As you listen to this, my wife and I are waking up to an incredible vantage point for watching a sunrise. We stayed the night last night in the Blackhall Mountain fire tower in the Medicine Bow National Forest. The tower sits high above the surrounding forest, so that a fire spotter can see smoke from a fire just about anywhere in any direction for miles and miles. I don’t know exactly how far you can see from up here, but it’s far. Really, really far.
We’re not being paid by the Forest Service to spot fires, though they do tell you if you stay in a fire tower that it would be helpful if you’d report any fires you see. We’re actually paying the Forest Service for the chance to stay in the tower. It’s not terribly expensive – at $80 a night, it’s less than a hotel would cost, if they had hotels out here in the forest. Granted, there’s no running water, no electricity, and no WiFi. But that’s OK with me. I come to the woods to get away from all the hubbub of life in civilization. The only connection here with the outside world is somewhat spotty cell service. Again, that’s exactly what I was looking for.
What you get for your $80 a night is absolute peace and quiet, as well as a panoramic view of the entire forest, including a night sky unhindered by light pollution. There are windows all the way around this tower, so you can see all the way to the curve of the Earth in all directions. Or at least to the next mountain range.
If you want to check out a fire tower, go to the Forest Service website and search Fire Towers. You can narrow down your search to specific forest units, and most of them have towers you can rent for a couple nights. You’ll have to do it well in advance of your intended trip, though. I think Amy booked this one back in April.
But check it out. It’s an incredible experience, and it’s well worth the wait.
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