Sometimes, I find that when we make a plan (or a fire lookout tower reservation) in life, we never quite know what will be going on at that point but just that we will want an adventure or getaway as much then as we do the day we plan it. I made my Pickett Butte Lookout Tower reservation nearly a year ago, after several unsuccessful attempts over five years, and even had to change the reservation last November when I ended up going to see family for Thanksgiving. Little did I know when I reserved that lookout that I would be taking my amazing adventure partner along with me and be right in the middle of moving onto our own homestead. Life is full of wonderful surprises.
My partner and I, along with his parents who were visiting from Illinois, took a break from unpacking at the new place to head up the Umpqua River for a Saturday at at lookout tower. Since the accommodations were really meant for two persons on the one bed, we got Corey’s parents checked in to a hotel room down in Canyonville, and headed up so they could spend the afternoon up there with us. Since Illinois apparently doesn’t have fire lookout towers all over the place, we were happy to share this new experience with them.
Pickett Butte is quite a bit taller than some of the other towers I’ve frequented, sitting 40 feet above the ground with steep stairs climbing up to the top. I had thought it was much higher, but the website set me straight: http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/Pickett_Butte_Lookout/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=74178
They were almost a bit daunting, even for me, on the way down.
We spent the afternoon taking it easy, reading and enjoying the views. This was much needed in the middle of the hustle and bustle of moving and unpacking.
One unique thing I enjoyed about this lookout was the high mountain meadow spread out below. I imagine many an elk, deer and bear have been observed at dawn and dusk from the catwalk.
I enjoyed sitting down there and examining all the various species of wildflowers.
This fuzzy little Cat’s Ear flower was a delightful find among the meadow grasses.
Most of all, I enjoyed looking out over the mountains rolling into mountains as far as I could see. There are few other views I enjoy quite as much as those from the windows of a fire lookout.
My absolute favorite part of the whole experience was sharing it with my partner. We never quite know where life will carry us when we step out of our door each day, but it always seems to put us in astounding new places we could never imagine. I can’t wait to see what’s going on around me in life during the next fire lookout trip.
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