiberglass insulation that helped shield early- and late-season fire spotters over the past 73 years was overrun by mice with less-than-hygienic habits, leaving the roof about to collapse and the Forest Service with no cash to reclaim it.
“It’s a magnet for mice,” says Don Allen as he peruses the mouse remnants still permeating the lookout’s interior ceiling. “We had to wear hazmat gear. We pulled out 480 gallons of insulation and mouse turds.”
Great news! Kudos to the Sand Mountain Society for making this happen.