Jay Higgins, Aug. 1941
In the photo above, the vertical figure on the far right side of the catwalk is Ed Littlehales, the tower's first lookout.
The text in the photo above reads: "Lookout Robinson using a Osborn firefinder to locate a smoke. Mt. Thorodin Lookout-Boulder District-Roosevelt National Forest. Photo taken 1945 by Ranger Weaver.
"Print made from a Kodachrome slide."
Further reading about Mount Thorodin lookout:
- Visit the National Historic Lookout Register entry for Mt. Thorodin Lookout.
- Boulder, Colorado, Saturday September 13, 1941 news story: Forest Service completes lookout atop Mt Thorodin
- Ed Littlehales' (first Mount Thorodin lookout) memories of Mount Thorodin
- Boulder Daily Camera, (probably) September 14, 1941, "Electrical Storms Won't Be Any Fun In New Forest Service Lookout Near Boulder
- Boulder Daily Camera, September 14, 1941, "Lookout 'Roughs It' In Spite Of All Efforts To Make Him Comfortable
- Racine Journal Times (Wisconsin), July 12, 1943
- Forest Fire Lookout Towers of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mount Thorodin Lookout
Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest
Elevation: 10511
Status: Removed
Year Built: 1941
Year Removed: 1996
Structure Type: 40ft steel with 14'x14' wood cab
Thorodin lookout (along with Twin Sisters lookout) was a key watch point along Colorado's Front Range. The lookout was atop Starr Peak on the north-east end of Thorodin Mountain. In 1949, winds recorded in Boulder at up to 120 mph blew the cab off the tower. It was rebuilt, but the cab was blown off again in 1981, and the tower was finally dismantled in 1996. It was last staffed in 1966.
The mountaintop is now the site of a large number of antennas and repeaters.
Sondra Kellogg and her husband, Jim Jackson, staffed Mt. Thorodin in 1960 and 1962. She has made an excellent DVD (or video) describing their experiences, available from her for $15 plus postage, the proceeds going to the Colorado/Utah Chapter of the FFLA. Please contact Ms. Kellogg at KelloggSA
aol.com.
From the July 12, 1943 edition of the Racine Journal Times (Wisconsin):
SUMMER DRINKING IS WINTER'S SNOW
BOULDER, Colo. --(AP) -- City people who dislike shoveling the snow from their walks can sympathize with Forest Ranger Art Randall. He had to climb to the top of Mount Thorodin and shovel the snow from the top of the mountain into a huge tank. That chore was necessary because the snow is the only drinking water source for the fire lookout stationed on the mountain this summer. (R. Kemnow)
Denver Post photo by David Mathias
Denver Post photo, ~6/1967
The caption reads: "Far away from the world on their honeymoon, Mack and Tammy Randolph act as fire lookouts in Roosevelt National Forest. Their first home is the 40-foot-high tower atop 10,490-foot Mount Thorodin, 39 miles west of Denver. They have a magnificent view but no running water. It has to be hauled up the trail. Although the area is remote, they can expect 2,000 unannounced visitors at their honeymoon abode."