VALLEY COUNTY
BEAR CREEK POINT
Salmon National Forest
18N-13E-13
18N-13E-13
1934: two-story 12x12 log cabin, L-5 cab. (Kresek)
July 12, 1951: "Charles L. Powell, Jr. of Kennewick, Washington, has taken over Bear Creek lookout." (The Recorder-Herald)
1950's: Abandoned (Kresek)
DESIGNATION - BEAR
PID - QZ0659
STATE/COUNTY- ID/IDAHO
COUNTRY - US
USGS QUAD - SHEEP HILL (1995)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1945 (JCT)
THE STATION IS LOCATED IN THE NEZPERCE NATIONAL FOREST, AT
THE BEAR CREEK PT. LOOKOUT TOWER AND CABIN. IT IS ABOUT 18
MILES AIRLINE SE OF THE RED RIVER RANGER STATION, ABOUT 11
MILES AIRLINE SW OF THE SALMON MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT, AND ABOUT
2-1/2 MILES AIRLINE N OF THE SALMON RIVER AT ITS NEAREST POINT,
AND IS ON A BARE POINT OF A LONG TIMBERED RIDGE WHICH FORMS
THE W BOUNDARY OF SABE CREEK. THE DISK IS IN ROCK OUTCROP
FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. 6 FEET SW OF THE SE LEG OF THE LOOKOUT
TOWER, 4-1/2 FEET SE OF THE SW LEG OF THE TOWER, 66 FEET N BY
E OF THE NE CORNER OF THE CABIN, AND 70 FEET NNE OF THE NW
CORNER OF THE CABIN.
TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE BASE CAMP ON THE DARBY-GRANGEVILLE
ROAD BELOW SALMON MOUNTAIN, GO W AND N ALONG ROAD FOR 14 MILES
TO TOP OF RIDGE, ABOUT 1-3/4 MILES S OF BURNT KNOB LOOKOUT.
THERE IS A CAMP GROUND AND A TRACK ROAD LEADING OFF TO THE
LEFT AT THIS POINT. HERE TURN LEFT OFF MAIN ROAD, FOLLOWING
TRACK ROAD A SHORT WAY, AND THEN CONTINUE S ON TRAIL ALONG RIDGE
FOR ABOUT 3 MILES TO A ROCKY SADDLE JUST BEFORE TRAIL GOES
UP TO SPREAD CREEK. THERE IS A SIGN SPREAD LAKE ON THE W
SIDE OF THE TRAIL AND THE LAKE CAN BE SEEN BELOW TO THE E.
FROM HERE CONTINUE AHEAD ON VERY ROCKY TRAIL S FOR ABOUT 4
MILES TO WHERE TRAIL STARTS UP TO A LOW SADDLE AFTER IT
COMES DOWN W SIDE OF RIDGE BY TWO LAKES. FROM HERE
CONTINUE ON TRAIL TO TOP OF SADDLE, HERE TRAIL IS NOT
VISIBLE FOR A SHORT WAY BUT CONTINUE AHEAD AND PICK IT UP.
(THE TRAIL TO SHEEP HILL LOOKOUT CAN BE SEEN TO THE RIGHT
IN THE LOWEST PART OF THE SADDLE.) AFTER PICKING UP
TRAIL, TURN LEFT AND FOLLOW IT SE AND S ALONG SIDE OF RIDGE TO
FIRST PROMINENT FORKS. TAKE RIGHT FORK AND CONTINUE TO
TRIANGULAR-BLAZED TREE AND SIGN RATTLESNAKE TRAIL SALMON RIVER
8 MILES. HERE KEEP STRAIGHT AHEAD ON MAIN TRAIL FOR ABOUT
1/2 HOUR TO LOOKOUT TOWER, CABIN, AND STATION AS DESCRIBED.
TOTAL DISTANCE FROM MAIN ROAD TO STATION IS ABOUT 12 MILES
AND TAKES ABOUT 7 HOURS BY PACK STRING. CAMPSITES AT
SPREAD LAKE SIGN AND SADDLE WHERE TRAIL LEADS TO SHEEP
HILL LOOKOUT.