PSA: The old fire tower on Blue Mountain is about to collapse

I hiked up there two weeks ago and the whole stairwell is listing bad. The second platform is completely rotted through. Has anyone else seen the condition up close lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_shah1mo agoMost Upvoted

Is it really that bad, or is this just the annual "old thing is scary" post that happens every summer? Those fire towers have been "about to collapse" for the last ten years.

the_lee1mo ago

Haven't they been saying that about the old lookout on Mount Baldy for like fifteen years now? Every summer it's the same thing, someone gets a photo of a loose rail and suddenly the whole tower's gonna fall into the canyon.

piper_kim1mo ago

I mean, Seth, I get what you're saying, but this one actually feels different. The Forest Service has been way more specific this year about the structural issues, like they actually posted engineering reports or something. It's not just some hiker's blurry photo of a railing anymore. Plus with all the funding cuts lately, I don't think they're crying wolf when they say they can't afford to fix it this time.