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  • Frazier Mountain Lookout?

    I'm looking for some history on Frazier Mountain. Here's a snippet of a 1938 topo map that shows many of today's trail and road features, plus several lost to time:

    http://www.splintercat.org/PortlandHikers/1938FrazierTopo.jpg

    (depending on your browser, you may need to click the map to enlarge it)

    What strikes me as odd is the fact that a road was built to the end of Indian Ridge for a lookout, and a spur nearly to the summit of Frazier Mountain... but no lookout? That seems odd, unless there was some logistic problem with Frazier that was only discovered after the road to the top was nearly completed. So one of my summer trips will be to bushwhack to the summit of Frazier Mountain and see what's there. Does anyone know the history of a lookout on Frazier?

    In preparation for that trip, the following Google Earth image shows some of the high spots, and there are, indeed, open areas on the summit:

    http://www.splintercat.org/PortlandHikers/FrazierMountain.jpg

    You can clearly see the road in the above view. But upon closer inspection, another segment of road shows up, south of Frazier Mountain. This rotated view shows that piece more clearly, as it heads toward Serene Lake:

    http://www.splintercat.org/PortlandHikers/FrazierMountain2.jpg

    Was this a fire break, or some other modern addition? It doesn't show on the old 1938 map, and doesn't look like an anomaly in the Google Earth photography. Odd.

    Finally, on the 1938 map, the trail from Cottonwood Meadows to the Cache/Shellrock cutoff trail is shown as a main trail, where the Cache/Shellrock trail is a minor path. That also seems odd - ending a main trail at a lesser trail. It makes me wonder if the trail system in the area was in flux when this map was drafted.

    Any details that you can shed some like on would be much appreciated! At one time, Donovan noted a large CCC camp in the vicinity of the High Rock turnaround, I believe, so maybe some of these mysteries are tied to the CCC camp being in the vicinity..?

    Tom
    Frazier Mountain Lookout?
  • Re: Frazier Mountain Lookout? (#)
  • 1/19/08; 12:11:23 PM ¦ by Dan Butler
  • Tom,

    I wondered the same thing several years ago.  After making the loop hike from Rock Lakes via Serene Lake and Cache Meadow, I decided to take a x/c 'short-cut' over Frazier Mt. to get back to camp.  I slogged up to what appeared to be the summit of Frazier.  Not much up there and no evidence of any trail or old structures- the view was rather limited too as I recall.  I do remember that the route back down into Rock Lakes was very rugged.

    Dan
  • Re: Frazier Mountain Lookout? (#)
  • 1/20/08; 9:35:10 PM ¦ by Donovan

  • I believe it was an occasional observation site with a rangefinder stand and phone line. I think I have pictures. Have to look. Not an important site. Probably most used for early surveys.

    The Cache-Shellrock-Frazier-Turn was the main trail. The road made it redundant, hence the lesser use. It is a better route, less elevation, water availability. It remains a wide well laid out pack trail. The route from the saddle towards Cot Mdws is a fainter trail, well blazed and runs considerably more east than shown. Both abandoned, hard to find and use.

    The road is very old. Some have used it beyond the 517 trail to get toward Upper Rock Lake. But I have been told it is littered with blowdown. My impression was that it is one of those places people go once, and only once.

    • Re: Frazier Mountain Lookout? (#)
    • 1/23/08; 6:30:52 PM ¦ by Donovan
    • Did some research. Frazier Mtn had a phone box in 1933. The top was cleared to view east and north. Large rock on top. Nice view (then). No evidence of trail. Probably a blaze line. Phone line heads north.