Lookout Site Regions: Origin Site ~ WA Coast, Re-Lo Site ~ WA Coast
This possible Type 3 re-location, from Grisdale Hill to the nearby Denny Ahl site, is one that little is known about. Most references do not mention it. Eric Willhite found evidence that the Denny Ahl Lookout was to replace the Grisdale Hill Lookout in 1943. The evidence suggests that the replacement might involve using the Grisdale tower, or at least the cab, at Denny Ahl. Peggy and I have visited both lookout sites and like many Type 3 sites, no structures remained. We only found chunks of concrete.
There is little information provided about either Grisdale Hill or Denny Ahl in the normal reference sources (including Ray Kresek’s 2015 update to his Lookout Inventory, Rex’s Forest Fire Lookout Page (firelookout.com) and the FFLA’s website (firelookout.org)). None of these references mention anything about the lookout replacement or a move between the two lookout sites. For example, the Grisdale description in Rex’s Forest Fire Lookout Page reads: “1940s: tower. Abandoned”. The Denny Ahl description reads: “Built in 1943, this 30′ treated timber L-4 tower was destroyed in 1971.”
Eric Willhite provides more information in his entries for the two lookouts on his website. He cites an August, 1939 newspaper article describing a visit to the Camp 3 Lookout to show that the Grisdale Hill Lookout was already there in 1939. The Grisdale Hill Lookout was atop a hill overlooking the Simpson Logging Company’s Camp 3 and was often called the Camp 3 Lookout. When the Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) used the lookout during 1942-43 they used the Camp 3 name.
The evidence that the Grisdale Hill (Camp 3) Lookout was moved is found in several AWS documents that Eric includes in his website entries. A July 25, 1942 AWS letter read in part: “Miller tells me that they are going to move the lookout house from Camp 3.0 in about Sec. 27, T 22 N, R 5 E. to a point in the south part of section 11, same township and range, where a much better view is obtained.”
(A look at a map shows that Merrit was a little off, but very close, in his description of the Denny Ahl location. The Denny Ahl site is in the NE corner of Section 13 rather than the south part of Section 11.)
A listing in another AWS document showed that they were going to use the new Denny Ahl Lookout: “At the present time this station is located at Camp 3 but will be moved to Gibbons as improvements can be completed.” (A look at the map shows Gibbons Creek flowing along the northern side of Denny Ahl Hill. Evidently the Denny Ahl Lookout was initially given the name Gibbons and then was later renamed Denny Ahl.)
An AWS map showing both the Camp 3 and Denny Ahl sites with an arrow pointing from Camp 3 to Denny Ahl with the date 6-23-43 written on it apparently shows the date of the AWS transfer.
These AWS documents, and others shown in Eric’s website, present fairly strong evidence ( but as some might say not proof) that the Grisdale Hill (aka Camp 3) Lookout cab (lookout house) was moved to be used in the construction of the new Denny Ahl (aka Gibbons) Lookout sometime in the last half of 1942 or the first half of 1943. This time period would fit in with the 1943 date given in Rex’s Denny Ahl Description.
I am keeping the Grisdale Hill to Denny Ahl move on my list of Probable Lookout Re-Locations until I find any more information to prove or disprove it.
[APRIL 7, 2022 UPDATE: Leslie Romer presents evidence that the planned move from Grisdale to Dennie Ahl may not have happened. In the Dennie Ahl Lookout chapter in her book Lost Fire Lookout Hikes and Histories she wrote “A 1942 Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) memo states the “Camp 3 lookout” cabin (later known as the Grisdale Hill Lookout) was expected to be moved to Gibbons Ridge, northwest of Dennie Ahl Hill, as some thought that this was a better location for plane-watching than the Grisdale Hill location. Despite this plan, the Forest Service built the 30-foot-tall Dennie Ahl lookout tower on a hilltop between two forks of the Skokomish River in 1943.”
After reading this I sent an email to Leslie and Eric Willhite with the Subject Line Is Dennie Ahl a re-located lookout?. The email included the following: “I have begun reading my copy of Leslie’s new book and now have a question for you two about the relationship between the Grisdale Hill Lookout and the Denny Ahl Lookout. You are both much better and more determined researchers than I am so maybe you can agree, or disagree, and help straighten me out……… If either of you believe that the cab at Denny Ahl was not from Grisdale, I should at least write an update to my Post noting the disagreement.”
Leslie answered: In his memoir, Chriswell doesn’t actually say what year Anderson Butte was completed. After his text on Anderson, the next paragraph starts : “We built another lookout. This one was easy as a road went right to it. It was named Denny Ahl L.O. after a forest scaler who died of a heart attack… When it was completed we had a dedication ceremony.” That tells me the dedication ceremony was sometime after Ahl died in July 1941. So we know there was a plan to move Grisdale building, but no report that they actually did. Chriswell completed his memoir in 1989. I don’t think his notes made it to any archives, so I can’t guess how detailed his historical notes were. Personally, I don’t assume they moved it. {MY NOTE: The book Memoirs was written by Harold C. Chriswell who became the District Ranger at Hoodsport in 1942.}
This additional information provided by Leslie only adds to the mystery surrounding the planned re-location of the Grisdale Hill Lookout discussed in the AWS letters. In my opinion, Chriswell’s description is not detailed enough to either prove or disprove that all, or some, of the Grisdale Hill Lookout was moved to Denny Ahl and used by Chriswell when the new lookout was built there. Until more first hand evidence appears to help solve this mystery, I will keep this on my list as a possible re-location.]
Grisdale Hill Lookout moved to Denny Ahl
Our Visit to the Denny Ahl Lookout Site ~ 9/11/2014
The visit to the Re-Located LO site atop Denny Ahl was a drive-up. There were no structures left at the site, but we found lookout artifacts. The big concrete tower footing blocks had been pushed over the edge and trees had grown around them. Several tower tie down foundation blocks and a concrete she floor remained on the site itself. (Eric found a real treasure in 2016 ~ the lookout toilet.) Trees had grown up to block the views from the site. Only a small view toward the east remained.
Our Visit to the Grisdale Hill LO site ~ 9/11/2014
We reached the Origin LO Site atop Grisdale Hill by way of a 4 ½ mile/750’ elevation gain round-trip gated road walk. The site has been highly modified by having dirt dumped on the lookout site raising the top of the hill at least 10’. There were no structures left and we saw no lookout artifacts, even though a 2008 geocacher’s report mentioned seeing an anchor bolt. (Eric’s report of his 2016 visit shows an anchor bolt and two footing blocks on the side of the earth mound near the original site level.) Trees had grown up on the hill around the site, but some views over the surrounding forest land and beyond still existed.
