Leecher Mountain Lookout

Leecher Mountain is south of Highway 20, wedged between the Methow Valley and the Okanogan Valley. The mountain has over 1,600 feet of prominence making for extremely good distant views. Because of this, Leecher has had many fire lookout structures on the summit.

From Twisp go east on Highway 20 for 2 miles, then turn south on Highway 153. Continue south on Highway 153 for 3.1 miles and then turn left on Benson Creek Drive (FR 4150). Follow for 9.8 miles to the junction with French Creek Road. Turn right, and keep right at the fork at 0.6 miles. Follow French Creek Road for 4.7 miles to the summit or park at the gate if it is closed.

From Brewster, take 7th St. North a few blocks, then turn left on Paradise Hill Road. The pavement ends at 4 miles at a Y with Rat Lake Road. Go left, follow to a Y where the right turn has No Trespass signs. Use map. A bit further around the bend is a road to the left with a gate (hopefully open). Turn left and follow as the map below shows up to the summit.

Photo by Randy Webb. He said the guy who manned this lookout around 1980 was named Cliff. He was a former ranger at the Harts Pass Guard Station. Cliff hauled a car battery up to the cab and had it decked out to run his stereo and he even put up some kind of hangings. His supervisor showed up one day and chewed him out for the hangings and the stereo since the hangings blocked viewing the fires, and the stereo blocked the sound of the radio.

In 1918, there was a crows nest in a tree located 1,000 feet south of the summit and present tower.

In 1922 the Coast Culvert & Flume of Portland built a 45-foot steel lookout tower with a 6x6 foot cage on top. An 18x22 foot log cabin was built by them as well for the forest service, with the help of rangers Pierpont and Price. A heliograph was used at one point.

In 1923 (or possibly 1921), the lookout was Chas. Bossuot.

In 1925, a USGS party placed a marker at the highest point of Leecher Mountain, that was 78.5 feet east of a U.S. Forest Service Steel Lookout Tower.

In 1926, the lookout was Fred Cole, the Forest Supervisor was P.T Harris.

In 1930, panoramic photos were taken on October 11 by W.B. Osborne from the tower. The log cabin could be seen in the images below the tower. The lookout was Richard Bassett, his duties started at the end of June. Also, about this time the Forest Service built a road to the summit. Before the road, access was by a telephone trail from Benson Creek.

In 1931, the Twisp Camp Fire Girls climbed to the top of Mount Leecher. The first lap was to Benson creek, where the base camp was made. The second day was spent on the telephone trail to the top and back. The girls climbed the glass and steel lookout tower overlooking the Chelan forest. The hike home was made on day three. The lookout was Richard Bassett.

In 1932, the lookout was Richard Bassett.

In 1933, the lookout was Richard Bassett. He got a bit of help from Ralph Lawless for a few days helping Richard Bassett, who was handicapped by a bruised hand, sustained when his car was wrecked.

In 1934, the lookout was Richard Bassett. A 28-foot tower was constructed.

In 1936 a ground-mounted L-4 cab for living quarters was built.

Richard Bassett was again the lookout. A late August heavy rain gave him a break from the woods for a short time. In October, he drove into town from the lookout when his dog had broken its leg while chasing a rat. He continued as an observer until almost mid-November, this was a month over any previous year. The long late dry spell did see four small fires due to careless hunters in the woods during the hunting season.

In 1950, a USGS party visited the site and mentions the lookout house as a standard wooden building 14 feet square sitting on the ground and the steel lookout tower 50 feet high and 20 feet square at the base.

In 1953, discussions were underway between forest managers and the regional engineers planning to add a new section to the base of the existing 28-foot steel tower to reach 41 feet. But it was also recommended that they consider the standard 41-foot type TT-1 tower for the location, and utilize the 28 foot tower at some other location.

In 1954 the steel tower was moved to the North Cascades Smokejumper Base for a jump training loft. The L-4 cabin was moved to Slate Peak Lookout. A new 40-foot timber tower was then built, with the cab coming from the Chiliwist Butte Lookout. This is the current lookout tower and cab on the summit today.

In 1956, a USGS party mentions that the previous USGS party in 1950 had a description of a lookout house and steel lookout tower which are no longer in existence. And that a new standard 14 x 14 lookout house on a 50-foot tower now stands centered over the station mark. They also said the top of the lookout tower is 55.2 feet, the eaves are 49.2 feet and the floor is 41 feet above the benchmark.

In 1961, a USGS party reported the lookout house as moved and now lying over the triangulation marker Tablet Leecher 2.

In 2009, a full restoration took place.

In 2010, full-time staffing resumed.

In 2014, the lookout was evacuated by helicopter as flames from the Carlton Complex Fire had effectively surrounded the lookout making escape unsure at a later time. The lookout was not re-staffed as a primary lookout that season.

Leecher Mountain Lookout

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