The Sierra Buttes Lookout

I hiked to the Sierra Buttes Lookout Tower for the first time, in the summer between my 7th and 8th grade school year, with my sister Michele. We set out from Packer Lake because, back then, there was no road to Packer Saddle, just to Packer Lake. Part of the trail may have been a logging road from Packer Lake, but it was not really accessible to a standard car like one our parents used to get us close to our goal. Anyway, the hike and the views up top were spectacular and I have done the hike many times over the years.

On one hike, I was taking my new bride, Teresa. She had never been to the Lookout Tower.

As the hike progressed, Teresa started to lose her energy and enthusiasm asking "How much longer?" An old trick came to mind. I told her "Not much farther. And, once we get to the top of the Lookout Tower, there will be a forest ranger who serves cold beer on tap for free". Teresa had no reason to doubt me, so she took in the lie; hook, line and sinker, adding pep to her step as we hiked the rest of the trail to the lookout tower. Yes, Teresa was surprised to find there was no one within the lookout tower and learn her husband had played a trick on her.

She has never forgotten this story and we typically will laugh and reminisce whenever we hike the Sierra Buttes.

A couple of years later in our marriage, we made the hike together with our first dog, a golden retriever named Corona. She was a full breed Golden Retriever. Her full registered name was Corona Extra Gold. Great dog.

Corona took to the trail well and made it up to the Sierra Buttes Lookout Tower like a champ.

In fact, when we reached the set of metal stairs to the tower, she just went up the stairs without a hitch. She was looking up and not aware of what she was really climbing.

Now for most of us, the stairs are a bit scary, since they are open stairs with a lot of space to the crag below.

After our normal tour of the tower platform and taking in the view, we went to go down the stairs. Corona took one look at the same stairs she had just come up and it was now a non-starter. She would not go down the stairs. I tried to coax the dog, but she was not having any of it and started to tremble. I had no choice but to carry her down the flights of stairs.

For those who have taken these stairs, it is not for the faint of heart, they are not easy stairs to navigate. One will use both hands holding on to the rails on each side all the way down.

I will never forget holding a trembling dog, weighing around 60 pounds with one hand, while using my other hand to hold a rail and slowly, one step at a time, making a frightful descent.

To this day, on every visit to the Lookout Tower, I recall taking those stairs down while holding our Golden Retriever. In fact, this past summer, I hiked with some friends to the tower and I brought our German Shepard, Maybelle. She is about the same size as Corona. When we reached the stairs, I did not even give her the option. No, I left Maybelle at the bottom of the stairs with someone in our group who had no desire to scale the long and steep staircase.