Skywatch Friday: Horse Butte Lookout

 Today my hiking buddy and I went in search of an old fire lookout tower in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.


We were in Elizabeth's Prius and had to park at the base of this Forest Service road.  It is a primitive road and a Prius is not built for that type of terrain.


If you can't drive then you have to hike up the mountain.  We had beautiful views of Lake Hebgen.


We passed the tallest thistles I've ever seen.


We also had fantastic views of the Henry's Lake Mountain.s.


We came to a fork in the road and tried to decipher the map.  I think the Forest Service should invest in some "you are here" stickers.


We chose to continue up the mountain and before long we reached the tower.


This tower had obviously been abandoned quite some time ago.  A locked gate at the bottom gave the impression that maybe people were supposed to stay out.


Nowhere did it say you couldn't climb to the top so when Elizabeth climbed over I decided I needed to follow her to make sure she was safe.


Amazing views from up there and we think we actually spotted a small fire to the south.


The lookout started as a crow's nest platform built in the 1920s.  In 1953 it was improved with live in quarters.  The tower is on the National Historic Lookout Register.




After safely making our descent we enjoyed a snack at the picnic tables and took a few more minutes to enjoy the view.


There was lots of haze in the sky due to fires in the area so my pictures are lacking brillilance.



We said goodbye to the tower and made our way back down the mountain.

This was a 4.5 mile out and back hike.  It was the first hike of the day.  Stay tuned for a post on our second hike at the ghost town of Earthquake Lake.

Linking with Skywatch Friday



Comments

Small City Scenes said…
What fun and how interesting. My friend and I stayed st a lookout tower in the Oregon mountains---The views were magnificent.
MB
August 14, 2020 at 12:09 AM
Jim said…
Love that first tower shot.
August 14, 2020 at 1:28 AM
Spare Parts and Pics said…
You guys are such outlaws, ha ha! I would have a hard time not exploring up top, too. Gorgeous views!
August 14, 2020 at 1:36 PM
Yogi♪♪♪ said…
What an adventure. You know Gramps was looking out for you guys on the hike.
August 16, 2020 at 12:59 PM
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