The lookout community is a network of unique souls. A bunch of people who are perfectly comfortable being alone on a mountaintop for weeks or months at a time, but who light up the minute they’re in a room full of others who get it. People who’ve spent their lives scanning the horizon, and people, like us, who’ve spent ours scanning old maps, chasing history, and documenting what’s left.
Last weekend, that room came alive.
Cat and I had the honor of attending and speaking at the 1st National Interdisciplinary Lookout Conference, held at the University of Idaho in Moscow. Nearly a hundred folks from all walks of the lookout world showed up: former and current lookout staffers, Forest Service veterans, restoration specialists, photographers, historians, students, and passionate enthusiasts. The event was hosted in partnership with the FFLA and organized by Michael Decker and Andrea Dutto, from U of I, who pulled off an amazing event.
After opening remarks from Michael, Andrea, and Gary Weber (on behalf of the FFLA), we broke into concurrent sessions. There were 3 concurrent sessions in different rooms, and we were up first in our session. Being first meant we could get our jitters out early and settle in to enjoy the rest of the conference. Our talk focused on who we are and what we do at Idaho Fire Lookouts, not the history of the towers (everyone already knew that), but the story behind our project…the people we’ve met, and the places we’ve explored. We shared some laughs, especially the now-infamous “Cat the Sherpa” story from a brutal climb up Graves Peak, and felt genuine appreciation from folks in the room. If we present again, we’ll likely shift the focus even more toward the lookout sites we visit and some of our unique discoveries, and more importantly, the people and their stories we have uncovered along the way.
More than anything, this weekend was about connection. We finally met some absolute legends, like Mark and Rhett Moak, who have staffed lookouts for over 40 years and raised three kids in towers along the way. We also finally met Bill Moore and Rene Eustace in person. We saw friends Rick and Linda Friemuth, who came over 1000 miles from Colorado, whom we didn’t think we would ever meet in person until we get a chance to get out there and see them at their lookout. Honestly, we could spend hours listing the folks we were thrilled to see again or finally meet in person.
And of course, it was fantastic to finally meet Michael and Andrea, who worked so hard to bring this thing to life. We’ve emailed and talked on the phone for the last 4 – 6 months, but nothing compares to being in the same room and talking shop with a beer in hand.
The panels were as diverse as they were inspiring. We were especially blown away by Leif Haugen and Rick McClure, who are both forces of nature when it comes to restoration. Leif somehow balances being a summer lookout with restoring towers year-round. He scouts, plans, budgets, and gets things done. Rick, working in a more bureaucratic setting with a nonprofit, showed how complicated it’s become to restore lookouts today, and yet, how possible it still is with the right mix of patience and passion.
Richard Holm’s keynote hit home in a different way. His work on Idaho’s backcountry aviation history is deeply intertwined with lookouts. Even when lookouts are not the “main character,” they’re always on the stage. It reminded us that you can’t understand Idaho’s remote history without understanding the role lookouts played.
One of the most exciting conversations we had was with Michael Decker, who hinted at further involvement from the University. It’s still early days, but the idea that we, the noisy ones trying to raise awareness, might be able to work closely with a respected institution to move real projects forward is thrilling. We’ve got towers like South Baldy that desperately need attention, and this could be the bridge that helps turn awareness into action and preservation into reality.
And then there were the students. The architecture students presenting new lookout concepts brought fresh eyes to old ideas. Some longtime lookout folks leaned toward “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but it was clear these students respect the tradition, and also see the lookout as something with potential to evolve. It was encouraging to see that kind of thoughtful energy coming from the next generation.
That beer, during the after-hours reception, by the way? It was from Lookout-themed Vantage Point Brewing, which happens to be run by our good buddy Kevan. The university didn’t even realize the connection when they hired him. It was one of many small-world moments that made the whole experience feel even more special.
When we left the conference, still buzzing, Cat and I kept saying the same thing: this felt like a turning point. Not just for us, but for the whole movement. We talk a lot about the heartbreak of losing towers to fire, neglect, or red tape. And that heartbreak is real. But after this weekend, we feel a hell of a lot more hopeful. The energy in that room, the passion, the ideas, the people, it lit a fire under us. One we don’t plan to let go of.
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