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4A ܂ WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 ܂ APPEAL TRIBUNE Life in the Valley Watching for wildfires Ann Amundsen, the Coffin Mountain Lookout, points out visible mountain peaks on July 6. PHOTOS BY ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL Living among clouds at Coffin Mountain Lookout Ann Amundsen is on watch she's working a job and might be busy. Also: don't try and climb into the lookout. That's like someone opening your front door. Ask first, she said. And bring your own water. Amundsen has faced some bizarre moments in 29 years, including waking up to hunters standing on her porch, or the guy who thought she was selling snacks. “Most people are cool, but the ones that aren’t kind of stick out in your mind,” she said. “I have regular visitors that come up and bring me chocolate. It’s a fun part of the job, getting to know the groups that come up here.” Amundsen does have a romantic job. But between the people and technology, plus watching for wildfires, it's not as simple as it might seem. Zach Urness Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK No job feels more romantic than that of a fire lookout. To live among the clouds, in a cozy glass hut, peering across the forest for puffs of smoke has always seemed the definition of simplicity. Turns out, there’s a little bit more to it. That was my takeaway after hiking up Coffin Mountain and visiting Ann Amundsen, who’s working her 29th season at this lookout southeast of De- troit. Amundsen’s duties are both specific (watching for wildfires) and wide-rang- ing, including reporting weather, main- taining radio equipment, fixing up the lookout and chatting with the hundreds of hikers who ascend to her ramparts each summer. “We’re officially required to scan the forest every 15 minutes — but I usually do it more than that. You just get in the habit of looking,” she said. “In between, I do a little bit of everything.” Amundsen plays a critical role this time of year, as wildfire season kicks into full gear. Earlier this month, she spotted what became the Byars Peak Fire five miles north of Detroit. Because of quick action, the fire nev- er grew much larger than 6 acres, stop- ping what could have been another summertime setback for the Santiam Canyon. "Lookouts like Ann Amundsen are the unsung heroes of our fire communi- ty," U.S. Forest Service Detroit district ranger Dave Halemeier said. "They also act as stewards for historic lookout structures and are the face of the agency to the numerous visitors of our look- outs." Amundsen, who grew up in Illinois and said she’d never heard of a fire look- out until she moved to Seattle, takes joy Ann Amundsen says there is an art to spotting wildfire. Coffin Mountain hike in the small moments of a job she never anticipated holding. "I get to know my surrounding so well — at one point, I made up names for the snags I can see from my window. I'd say 'hi' to them each morning," said Amund- sen, laughing. “I don’t make a lot of money, but I really like what I do." She said there's an art to spotting wildfires, and she enjoys spotting them before the airplanes or cameras that have gradually replaced Oregon's net- work of fire lookouts. At one point, Oregon was home to around 800 manned fire lookouts. To- day, less than 100 remain. “It is kind of a dying thing,” she said. “There is some pride in being one of the people who's keeping it going.” Hike to Coffin Mountain The view from Coffin Mountain Lookout seems endless — and that’s al- most true. Mount Jefferson dominates the sky- line, but the surrounding vista is sweep- ing even by lookout standards. On a clear day, you can see from Washington’s Mount Rainier to the tip of Mount Thielsen in Southern Oregon. That’s about 255 miles as the crow flies. To the west, Amundsen can spot Marys Peak in the Oregon Coast Range. The hike to the lookout is charmed. It’s short but steep, running 3 miles round-trip with 1,000 feet of climb. The hike begins in forest, but quickly arrives in open grassy meadow, filled with wild- flowers in July and knockout views of Jefferson. Near the top, you begin to under- stand the mountain’s gloomy name. The summit has the rounded shape of a dark headstone. The lookout sits at 5,770 feet on the summit. It's the first thing you see from the trail upon reaching the top. That makes Amundsen popular with a curi- ous public. For the most part, Amundsen, who possesses a quick smile and easy-going nature, enjoys chatting with visitors. She only asks they respect the fact that In a nutshell: Hike a beautiful trail to a summit and staffed lookout atop Cof- fin Mountain. Length: 3 miles round-trip Climb: 1,050 feet Difficulty: Moderately strenuous Directions: From Salem, drive east on Highway 22, past Detroit and Marion Forks, to milepost 69. Turn right onto Straight Creek Road (Forest Service Road 11). Go four miles and turn right on- to gravel road 1168. Continue 3.8 miles and turn left onto USFS Road 450. Al- most immediately, you'll see the trail- head parking area and a sign for Coffin Mountain Trail. Coordinates: 44.6084441, -122.0497065 Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for 10 years. He is the author of the book “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJour- nal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors. 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