Austin Ridge Lookout

Drive-Up	Emergency
Elevation: 4731′	Clearwater National Forest

HISTORY

1932 – 30′ Pole L-4 was built
1960 – 53′ Treated Timber R-6 Flat cab was built
1990s – Tower was put on Emergency staffing and then added to the Rental Program.

Current – Tower was pulled from the rental program and is currently first-come, first-served.

Known Staff

1930s- John Opresik

1979 – Barbara Coffman

OUR NOTES

We visited Austin Ridge Lookout in July 2023. It’s amazing how you cannot see this tower until you’re practically right on top of it.

Overall, the tower is in pretty good condition, and as steep as I thought the stairs were, they apparently don’t scare others – this sure appears to be a local party spot, going by the graffiti and overall condition of the tower.

There is a boulder at the base of the tower with several names and dates carved into it. Its been heavily weathered over the years and is very difficult to read.

One of the boulders says “John Austin Opresik”, one of the original lookouts on Austin Ridge. We are working to figure out what the other names and dates are.

Dave Johnson shared with us this story about Austin Ridge (he has also who has helped us SO MUCH in deciphering the boulder engravings):

“So many memories at this tower, which was just a quick drive from the Musselshell Work Center. I watch the Mount St. Helen’s cloud move in from the west here. The biggest thunderhead I’d ever seen.

We had a sort of competitive fire training from the tower where teams of firefighters would spot a smoke, which was ignited by management, locate it with the Osborne, and take off as teams in 5 minute increments to the “fire”.

We were timed to see how quickly we could get there.

In the interior photo belowe (courtesey Dave Johson) you’ll see the small wood stove. Into it, one of the prospective trainees had dropped his still-live cigarette butt. It produced a faint smoke that got the rabid firefighters excited, thinking it was the training fire.”