#lookouts — Public Fediverse posts

Hiking to historic and scenic Calpine Lookout

While in Northern California for a wedding, we decided to hike up to one of the classic wooden wildfire lookout towers of the state. Calpine Lookout, situated in Tahoe National Forest since 1934 is simply lovely. The white clapboard structure sits gracefully at the summit of the 5,980 foot mountain.

The 17-foot tall tower was constructed for the U.S. Forest Service by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression and is now available for overnight stays. When unoccupied, a walk around the second level exterior gangplank allows a wonderful and informative first hand glimpse into the living conditions of Forest Service Lookout personnel.

The surrounding scenery is spectacular with one exception. Logging is taking place on a portion of Calpine’s access drive and it degrades the otherwise glorious experience. Approximately one-third of the hike to the summit along is spent looking at fallen and stacked trees, as well as disturbed vegetation. All one could think of while trekking past this was John Steinbeck’s famous pondrance of “why progress looks so much like destruction?”

Fortunately, at the summit, no such work is taking place, so the historic setting remains as it has been for many decades. Mother Nature has graced this historic site and hopefully both she and Father Time will continue to bless it for many decades yet to come. Peace!

SOURCE:

• http://nhlr.org/lookouts/us/ca/calpine-hill-lookout/
• https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/199831-i-wonder-why-progress-looks-so-much-like-destruction

#California #Calpine #CCC #environment #ForestService #forests #fun #geography #hiking #history #landUse #logging #lookouts #mountains #planning #tourism #travel #trekking #wildfires

The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk

Intensifying the throughput rate with a series of soaring walkways through the Gondwana Rainforest

The $56.4 million investment in Dorrigo National Park will create “accessible, engaging and immersive experiences for visitors. The 4-day walking track will “connect people with nature... The new 46-km multi-day walk along the rugged escarpment within Dorrigo and Bindarri national parks, includes hiker camps, pedestrian bridges and lookouts.”

The review of environmental factors for the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk is available for public comment
>> until 24 February 2025. >>
https://www2.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/community-engagement/walking-tracks-and-trails-in-national-parks/dorrigo-great-walk
https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/dorrigo-escarpment-great-walk

The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk project has the potential to put though an extra 200,000 visitors ...>
https://bellingenshirenews.com/2023/11/22/new-opportunities-flagged-for-shire/

There is an information session at the

Gleniffer Hall at 10am on Tuesday 11 February

at which staff from National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will outline the draft review of environmental factors (REF) for the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk.

#biodiversity #rainforest #Gondwana #MidNorthCoast #NationalParks #NSW #BindarriNP #Dorrigo #AdventurePark #infrastructure #lookouts #views #cars #Climate #tourism #traffic #TheDrive #Bellingen #experience #stuff #walkways #ecology #MoreThanHuman #impacts

#Gilakasla - #Welcome 🦅
#AlertBay has a boardwalk along #waterfront with 5 #roofed #lookouts - called #awakwas - each has a #painted #carving overhead that represents a #Namgis ancestor.

#Kwakwaakaawakw #NamgisNation #NamgisTerritory #BCCoast #PNW #CormorantIsland #BCFirstNations #IndigenousEducation #IndigenousNations #IndigenousSovereignty #NativeLanguages #BCNorthIslands