| Drive-Up | Destroyed |
| Elevation: 5038′ | Coeur d’Alene National Forest |
History
- 1923 – Camp established
- 1926 – 50′ pole with 7×7 cab added
- 1928 – Log cabin added for living quarters
- 1941 – 54′ steel tower erected
- 1963 – Steel tower moved to Long Mt Lookout
- 1963 – 67′ wooden tower with R-6 cab installed
- 2015 – Torn down
Due to the easy access to the tower and proximity to Coeur d’Alene this tower was a popular hang-out spot and was frequently vandalized. Multiple efforts attempted to save the tower, but the USFS decided it was too large a liability and tore it down in 2015.
Local photographer and adventurer, Chris Celentano of CDC Photography helped lead the charge to both save the tower and potentially rebuild a new tower in its place to be put on the rental program. Spokane area tv stations covered the initial push for this but soon community excitement died down and no additional progress has been made on this project.
Chris was nice enough to allow us to use some of his photos from Spades before it was torn down.
Chris poached my photography spot. Then went online and acted like he was the “spades mountain photographer”. He is not. I started a blog in 2008 and continued to go up there until it was torn down. I also talked to Jerry Jines and other forest service personnel about repairing the tower. I was told in 2008 it was going to be torn down. Myself and others kept repairing the tower so that we could go up in it. Eventually the vandals won. And now we have no tower. Chris was not the only person trying to save that tower. Us locals had been trying to save it for a decade before Chris even heard of spades mountain. The forest service did nothing to stop the vandalism. They could have gated the road like they have done now. Now only hikers and bikers and ohvs can even get to spades. If they would have done that spades would still be here. It was in great shape. Until they let everyone ruin it.
What happened to Spade Mountain is incredibly sad, and I agree that gates and a different approach could have made a difference. I am sure many people have fond memories of Spades Lookout and have enjoyed photographing and were involved in trying to save it. We love talking to as many people as possible and if you have any photos or specific stories you would like to share we would love to hear it!
https://efrommsphotoblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/2010-spades-mountain-3/
This a link to one of my favorite days up at spades. I would average a few days a week to go hangout and take photos. There are many more photos in my blog from spades. Feel free to have a look.
Thank you for sharing, we appreciate it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SGnPhkveksI
Footage I shot while walking down from the top to document the vandalism to the tower.
Incredibly sad! Thank you for documenting it.
If you can send me an email link I can send you some photos of spades structure and other tower photos and vids I have from up there. I also have a photo of the old North Chilco fire lookout although its on the ground. It was not very high because the mountain is already pretty high. It was only accessible via the north chilco hiking trail. My father worked for the forest service in the 1970’s out of the fernan ranger radio shop. He would go and service and test the radios that were in the towers. And I would tag along sometimes and get to see the different sites he would visit.