PEND OREILLE COUNTY
SOUTH BALDY MOUNTAIN
Colville National Forest
34N-45E-29
34N-45E-29
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)
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)
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)
2010: Thieves stripped all the copper lightning protection wire from the tower. As a result the tower could not be staffed this season.
August 14, 2015: Fire crews burned out around the South Baldy Lookout Tower as a precaution against the spreading Tower Fire. Continued monitoring will be done. (source: Inciweb)
DESIGNATION - SOUTH BALDY LOT
PID - TO0828
STATE/COUNTY- WA/PEND OREILLE
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - BROWNS LAKE (1986)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1966
LOCATED ABOUT 17.5 MI. NNW. OF NEWPORT, ABOUT 10 MI. NE. OF USK, IN KANIKSU NATIONAL FOREST, ON SOUTH BALDY MOUNTAIN, NEAR S. END OF
HIGHEST PART OF MOUNTAIN.
TO REACH FROM USK POST OFFICE, PROCEED E. CROSSING THE PEND OREILLE
RIVER FOR 1.6 MI. TO Y-RD., TAKE LEFT FORK FOLLOWING MAIN RD. TO SOUTH
BALDY LOOKOUT, DRIVE UPHILL FOR 14.6 MI. TO END OF RD. AND STATION.
STATION MARK--A USGS TABLET STAMPED---SOUTH BALDY LOT 1966---
CENTERED UNDER THE LOOKOUT TOWER.