REGIONS : ORIGIN SITE ~ North Central WA, RE-LO SITE ~ Unknown
A lookout was placed on Slide Ridge, 13 miles northwest of Chelan in 1935. The lookout was then removed only four years later. The Slide Ridge entry in Ray Kresek’s book Fire Lookouts of the Northwest, 3rd Edition includes “L-5 cab (sold and moved away in 1939). [Gone]” As no additional information has been found to date, several questions remain about this re-located lookout:
- Who bought the lookout?
- Where was it moved to?
- What was it to be used for?
- Was the move successful and is the L-5 cab still there?
An Artificial Intelligence test ~ December 19, 2023:
Since, I was unable to find any more information about the move of the Slide Ridge Lookout, I decided to try out Artificial Intelligence again. Earlier looks at the use of AI for researching lookout history found it be of little help. AI often made up answers to my question. Possibly the software and AI database had been improved since my earlier tests. I used ChatGPT for this test. My questions and the AI apps answers follow:
Me
Ray Kresek in his book Fire Lookouts of the Northwest writes that the fire lookout on Slide Ridge, 13 miles NW of Chelan was built in 1935. He adds that the “L-5 cab was sold and moved away in 1939. Can you find for me who bought the L-5 cab and where it was moved to?
ChatGPT
I’m afraid I don’t have real-time access to specific information about the sale and relocation of the L-5 cab from Slide Ridge mentioned in Ray Kresek’s book “Fire Lookouts of the Northwest.” To find such detailed historical information, you may want to consider contacting local historical societies, forestry offices, or libraries in the Chelan area. They might have records, archives, or knowledgeable staff who can provide more insight into the specific details you’re looking for.
If you have access to online resources, you could also explore databases, forums, or websites dedicated to fire lookout history and enthusiasts. Additionally, checking with the author, Ray Kresek, or his publisher might lead you to more resources or contacts related to the information in his book.
Is there anything else I can assist you with?
Me
I am trying to write an article for my website explaining that the L-5 cab was sold, but the buyer is unknown and the current location of the cab is also unknown. Can you write a short explanation of this for me?
ChatGP
Certainly! Here’s a short explanation for your article:
Title: The Mystery of the L-5 Cab: A Lost Chapter in Fire Lookout History
In Ray Kresek’s book “Fire Lookouts of the Northwest,” it is documented that the fire lookout on Slide Ridge, located 13 miles northwest of Chelan, was equipped with an L-5 cab and was constructed in 1935. However, a puzzling turn of events occurred in 1939 when the L-5 cab was sold and subsequently moved away.
Surprisingly, the details surrounding the sale and relocation of the L-5 cab remain shrouded in mystery. Despite diligent research and inquiries, the buyer’s identity and the current whereabouts of the cab remain elusive, adding an intriguing chapter to the history of fire lookouts.
This enigma serves as a testament to the challenges of tracing the paths of historical structures, leaving us with questions about who acquired the L-5 cab and where it eventually found its new home. As we delve into the rich tapestry of fire lookout history, the tale of the disappearing L-5 cab stands as a captivating yet unsolved puzzle.
My Comment: The AI’s “explanation” is a more flowery and intellectual sounding “I don’t know nothing” than I could write, but it still adds no knowledge. The AI app needs to be given access to a lot more data bases and information sources to be of much use in researching individual lookout histories. If you give it all the facts, it can organize them nicely, but it is of little use in finding little known facts.
Since so little is known about this re-location, the correct assignment of a re-location type is also unknown. I have listed the Slide Ridge as a Type 2 Re-Location for now, assuming that it was purchased by a private individual and was moved to the buyer’s private property. This type assignment may be changed if more becomes known about the move.
Slide Ridge extends for more than six miles, with several high points along it. The location given in Ray Kresek’s book locates the lookout in Section 24 T28N R20E. Coordinates given on the FFLA website firelookout.org place the location at the 5598’ summit of Slide Peak, the highest point on Slide Ridge. Slide Peak is within Section 24.
Questions have also been raised about the exact location of the lookout on Slide Ridge. I have not been able to find any old maps showing the location of the lookout. Eric Willhite visited the extended summit area in 2018 and his trip report states that nobody has found remnants on the highest point (SLIDE PEAK). Eric reports that the summit has lots of flat area but that “the actual summit just seems like a poor location in my opinion.” He points out that a slightly lower location on the east end of the summit (shown as ESUM on the image below) has a better view of the surrounding than the highest point. {Read Eric’s Slide Ridge report on www.willhiteweb.com.} Another possible location to check is a lower highpoint on the ridgeline ½ mile further east (shown as EHP on the image below). All three of these locations are within Section 24. Eric also suggests checking the communications site further to the north.
Visit to the Re-Located Lookout Site
Cannot be scheduled at the time as the location is not known.
Our visit to Slide Ridge, the Origin Site ~ October 8, 2023
We drove on good gravel Forest Service roads from near the end of the paved Lake Chelan Lakeshore road to reach the west end of a fire break “trail” which led past Slide Peak, the 5598’ high point of Slide Ridge. Peggy and I hiked up this fire break to search for any remaining evidence of the Slide Ridge Lookout.
We saw only brush and small trees along the fire break on our hike up. As we neared the peak we saw evidence of past forest fires with blackened trees on the ground. There were a few larger trees at the top. A map showed there had been several large fires in the area in the last 20 years. A map of the larger area of the Lake Chelan/Entiat Mountains shows that this area has a long history of forest fires.
The fire history map also shows the sites of five of the fire lookouts that used to be in this area. Two of these. Stormy Mountain to the west and Baldy Mountain to the southwest, could be seen from Slide Ridge.
There were a few larger trees remaining as well at the top of Slide Peak. These trees and higher brush blocked views from the peak. The actual top was covered with a pile of branches. We searched there and along the ridgeline and found no remaining “lookout artifacts”. Open areas to the east of the summit, which showed evidence of past fires, provided good views of Lake Chelan.
