I'm in North Dakota for a few days taking some time off, so I couldn't pass up taking the time to go explore a portion of the Custer Gallatin National Forest on the drive up from Wyoming. I've had this particular fire lookout tower on my to-do list for a while after seeing it in the photostream of one of my Flickr contacts thank you, Gary, for all the info. The Forest Service roads are mostly "two-track" roads that would probably be sketchy in wet or winter weather even with 4-wheel drive I know when to say when with my 2-wd Envoy.
I shot this knowing I would have a bit of distortion and some blown highlights in this bracketed sequence but the others I shot simply don't look quite as dramatic. This is a CCC-construction, dating back to It was built on its side on the ground, then tilted upright once completed. It is very similar to the fire towers I used to climb back in Tennessee and Kentucky many have been razed now except that the stairs climb diagonally as opposed to twice as many landings that are squared to the structure and there is steel mesh beneath the handrails there was none on the Southern fire towers.
I only climbed to the first landing but the wooden treads still appear solid I often wonder how often they were replaced over the years. The antennas are probably the most modern features here, as well as a sign on the pole at the base advising visitors that this is NOT a bathroom a fresh cowpie beside the pole confirmed that the cows that graze in these hills do not read such signs lol.
The weather promised hit-and-miss lighting today during my drive north from Casper, Wyoming to North Dakota but it made for dramatic skies by the time I arrived at Capitol Rock in southeast Montana. None of this mattered so much as the peace and quiet I enjoyed during the entire visit, for not a single human sound could be heard and even the breeze was exceptionally light.
After encountering crowds of people and traffic at Devils Tower earlier today , this was a welcome respite. Many thanks to Gary S. It's a relatively smooth "two-track" road up to this location but it does rapidly deteriorate north of Capitol Rock.
