Tahquitz Loop

[Sally]

I may be imagining it, but I think I got a Squirrel Card from the Ancient and Honorable Order of Squirrels at Butler's Peak lookout tower near Big Bear Lake way back in the 60's. As a kid, I used to go to camp up there every summer and we would do a hike every week. The grand finale at the end of the summer was "Greyback" (San G). I've been a hikeaholic ever since. With all the junk I squirrel away, I may still have that Squirrel Card somewhere!

Sounds like you had a great day, Ellen. See any lemon lilies?

[Ellen]

Howdy Sister Sally

No lemon lillies We were either too early or too late.

Hugs,
Ellen

[jfr]

"Standard issue in the towers was a chair designed to protect against electrocution. Glass insulators are attached to the base of the wooden chairs' legs. "A friend of mine claims you can get five people standing on that chair during a storm,"

The four glass insulators are stored (in fair weather) on the upper left of that top shelf. They look as if they fit on the legs of that green chair. (Full Size Pic)


Foot Stool with Glass Lightning Insulators

So, it looks as though the lonely tower occupant places the insulators on the chair legs, then sits down and puts his feet up on the insulated foot stool. Then he gets to wait in suspense and fear of death while the storm rages all around. It must be fun to sit in a building on top of a mountain with lightning rods on the roof. Lightning rods ATTRACT LIGHTNING! Of course, they are supposed to harmlessly funnel it into the ground via the big copper wires that run down all four corners of the tower, but do you really want to bet your life on it? Meanwhile, there's a metal wood stove right next to you in the room with a metal chimney pipe sticking up through the roof. Yikes! I've been up in Round Valley in a summer thunderstorm, so I can just imagine what it must be like on top of a peak getting repeated lightning strikes...

[Hikin_Jim]

Nice insulator pics. I doubt they'd help in a direct hit, but they might make all the difference in a near miss.

HJ

[Ulysses]

I volunteer as a lookout at Tahquitz. It can be pretty boring up there at times, but lightning storms are definately and "E-Ticket" ride. Been through 2 and what a thrill. Black Mtn. lookout was actually hit by lightning last July. There were 2 lookouts in the tower at the time and while they got quite a scare, nobody was hurt.
BTW we could sure use a few more volunteers at Tahquitz. It's too late to get trained for this season, but check with the Forest Service in Idyllwild if interested.