Hunters Cabin Lookout Site

As early as 1916, there has been a trail to a location known as Hunters Cabin, a high backcountry location at the time, just below a ridge near a water source and open meadows.

The fire lookout site called Hunters Cabin was just over a mile to the southeast of the cabin on a mountain top. Origin date unknown.

In 1925, a newspaper reported "On the divide between the headwaters of the north fork of the Newaukum and the Skookumchuck, a phone line has been installed at Hunter's cabin, a telephone line into that district having recently been completed. Elevation of Hunter's cabin is 2700 feet.” Note: This elevation would match the lookout site and not the cabin site.

In 1940, according to the Kresek inventory, the lookout site had a cabin.

In 1941, the USGS was placing a benchmark on a mountain top above the old cabin site (one mile from the lookout site). The summit had been recently logged off. They gave the benchmark the name HUNTERS CABIN 1941, cemented in a boulder set in ground. No mention of lookouts were given by the crew. Future maps would show this benchmark on maps but it was not the original cabin site nor the lookout site.

In 1952, the fire lookout cabin can be seen in aerial photos.

In 1953, the USGS returned to check their benchmarks near the old cabin site. No mention of lookouts.

In 1954, there was a new cabin at the lookout site. (Kresek Inventory)

In 1956, the lookout was Elmer Balch.

In 1965, the lookout was abandoned. (Kresek inventory)

In 2020, the last remaining remnants of the lookout were obliterated by the construction of a new wind turbine of the Skookumchuck Wind Farm.

The firefinder map (currently in the possession of Ray Kresek) places the center of the map at the cabin/benchmark site. I believe this was an error. There is another error on the map at the nearby lookout of Windy Knob being incorrectly marked on the firefinder map as well. Both locations are one full mile off which seems incredible if the firefinder was the official firefinder. It could be possible the benchmark location was used for fire but the evidence (other than the firefinder) points elsewhere.

From the Windy Knob Lookout, you can follow easy logging roads to the Hunters Cabin lookout site. This is part of the Weyerhaeuser Vail Tree Farm so permits are likely required. Additionally, with the new windfarm, there are probably other restrictions now in place. Skookumchuck Wind Farm construction began in May of 2019, and the project reached commercial operations on November 7, 2020. (My pictures from 2018 just prior to the windfarm development).