The history hidden in the new lives of fire lookouts
Northwest Montana Lookout Association representatives Peters Kitts and Chuck Manning examine the exterior of Northwest Peak Lookout in preparation of major restoration efforts in 2025. (Zeke Lloyd/Montana Fres Press)
TROY — Chuck Manning, 79, took careful steps as he circled a small wooden cabin at the top of Northwest Peak, an aptly named mountaintop a few miles from Montana’s borders with Idaho and Canada.
The remote fire lookout, situated roughly 7,700 feet above sea level, appeared to be in relatively good condition, despite being abandoned since 1955 when the Forest Service last staffed the outpost. Moving against strong winds on the rocky terrain, Manning methodically scrutinized each part of the structure with a knife, notebook and phone. At times, he pressed the blade gently into the wood to assess its texture and strength, and he occasionally jotted down notes and sketched schematics, snapping photos of everything.
Manning leads the Northwest Montana Lookout Association, a nonprofit organization that supports government agencies in restoring and maintaining fire lookouts around Kootenai and Flathead national forests. Despite Northwest Peak Lookout’s remote location — the closest city is more than 40 miles south and features a sign reading “Troy: Where Montana Begins” — the 94-year-old structure has warranted continued restoration efforts from NMLA over the last eight years. Moreover, frequent visits to isolated destinations are not uncommon for members like Manning, a Montana native, who traveled to the Mount Brown Fire Lookout in Glacier National Park from his home in Lakeside on 10 separate occasions between 2015 and 2024.
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