6 minute read
Solid Dedication: Buck Rock and Its Lookouts
Solid Dedication: Buck Rock and Its Lookouts
Words and Photos provided by Terry Ommen
Justoff a lonely mountain road almost to the Fresno County line is a huge granite rock jutting skyward. In the early 1900s, the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company called it “finger rock” and it played a small part in the massive logging enterprise that left permanent scars in the forest. At about the same time, deer hunters would hide behind the base of the big monolith, waiting for a trophy buck to appear. In the competition for naming rights, the deer story won out, and today it is called Buck Rock
But loggers and hunters were not the only ones that noticed the big rock. When workers with the U.S. Forest Service found it, they discovered that the view from the top of the 8,500-foot outcropping was ideal for spotting forest fires—a perfect place for a lookout. In 2001 when Huell Houser, the late host of the popular television series “California’s Gold” climbed to the top, he enthusiastically told his viewers, “For high adventure, this is the place to come.”
In about 1912, brave fire lookouts scrambled to the top by climbing a tree trunk leaning against the rock, then ascending a series of wooden ladders. In about 1923, a small one-room cabin (or “cab”) was built on top, and this live-in structure became a prototype for others in California and throughout the country. Later the unstable tree trunk and ladders were replaced with stairs.
According to the Forest Fire Lookout Association, there were at one time 8,000 fire lookout posts across the United States, but today only a fraction remain. Tulare County once had about 35, but today only seven still stand—and only three, including Buck Rock, are staffed. Over the years, hundreds of people have served as lookouts at Buck Rock, but there are at least two who have earned a special place in its history.
Leatrice “Lea” Evinger Dotters, a Bakersfield native, grew up exploring the high country. Her interest in the forest continued into adulthood, but she found it difficult to find work in the male-dominated industry. She also found it difficult to enroll in a university forestry degree program. But World War II offered her an opportunity. With most men off to war, when a fire lookout position became available, she applied. And on June 6, 1944, a day we now call D-Day, the 18-year old became the first female lookout at Buck Rock.
She adapted well to her mostly routine tasks, but Lea remembers with some trepidation, the thunder and lightning storms she experienced. “The cab was not grounded. I could have been electrocuted,” she recalls.
And she has fond memories, too. On July 29, 1944, a large group of U.S. Army soldiers who were camped below the rock, climbed the steps to the lookout. After a pleasant visit, the group signed the “Traveler’s Register” and several noted their destination as “Tokio” (Tokyo, Japan).
Lea worked as a lookout at Buck Rock for the entire 1944 fire season earning $120 per month. Lea, now 97 years old and a longtime Visalia resident, cherishes her time there and continues to be a strong advocate for the preservation of Buck Rock and all lookouts.
Another woman whose life is forever linked to Buck Rock Lookout is Kathryn “Kathy” Ball Allison. The LA County native worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the 1980s doing various jobs, and in 1993 she began work as a fire watcher at both Delilah and Buck Rock lookouts. She recalls at the time contentedly thinking, “I finally found my purpose, I found my home.” Her passion for lookouts grew, and she noticed that many throughout the country were being left unstaffed and abandoned.
In 1999, Kathy and friends Jeff Monaco, Dan Vattreal, and Mark Swift decided that in order to increase awareness of the value of lookouts, they needed to create a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation. From this collaboration, and with financial help from Kathy’s parents, the Buck Rock Foundation was created. Kathy served as its first president, Jeff Monaco became its first treasurer, and Lea Dotters its first secretary.
Kathy worked as a lookout for the Forest Service for 23 years, and has been a volunteer for 9.
Today, the U.S. Forest Service Buck Rock Lookout continues to be staffed throughout the 4-month fire season. Even though it is a “working” lookout, tourists can still visit. In fact, the popular Tulare County spot welcomes about 7,000 visitors each year from all over the world. But despite its frequent visitors, it remains unknown to many.
If you have not been there or would like to revisit, the Tulare County Historical Society (TCHS) invites you to a special event. At noon on Sunday, July 21, 2024, TCHS will host a dedication event for the placement of a historic marker at the base of Buck Rock. It is free, open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Tours of the lookout will be given for those willing to climb the 172 steps to the top. For those unable or unwilling to make the climb, the easy 300yard walk from the parking area to the rock base will get you a front-row peek at the lookout and the marker dedication ceremony. Allow two hours for the drive from Visalia.
Directions: From Visalia go north on Hwy 63; turn right onto Hwy 180E and enter Kings Canyon National Park. Even though Buck Rock is in the forest, you will still need to pay a park entrance fee. (Included if you already have a pass.) After entering the park, at the “Y” turn right (south) onto CA 198/Generals Hwy. Exit Generals Highway and take the Big Meadows turnoff (FS Road 14S11) and drive 3 miles to Horse Camp; turn left onto FS 13S04. Follow the signs driving 2½ miles along a dirt road to Buck Rock Lookout.
For more information about the Buck Rock foundation and the Tulare County Historical Society: buckrock.org | tularecountyhistoricalsociety.org
