By Ty Walker
The Mountain Times
Through black and white pictures and words, “Cabin In The Sky: The Mt. Hood Lookout” brings to life the colorful history of the first lookout atop the 11,225-foot summit of the tallest mountain in Oregon.
Portland filmmaker Ned Thanhouser and photo archivist Jeff Thomas weave this story together with a tapestry of old photographs and a folksy narrative. Local history buffs and casual viewers alike can enjoy their short, 10-minute documentary free online at oregonrockthepioneers.com.
The Mount Hood Lookout was established in August 1915 by Oregon mountaineer and Forest Service Ranger Lige Coalman. Intended as an early warning system for forest fire detection and suppression, the cabin in the sky was built for that purpose but became so much more.
“It became a destination for climbers and people were married on the summit in the cabin,” Thanhouser said. “People would record their climbing accomplishments. They had a summit register. They would put their name in the register.”
“Cabin In The Sky” chronicles how Mt. Hood Lookout was built, who lived in the cabin during the fire season and how it became a real landmark until the 1940s, when it collapsed from the ravages of severe weather.
Ranger Coalman’s vision for a summit lookout on the mountain proved invaluable from the start, as he spotted 131 fires in a six-week period during the first year. The U.S. Forest Service funded $633 for construction of the cabin.
With the help of 20 mules gathered in Government Camp, lumber was carried to Crater Rock. “It took 10 men 10 days to carry 10 tons of lumber and material to the summit,” the narrator said.
The cabin, with a 12-by-12-foot ground floor, was completed by October 1915, with the finishing touches on the cupola done in early 1916.
“Being up on the mountain was like being in god’s country,” Coalman is quoted in the “Cabin In The Sky.” He claims to have climbed to the peak a record 586 times.
Forest Service rangers occupied the lookout until the mid-1930s. Imagine a lonely life interrupted only by the infrequent guest. Over the years, the destination had attracted a colorful cast of visitors, including skiers, climbing clubs, adventurers and couples wanting to exchange wedding vows. In the summer of 1935, it even served temporarily as a nudist camp.
The story of the lookout on the mountain ends with these words from the narrator.
“By the 1950s all that remained of Mt. Hood Lookout was charred timbers. Its legacy as a fire lookout, destination for lovers, refuge for adventurers and goal for climbers is not to be forgotten.”
The history of Mt. Hood and the summit is something people need to know about because it’s very historic,” Thanhouser said. “It’s great history for people who like to know about history.”
“Cabin In The Sky” is one of eight documentaries on which Thanhouser and Thomas have collaborated. The subjects are mostly about climbing and mountaineering, including a popular piece called “Ranger: The Canine Alpinst.” Told from the point of view of the dog, it chronicles the life of a dog who is said to have rivaled Ranger Coalman’s Mt. Hood climbing record.
Since retiring from Intel in the high-tech industry, Thanhouser has made dozens of documentaries over the past 10 years. The self-financed filmmaker describes himself as a visual storyteller.
Thanhouser said doing the “Cabin In The Sky” was a natural fit for him as he was an avid climber and mountaineer.. He is currently working on a video project with the Mazamas, a Portland mountain climbing club. He also has done documentaries on motorcycles, WWII aircraft and the history of early cinema.