?? Mt Islip - cabin ruins ??

outwhere · Post by **outwhere** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 7:02 pm

Has anyone ever seen a photo of this cabin in it's prime ? Or any info on when it was built? When / how it became ruins ?? Or any general info on this cabin at all ? tia...

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 5:51 am

http://www.simpsoncity.com/hiking/islip.html

This states " fire lookout on its summit "

This was my recollection.

As to the damage. My guess is fire...when? dunnna know

I'd sure like to see a photo if one was out there

Post by **HikeUp** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:36 am

No pictures but a few notes about the lookout and the cabin being built in 1920's...

http://californialookouts.weebly.com/lo ... ounty.html

MOUNT ISLIP

Los Angeles County Forestry Department

September 17, 1927: "A gigantic steel lookout tower will be installed on Mount Islip in Angeles National Forest, County Forester S.D. Turner announced here today.
The tower, located at an elevation of 8,000 feet, will command a view of the Angeles forest and the reaches of the San Gabriel river, and will augment the present outpost station on Mount Gleason.
Steel for the tower will be hauled ten miles by mule pack train from the end of the nearest road, it was said." (Bakersfield Californian)

September 23, 1927: "Work has begun on two fire prevention projects in the Sierra Madre range by the Los Angeles county forestry department, under the direction of Spence D. Turner. These are the erection of a steel lookout tower on the peak of Mt. Islip at an elevation of 8,240 feet, and the construction of a 100-foot wide baseline firebreak from the mouth of the San Antonio canyon west to San Dimas canyon.
The Mount Islip lookout will command a view of nearly all of the Angeles forest reserve in the eastern portion of the county, including all forks of the San Gabriel canyon. It is almost due north of Coldbrook camp. It also has an uninterupted view of the north slope into the Antelope valley. The lookout will be connected by telephone lines, both from the San Gabriel canyon and from Antelope valley points." (Covina Argus)

June 29, 1928: "Affording direct observations of portions of the Angeles forest formerly covered only by direct vision from the Baldy, San Dimas, Mt. Wilson, Sister Elsie and Mt. Gleason lookouts, the new tower on Mt. Islip is a big asset to Los Angeles county forestry department, according to P.K. Carter, warden in charge of the San Jose division of the department. From this new tower, which is at an elevation of 240 feet, direct vision is obtained over the entire Big Creek drainage and over the upper portion of the Little Rock drainage on the north side of Mt. Waterman. Direct vision is obtained over the lower end of Pinyon ridge where the automobile road starts up the long grade to Big Pines park. A view is also obtained of a limited area on the west slope of Baldy.
A clear and uninterrupted view may be had of the north fork of the San Gabriel from Pine Flats and Crystal Lake clear through to the junction of the east and west forks, and on down the main San Gabriel as far as Browns Flats. Bear canyon, one of the heaviest brush fields of the Angeles forest and heretofore not in the vision of any tower, is looked into directly into from the new Islip station. The entire west fork from Camp Rincon to the Strudevant trail is also covered direct.
Long distance shots may be had of portions of the Leonis valley and the top and upper sides of Liebre and Sawmill mountains." (Covina Argus)

January 1929: 'An exceptionally difficult task performed during the year was the erection of a lookout tower and cabin on the summit of Mount Islip, at an elevation of 8,240 feet. All the steel and other material used in this job had to be packed on muleback or by man power over a distance of 9 miles, up a grade of more than 7,000 feet." (The Forest Worker)

Slowest_Hiker · Post by **Slowest_Hiker** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:21 am

A couple years ago, we popped up on the Islip summit and were surprised to see several mules and horses. The group of people sitting on the lookout footings introduced themselves as USFS and ANF Fire Lookout Association representatives and told us they had just decided that the next lookout to be built would be on Islip. They asked us to take their photo to commemorate the government having made a decision

Haven't heard or seen anything about it since then.

Post by **HikeUp** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 9:27 am

Slow day at work.

Searching through the online archives of the Covina Argus newspaper for any mention of Islip. Interesting articles about plans to develop Crystal Lake recreation area (divert a stream into the lake to "increase its proportions").

Articles about why they are building the road up over the shoulder of Mt. Islip into the Big Rock Creek drainage (i.e. hwy 39) - (cut an hour off the commute time from San Diego to San Francisco! LOL).

Post by **HikeUp** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:00 am

Knew I had seen these before...

Now gonna try to find out where hiker bob found these!

Oh, also found some mention of the lookout existed only until 1937. No further info. Yet!

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:16 am

Slowest_Hiker wrote: ↑A couple years ago, we popped up on the Islip summit and were surprised to see several mules and horses. The group of people sitting on the lookout footings introduced themselves as USFS and ANF Fire Lookout Association representatives and told us they had just decided that the next lookout to be built would be on Islip. They asked us to take their photo to commemorate the government having made a decision

Haven't heard or seen anything about it since then.

I'm a volunteer lookout with ANFFLA. I haven't heard anything about rebuilding a lookout atop Islip. I believe at one time, ANFFLA and the Forest Service were searching for an alternate location for a lookout after the S. Mount Hawkins lookout went down, and Islip may have been that location (before my time). That focus probably shifted, however, when the Station Fire took out the Vetter Mountain lookout, which is now in the process of being rebuilt by ANFFLA volunteers.

Knew I had seen these before...

Awesome HU! Thanks for posting those pics.

Slowest_Hiker · Post by **Slowest_Hiker** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 10:40 am

The photos of me with the equines date the event at 18 July 2010, so post Station Fire. I remember talking with them about the temporary setup at Vetter, too. I did see that the ANF manager who was there got a promotion some time later and wondered if the personnel change might derailed the process, along with prioritizing Vetter.

A new lookout would be neat in a way, but I do like the artifacts that are there from the old one. Nice to see the photos of the cabin in its prime!

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Fri Jul 25, 2014 1:11 pm

Uber cool photos, HikeUp.

HJ

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:08 am

Slowest_Hiker wrote: ↑The photos of me with the equines date the event at 18 July 2010, so post Station Fire.

Hmm. Then I got nothing.

outwhere · Post by **outwhere** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 7:38 pm

I really thought just any info let alone actual photos of the cabin was gonna be a looooong shot......

So thanks for the info on the fire lookout - both past and possible future info was too cool...

And Hike Up, and the source of the two photos, Hiker Bob (??) --- mercy mercy! Like I said, thought asking if photos existed was essentially a pointless request --- I'm so glad your positive outcome wiped out my pessimistic request

This forum is great on many levels - and you guys just raised it another notch!

Post by **HikeUp** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 11:13 pm

Like I've always have said, it's what Taco pays us for!

David Gudmundsen · Post by **David Gudmundsen** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 3:05 pm

Fantastic pictures! I have been to Islip Peak many times as a Scout and now with my own sons. I have always wondered what the functioning cabin looked like.
Question, how about pictures of the long gone fire lookout tower?

Great Forum.

Post by **Taco** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 11:32 am

HikeUp wrote: ↑Like I've always have said, it's what Taco pays us for!

This is why I'm poor.

Post by **HikeUp** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 12:28 pm

Heh. We can renegotiate my contract if you want! I'll have my agent call your agent. 8)

David R · Post by **David R** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 2:42 pm

Question, how about pictures of the long gone fire lookout tower?

The fire tower was physically moved to S. Mount Hawkins as a better spot and probably more accessible, so if you look at pictures of that one you'll see what Islip looked like.

Hayduke · Post by **Hayduke** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:12 am

great find, HikeUp - thanks for sharing