Deadman Lookout: Historic site minutes from Fort Collins
RED FEATHER LAKES — A fire lookout tower stretching above the Roosevelt National Forest is no longer used to spot fires.
The tower, formerly a place of vigilant scouting, has been a site for quiet contemplation for nearly three decades. High above the Colorado wilderness, the tower provides visitors with a tangible connection to the past and volunteers with a refuge from the world below.
For one such volunteer, Jerry Partin, the job provided an unexpected place to process the sudden loss of his son. Partin’s only son, Kimani, died by suicide just two weeks before Partin's volunteer training class in 2013. Volunteering in the tower has helped him work through his grief.
“I’ve fought a lot of demons up here,” he said.
He was initially drawn to volunteer at the tower by Jack Kerouac’s "The Dharma Bums," a book Partin cracked open when he was 11 years old. Upon reading it, he resolved that someday he would work in a fire tower. He said his current gig isn’t exactly what he envisioned 50 years ago because he spends more time greeting visitors than he does spotting fires, but it’s close enough.
“It’s the best volunteer opportunity in the world,” he said.
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Not only that, but it also gives him a place with a beautiful view to process his past. Sometimes, he’ll sign up for two- and three-day shifts and spend the night on the tower cab's floor. The cab comes equipped with a bed, but it's too soft for him, so he rests in a sleeping bag.
For nearly 20 years of its 55-year history, the tower remained empty. Since 1989, it's been a popular visitor spot.
The tower — at 10,740 feet above sea level and about 15 miles outside of Red Feather Lakes — is snowed in much of the year. But for a brief period in late summer, the tower opens thanks to its dutiful volunteers. During that short period last year, nearly 2,000 people visited. It will stay open through Sept. 18 this year.
Modern aviation has eliminated the need for dedicated fire scouts. This tower was erected in 1961 to replace a wooden tower, fell into disuse in 1970 and was revived as a visitor landmark in 1989. As one of only eight remaining historic towers in the Front Range of Northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, it has been named to the National Historic Lookout Register.
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Visitors arrive at the top of the 55-foot tall, metal structure huffing and puffing, but they’re rewarded with vistas in every direction. To the north, Wyoming's Snowy Range; to the south, Rocky Mountain National Park; to the east, Red Feather Lakes; and west to the Rawah Wilderness. The top of the tower is an enclosed cab, complete with large windows on each of its four sides. Each side is closely aligned with a compass direction, designed to help scouts orient themselves when they spot a telltale drift of smoke among the pine trees.
Only 10 people are allowed atop the spindly tower at a time.
On a recent afternoon, Partin greeted visitors Antonio Serna and Kevin McCoy of Pueblo. He showed them the Osborne Fire Finder, a tool that lookouts used to spot fires. It, too, is a relic. It’s no longer sold, and its parts aren’t replaceable. Serna experimented with its movable parts before backing away, worried he’d break a piece.
Partin shared stories about the tower and pointed out sights through a pair of binoculars. He pointed to a broken stool in the corner of the room.
Legend has it, decades ago, a bolt of lightning struck the tower and engulfed it in “St. Elmo’s fire,” a phenomena that made the metal in the tower glow bright. It struck fear into the heart of the lookout so much so that he leaped off the stool and broke it in the process.
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After soaking in the views, Serna and McCoy dropped a tip into a wooden box, left their names in a guest book and proceeded back down the tower.
Partin settled in to stay the night.
At night, the tower offers the best view that he can find of the Milky Way, and he sees the distant lights of Red Feather homes and of the wind farms up north. During the day, he spots wildlife and examines the landscape.
His fellow volunteers share in the appreciation for the job. The coordinator, Kristy Wumkes, didn’t hold a volunteer signup or training this year because her returning volunteers filled the calendar within a matter of hours.
On occasion, they have to radio Fort Collins dispatch at the sight of smoke, but for the most part they spend their days soaking up the 360-degree view and greeting visitors who do the same.
About Deadman Lookout Tower
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Days: Mid-July through Sept. 18
Directions: Take U.S. Highway 287 north to Livermore. Turn left (west) onto Larimer County Road 74E (Red Feather Lakes Road). Drive 23 miles to Red Feather Lakes, and continue on 74E where the paved road ends and gravel begins; this is Deadman Road, County Road 86. Drive west for an additional 12 miles until you reach National Forest Service Road 170. Turn right (north) and drive the remaining two miles to the tower. The roads are suitable for passenger cars.
(You might also like: Take an evening visit to Rocky Mountain National Park)