Northwest Montana Lookout Association
Restoring & Preserving Fire Lookouts in Northwest Montana
June 8, 2025 listen here listen to a shortened (~15 minute), AI-created podcast of this interview here ​Rick and Marli Davis discuss their experiences as lookout staff for the Flathead National Forest on Cyclone Lookout from 1971-1975 and on Baptiste Lookout and again Cyclone as volunteers, from 2012 to the present. Marli shared growing up …
February 9, 2025 Listen Here listen to a shortened (~15 minute), AI-created podcast of this interview here Diane Boyd, a lookout veteran from the early 1980s, discusses being born and raised in Minnesota. She shares that she moved to Montana in 1979 for a Master's study on the only wolf in the area at the …
May 25, 2024 Listen here Dan Snell shares growing up in Morocco in North Africa before moving to North Carolina, joining the Marines at 17. He became a lookout at Patrol Mountain, Lewis and Clark National Forest, in 1972 and was a lookout for twenty-two years. Dan describes feeling lucky and comfortable there. Dan talks …
February 17, 2024 Listen here Merv and Judi Wingard share their experiences as lookouts at Numa Ridge and Apgar in Glacier National Park in 1968 and 1969. Judi reflects on her idyllic childhood in Washington, filled with nature and supportive neighbors. Merv shares his love for nature and mountain climbing, influenced by his family's logging …
February 14, 2024 Listen Here Betty Violette shares stories of her eleven seasons as a fire lookout in Montana's Flathead National Forest (FNF) and Kootenai National Forest (KNF). Betty grew up in St. Ignatius, Montana, and struggled to find her career path. She discusses wanting to be an artist but working in New York City …
August 25, 2023 Listen Here Daniel Yuhas talks of his parents being lookouts in 1947 on Desert Mountain when he was in diapers at eight months old. Dan recalls his father’s long Forest Service career with the Glacier View Ranger District, Flathead National Forest, including playing at the Big Creek Ranger Station, fishing the North …
listen here for interview 1- May 8, 2023 listen here for interview 2- May 17, 2023 Listen here for interview 3- May 23, 2023 Interview 1 Summary: Samsara Chapman Duffey discusses being born in Missoula, Montana, but moving to Helena as a young child and growing up there. She says she started backpacking and camping …
listen here for interview 1- November 29, 2022 listen here for interview 2- January 30, 2023 to listen to a shortened (~15 minute), AI-created podcast of these interviews please click here Interview 1 Summary: Mark Hufstetler describes being born in Utah in 1958. He says his father was a career U.S. Forest Service employee, and …
Listen here for interview 1- June 20, 2022 listen here for interview 2- July 11, 2022 Interview 1 Summary: Brian shares being born in Indiana but his family moved to Montana when he was four. He tells of living in Potomac, where he also went to school. He says playing outdoors led to a “wild …
listen here This interview spans Leif Haugen’s entire lookout career: Mount Morrell, Mt. Henry, Numa Ridge, and Thoma. Along with experiences on the lookouts, Leif discusses knowledge and experience he gained on how to live on a lookout and do a quality job; the Park Service and Forest Service organizations; and his role in creating …
Northwest Montana Lookout Association 