Old Glory Lookout Reno Started
By Rossland Telegraph
Late last week a crew began the work of renovating the former fire lookout hut on the summit of Old Glory. Masons began repairing the crumbling foundation, the door was replaced, and the windows were removed and replaced with stronger glass. Electricians swarmed the summit to repair the grounding wires against the hazard of lightning strikes — but be warned: this work does not make the lookout a safe shelter in a lightning storm.
Hikers are warned to keep a weather eye out, and if a thunderstorm seems to be approaching, to flee to lower elevations — not the lookout building — as fast as they can safely manage. There are signs to this effect on the way to the Old Glory summit.
Sometime next year, hikers may find a “fire-finder” inside the lookout, so people can identify those distant peaks. The shutters willl be rmoved from the windows for the summer season to make that possible, and the building will be re-finished both inside and out. Some interpretive signage will appear, too.
The former fire lookout is the property of the Ministry of Forests, whose personnel are overseeing the renovations.
At present, it’s a work in progress. It may take another year, but the summit of Old Glory will be an even more attractive destination for hikers.
