Five Friends and a Lookout

Deep in British Columbia are Relics of a Forgotten time

By Joseph Gulizia

When satellite imagery was reserved for spying and the cold war, there was always someone on the ready on the lookout for fires. Perched on high mountain ridge tops, most accessible only by foot, these fire lookouts are from a different era. After spending some time on the internet and scouring various trail associations we found our destination, a remote lookout about a 5 hour drive from Vancouver.

The winding logging road was rough but nothing a 4x4 couldn’t handle. The views were incredible, 360 degrees in all directions. The lookout was in pristine condition thanks to the local four wheel drive association. A picnic table made for the perfect space for a night of games and delicious meals. When it was time to head to bed, there was ample room for the 5 of us to sleep, and the lookout actually held the heat in quite well. It was a wonderful night well spent out in the backcountry of beautiful British Columbia. This was our first fire lookout experience, but it won’t be our last.

With Special Thanks to REI, Muddlers, Nissan Canada