South Baldy Lookout

South Baldy stays bald due to fires, the most recent was August 2015 when a fire started high on the mountain. Thankfully, fire crews burned out around the lookout tower as a precaution against the spreading fire. The cab is a 14x14 foot, R-6 flat roof sitting on top of a 41 foot wooden tower constructed in 1960. This was the fourth lookout to occupy the site. The first was a one-room log cabin built in 1909, which was replaced by another log cabin in 1915 and an R-3 cupola lookout in 1929. (One reference said the first log cabin was built 1/2 mile southeast of the present lookout). This current lookout was staffed most summers until 2010 when thieves stripped all the copper lightning protection wire from the tower. As a result the tower can not be staffed.

From Usk, take Kings Lake Road over the Pend Oreille River to an intersection. The Kings Lake Road goes straight. Go past the campgrounds and follow FR50 up to the ridge. Go north on the ridge and the road slowly deteriorates as you get closer to the summit. High clearance is probably needed as the road gets rocky, if not, easy to walk.

Elevation: 5,961 feet
Hiking Distance: Drive-up (3 miles if walking)
Elevation Gain: Drive-up (1,300 if walking)
Access: High-clearance needed

Stories found by Ron Kemnow:

August 12, 1909: "Two lookout stations, one on White Tail Butte and another on Bald Mountain, were established during the month of July in district 1, to work in connection with the lookout station on Mount Greeley in T. 34 N., R. 45 E. W.M., for the purpose of testing the lookout system and experimenting with the U.S. army heliograph as a means of communication between distant and difficultly accessible points." (The Newport Miner)

June 5, 1922: "E.B. Watkins and crew left yesterday for South Baldy mountain, where the first lookout station is to be located. They will be compelled to make a trail partly through snow. Owing to the warm, dry weather and forest conditions it seemed necessary to get men located at this at this lookout post as soon as possible." (Spokane Chronicle)

July 14, 1925: "Paul Blickensdorfer, lookout at South Baldy ranger station, north of Priest lake, was killed by the electrical storm which struck north of here yesterday. Blickensdorfer was a student at the University of Idaho. His father is a physician at Cincinnati, O. Young Blickensdorfer had worked two seasons in the forest service. He was sleeping on the floor of the lookout cabin, having given up his bed to visiting forest officials, when killed. No others in the cabin were injured." (Morning Oregonian)

July 25, 1925: “Paul Blickensderfer, forest service lookout stationed at South Baldy, northeast of Usk, was killed by a stroke of lightning during the electrical storm early Sunday morning, July 12. Blickensderfer and his companion lookout, Orin Blake, were sleeping on the floor of the cabin, having given up their beds to Assistant Forest Supervisor F. T. Carrol and Ranger J. J. Murray, who were visiting at the cabin. The lightning cut three streaks across the floor of the cabin. Blickensderfer lived long enough to raise up and inquire what had happened, then fell back dead. Blake was stunned by the stroke and received slight burns. The two men in the beds were not injured.” (Newport Miner)

May 3, 1934: “Hans Straslaund left this morning to start construction of a new lookout station on South Baldy for the Forest Service.” (The Newport Miner)

South Baldy Lookout from the North

Morning light, looking Northeast

Camping at the top near the cupola site

Memorial to Paul Blickensdorfer

From tower, looking Southeast to the cupola site

Found at point on East ridge (show on map)

Eyebolt for the cupola lookout anchor

Looking SW with Kings Lake and North and South Skookum Lakes below

Looking up at the lookout from the point at the end of the East ridge (a phone line once ran down this ridge)

South Baldy Lookout, the cupola in 1939

Log cabin and cupola in 1933

Text from Firelookouts of the Northwest (Kresek)