Abernathy Mountain & Lookout Site

Abernathy Mountain was named for the builder of Cowlitz County’s first sawmill. The low elevation allows for access during most of the winter months. A mountain bike trail network covers much of the mountain, starting from the end of the homes on the approach road. A bike is highly recommended even if you are just biking up the road and back, most of the road is on an old rail grade making it perfect for riding uphill.

Summit Elevation: 2,600+ feet
Lookout Elevation 2577 feet
Hiking/Biking Distance: 7 miles each way
Elevation Gain: 2,000 feet
Prominence: 1,160 feet prominence
County: Cowlitz County

As of 2018, non-motorized access is allowed. Sierra Pacific allows access as long as there is no active logging. Also, they will prohibit access during fire danger in dry hot summers.

History
1929: Lookout structure on the ground
1932: 92 foot pole tower, ground living cabin
1939/40: 83 foot treated timber tower with 14 x 14 foot living quarters.
1951: 40 foot wooden DNR tower. Abandoned 1968. Gone by 1973.

A new lookout tower was erected on Abernathy Mountain that “was 92 feet high and, with its location on top of the mountain, furnishes a commanding view of a large territory, much greater than could be seen from the old lookout house on the ground in the same location. This lookout tower is located in the area planted to forest trees by the Long-Bell Lumber Company and gives not only added security to this young growth, but also to a large adjoining district. The tower was erected by our regular wardens under the direction of Mr. C.S. Cowan, Chief Fire Warden of the Washington Forest Fire Association. Mr. Vandercook, superintendent of logging operations for the Long-Bell Lumber Company, gave substantial assistance in delivering the corner post timbers and other material to the end of their logging road on the side of the mountain. He also sent a bulldozer caterpillar tractor to grade roads around three abandoned trestles. The tower was completed in the early part of the summer and was in service most of the fire season." (Division of Forestry Annual Report)

The Long-Bell Lumber Company established the first lookout structure on Abernathy mountain in cooperation with the Division of Forestry.

Work began on a new lookout to go onto Abernathy. Work was left unfinished when the winter weather made roads impassable and workers had to abandon the site. So in April 1940, "Under leadership of Foreman Frank Davis, a crew of 15 CCC enrollees of Camp Doty left this week for the side camp maintained by company 937 near Ryderwood. These men will complete the lookout tower on one of the big hills above the camp, building the house for the forest service lookout and completing other details." They finished the following month in May just prior to a person moving into the tower. The old lookout was dismantled, pronounced by the state division of forestry as unsafe. The former ground house that stood at the foot of the hill was moved closer to the new tower. Information in the Centralia Daily Chronicle said “A house has been built on the top of the tower, 14 feet square and fitted with furniture necessary for the use of the man stationed there to watch for fires in that area. High winds proved quite a handicap to the builders, as some of the gales were so strong, they tore the planks from the scaffolding in the early stages of construction. Signs of a rustic nature, made of cedar planks, have been posted, giving the name of Abernathy Lookout Tower and to warn all people against trespassing on the tower at any time." During the winter, the Centralia Daily Chronicle reported some more specific details of this new structure. "Increased visibility will be obtained from the 85-foot fire lookout being built by the enrollees of CCC company 937 under supervision of Foreman Frank Davis and Engineer John Baker on a high promontory overlooking the hills and valleys near Ryderwood. This tower will be constructed of creosoted timber, bolted together with rings that give additional strength to the building. A winch will be used to hoist the heavy timbers and enable the men to bolt the various levels together without danger from the high winds that blow across the summit of the elevation. A room for the lookout will be built at the top of the tower, being 14 feet square and containing his living quarters and office, with telephone and instruments useful in platting fires that may spring up in the miles of territory covered by this station. Building the stairway as the construction goes up, the hand rails are the only uncreosoted timber used in the tower. Many thousand feet of timbers are required, and the bolts and nails used will weigh more than a ton. This will be one of the most modern towers constructed by the state forestry department and is counted upon for much fire detection work."

A 40-foot timber tower with a 14 foot x14 foot cab was constructed. (Biennial Report of the Forestry Division)

July 15, 1938: "Major C.S. Cowan, chief warden for the Washington Forest Association, telephoned from a lookout tower atop Mt Abernathy that the fire had sent one tentacle behind the mountain and that flames were raging on three sides, endangering 300 firefighters. He said two men were reported missing on the fire lines were found safe. 'We'll probably take the lookout man out of this station this afternoon,' he said. 'It's hard to get him in out of the area, because the fire is running into canyons and in almost inaccessible places.'" (Centralia Daily Chronicle)

Abernathy Lookout 1949

Abernathy Benchmark at 2,600+

Mt. Hood (Jefferson can be seen just outside picture)

Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams to left in clouds

Sierra Pacific Blue Gate

Footing at lookout site with highest point in distance

Set of footings at lookout site

Looking north to Boistfort and the distant Olympic Mountains

Small town of Ryderwood still tucked away in the foothills after all these years

At Abernathy Benchmark looking over at the other 2600+ contour

In October, high winds caused the lookout tower to fall over.

Footing at lookout site

Probably Abernathy Lookout in 1953

Abernathy Lookout in 1953

Cliff Helm obtained the job of lookout as a result of a strange quirk. The former lookout was arrested by a game warden during his first day on the job. He killed a grouse out of season---and in the presence of the official.

Leland Peterson of Bellevue was the lookout.

In May, a State Department of Natural Resources official notified the Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office that windows had been broken out of the Abernathy lookout tower during the past two weeks. By month end, Jodie G. Bynak, a Tacoma woman, had moved into the lookout.

On the 4th of June, Leland Peterson of Bellevue moved into the tower for the summer months, reported by papers as a veteran lookout watchman having served in the Abernathy area previous years. Two weeks later, Miss Carol Williams of Toledo took over the Abernathy tower for the summer. No explanation was given.

There won't be a poem written about it, like 'Aye, tear her tattered ensign down,' but the tower is being dismantled, and the Department of Natural Resources men feel badly about it. We hate to see it go, said Assistant Administrator Wimpy Clark. We depended on it for so many years. But aircraft have taken over the fire watch duties, and the tower, located in an area south of Ryderwood and west of Castle Rock, hasn't been manned since 1966. It had served the department well from 1939. It was vandalism that eventually determined the fate of the Abernathy tower according to Clark, the tower has been shot up, torn up and beat up. Lookout towers have long been a prime target for vandals, Clark said, and this year all those in the Kelso district will be torn down save one.