ASPEN BUTTE
Crater National Forest - Klamath Forest Protective Association co-op
37S-6E-35
37S-6E-35
1910: " Fire number 7 (known as Clover Creek fire) Started August 18 in three separate places in an old burn in Section 16. Patrolman Telford was at his lookout on Aspen Mountain in the afternoon and saw the fires starting up. He hurried to his telephone and reported to me. I gathered a crew of men and went that night to Clover Creek. The settlers were in fear of being burned out, and their back fires spread east of Clover Creek on the Government land. It was agreed that Ranger Wright would handle the fire on the east of Clover Creek and I would handle it on the west. While fighting this fire, three separate fires were started by a “fire bug”. (1910 Report of the Secretary of the Klamath and Lake Counties Forest Fire Association)
August 9, 1915: "Two lines are now under construction, one to the top of Aspen Lake mountain, northwest of here, and one on Ball mountain, southeast of here, two of the best lookout stations in the country." (The Evening Herald)
August 20, 1915: " The telephone lines to the top of Bald Butte and Aspen Lake Mountain have been completed, and the fire fighters in the county are much better equipped as a result for keeping a sharp lookout for fires." (The Evening Herald)
August 29, 1915: "The telephone lines to the top of Bald Butte and Aspen Lake mountain have been completed, and the fire fighters in the county are much better equipped as a result for keeping a sharp lookout for fires. The line to the top of Bald mountain reaches an altitude of 7,750 feet, and provides quick communication with headquarters from one of the best lookouts in the county." (The Evening Herald)
September 13, 1915: "Claude Hill, who has been employed in the mountains west of the city as lookout man, arrived here last night and will leave in the morning for Eugene, where he will enter the state university. Hill is planning on taking a general course and specializing later in forestry." (The Evening Herald)
1916: " Aspen Butte is exceeded in altitude by only two other peaks on the Crater National Forest. From it an unobstructed view to the east is had and it is therefore a valuable lookout for the Klamath Patrol Association, with whose cooperation the station is at present maintained. Aspen Butte also views its own east slope and the heavily timbered country around Aspen Lake.
My judgment is that it would be best to continue to maintain Aspen Butte lookout as a cooperative station, and to instruct either the observer on Aspen or the patrolman stationed at Clover Ranger Station to use Crater Mountain as a secondary lookout, say once a day. Probably the most feasible way would be for the patrolman and the Aspen Butte observer to make the ascent of Crater Mountain on alternate days.
The lookout on Aspen Butte was furnished a pocket box compass with two inch needles. One degree is equivalent to a quarter mile on a 15-mile circle." (The Fire Lookout System On The Crater National Forest Harold D. Foster 1916)
August 17, 1917: "E.P. Miller, who is a lookout in the forestry service at Mt. Aspen, north of Klamath Falls, left today for his post of duty after having attended the Knights of Pythias conclave at Crater Lake this week." (Medford Mail Tribune)
Removed
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1920 (EWE)
LOCATED 18 MILES W FROM KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, ON THE HIGHEST
POINT OF ASPEN BUTTE. THE STATION IS MARKED BY A BRONZE TABLET
IN BEDROCK AS DESCRIBED IN NOTE 2. TWO REFERENCE MARKS, BRONZE
TABLETS IN BEDROCK, NOTE 12A, ARE, RESPECTIVELY, 5.31 METERS
(17.4 FEET) FROM THE STATION IN AZIMUTH 338 DEG 14 MIN AND 6.56
METERS (21.5 FEET) IN AZIMUTH 110 DEG 54 MIN.
STATION RECOVERY (1933)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1933 (FGJ)
STATION WAS DISCOVERED AS DESCRIBED, MARKS WERE IN GOOD
CONDITION. NEW DESCRIPTION FOLLOWS--
REACHED FROM KLAMATH FALLS AS FOLLOWS--GO 10.0 MILES W ON HIGHWAY
97 AND TURN RIGHT ON ROAD 200 YARDS BEFORE REACHING RAILROAD
UNDERPASS (AT TURN OFF THERE IS A NUMBER OF RANCH BUILDINGS AND
SIGN 1/4 MILE TO PINE TREE AUTO CAMP). FOLLOW THIS ROAD AND AT
3.4 MILES PASS THROUGH A TIMBER CAMP, CONTINUE ON MAIN-TRAVELLED
ROAD AND 1.0 MILE FURTHER PASS THROUGH ANOTHER TIMBER CAMP,
CROSSING THE RAILROAD TRACKS A ROAD COMES IN FROM THE LEFT BUT
CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD ON MAIN-TRAVELLED ROAD AND GO 3.1
MILES (FOLLOWING AROUND THE EDGE OF A GOOD SIZE DRY LAKE) TO
SIGN CLOVER CREEK GUARD STATION 9 MILES. TURN LEFT ACROSS
TRACKS THENCE 1.4 MILES TO SIGN CLOVER CREEK GUARD STATION
8 MILES. FOLLOW CLOVER CREEK GUARD STATION ROAD AND
GO 0.2 MILE. CROSS RAILROAD TRACKS AND GO 1.0 MILE,
CROSS RAILROAD TRACKS THEN 0.6 MILE AND TAKE RIGHT FORK, THEN GO
1.5 MILES AND TAKE RIGHT FORK (LEFT FORK GOES TO CLOVER
STATION), GO 2.2 MILES AND TAKE RIGHT FORK AT SIGNBOARD CLOVER
CREEK GUARD STATION 4 MILES, GO 3.4 MILES AND TAKE RIGHT FORK
AND GO 0.6 MILE TO CLOVER CREEK GUARD STATION. FROM HERE
CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD KEEPING TO RIGHT OF CORRALS AND
FOLLOW TRAIL 1/4 MILE TO SMALL GATE. LEAVE TRUCK HERE AND
FOLLOW TRAIL UP CLOVER CREEK IN NORTHERLY DIRECTION TO THE 4
MILES MARK. AT THIS POINT THE TRAIL DESCENDS GOING DOWN TO
LAKE HARRIET. LEAVE TRAIL HERE AND TURN RIGHT AND FOLLOW UP
RIDGE ABOUT 1-1/4 MILES TO STATION. THIS STATION IS A GOOD 3
HOUR PACK.
BUCK PK. LOOKOUT IS 3 MILES SW OF STATION
MC LOUGHLIN MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT IS 14.8 MILES NWXW OF STATION.