Three Fingers Lookout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Three Fingers Lookout
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Lookout is white building on left peak
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 Location in Washington (state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Darrington Ranger District on the southernmost peak of Three Fingers, Darrington, Washington |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1930 |
| Built by | Engles, Harold; Et al. |
| MPS | USDA Forest Service Fire Lookouts on Mt. Baker--Snoqualmie National Forest TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001190 |
| Added to NRHP | July 14, 1987 |
The Three Fingers Lookout is a special old building high up on one of the peaks of Three Fingers Mountain. It's located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Snohomish County, Washington. This lookout was built way back in 1930 in a super tricky spot! It's one of the oldest buildings of its kind still standing in the forest. It was added to a list of important historical places in 1987, and a group of climbers now helps take care of it.
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What is the Three Fingers Lookout?
The Three Fingers Lookout is a small, one-room wooden cabin. It measures about 14 by 14 feet (4.3 m × 4.3 m) (which is like a small bedroom). This building sits right on top of the southernmost peak of Three Fingers Mountain. It's built to be very strong because of the high winds and tough weather up there.
How is the Lookout Built?
The wooden floor of the lookout is bolted directly into the rock of the mountain. Strong cables, called "guy cables," are also attached to nearby rocks to hold the building firmly in place. The outside of the cabin is covered with wooden boards.
The windows have strong shutters that can close to protect the building from storms. Some of the original shutters blew off in strong winds, so they had to be replaced. Inside, the walls and ceiling are covered with original wooden panels. There's even a special chain inside that helps make the building stronger against powerful winds. The lookout also has a system to protect it from lightning strikes.
Building the Lookout: A Big Challenge
Building the Three Fingers Lookout was a huge job! It took three years, from 1930 to 1932, to finish. Two main people, Harold Engles and Fred Benesh, led the project.
Why Build a Lookout Here?
In 1929, Harold Engles and Harry Bedel climbed the peak to see if it would be a good spot for watching out for forest fires. They realized it was perfect because you could see so much from up there!
How Did They Build It?
First, they had to blast away 15 feet (4.6 m) of rock from the top of the peak to create a flat spot for the building. Imagine that! Then, all the building materials were brought by pack animals (like mules) as close as they could get to the summit, which was still about 600 feet (180 m) away. From there, they used a special tram system to get the materials up to the building site. Workers had to use ropes and ladders to reach the spot.
The building is a type called an L-4 Forest Service lookout. It's almost exactly like other L-4 lookouts, but it doesn't have an outside walkway because of where it's built on the rocky peak.
Life of the Lookout
The Three Fingers Lookout was used by forest rangers to spot fires every summer from 1933 to 1942. After that, it was left empty because there wasn't enough money to keep it staffed.
Today, a local group of mountain climbers helps take care of the lookout. They make sure it stays in good shape. In 2015, the roof was replaced. Materials for the new roof were flown in by a helicopter from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office!
