The days of binoculars, belly slides

A sense of nostalgia came over me as I read Susan Spano’s article [“California for Sky Huggers,” Sept. 17]. I was first in a lookout tower at 17, in the summer of 1945, when I went to work for the Angeles National Forest Service.

I fought dozens of fires, cleared trails, inspected trucks and equipment at fire camp and met with forest visitors.

In that first season, I watched for airplanes and [Japanese] incendiary balloons.

I got to know senior personnel who had helped construct one or more towers. On days off, I took supplies to Mendenhall Peak and Mt. Gleason (a good vertical climb and slide on your belly into the tower).

I also served for a time on Parker Mountain for L.A. County. There, I wrote a poem called, “Among Ashen Scars.” It wasn’t published, but I did end up a fervent environmentalist, a professor of geography and instructor of conservation.

IMRE SUTTON

Fullerton

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I enjoyed and appreciated Spano’s interesting feature on fire lookouts. I wonder if Spano knew that the Los Angeles County Fire Department for many years operated several fire lookouts in the region.

Smog obscured visibility, and now all are gone. There were three in the Malibu area of Santa Monica Mountains, one at Parker Mountain near Acton and one at Flint Peak.

CLIFF DEKTAR

Hollywood