The Siskiyou Mountain Club is looking for volunteers to help transport materials this weekend to help reconstruct the Bolan Mountain Lookout, which was destroyed in the 2020 Slater Fire.

A shuttle leaves Gold Hill at 7 a.m. Saturday and returns by 7 p.m. Sunday. Volunteers should bring camping gear and be able to lift 50 pounds of material.

The fire, which took two lives and burned more than 200 homes near Happy Camp, California, started on the same day as the Almeda Fire that burned parts of Ashland, Phoenix and Talent. It burned from Happy Camp to Takilma and beyond, charring about 200 square miles.

And the fire took out the lookout, which at the time was being used as a popular visitor rental booked daily for the season. Flames also burned around nearby Bolan Lake, but left a ring of trees around the lake, located about 14 miles southeast of Cave Junction. The area is along the Oregon-California border and within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, about 14 miles west of Applegate Lake.

The club, which is doing trail work as part of the project, will contribute about 20% of the cost, with the U.S. Forest Service picking up the balance. Restoration work includes wood framing over a metal skeleton.

“It’s a challenge we couldn’t pass up,” said club executive director Gabe Howe, whose father, Lee Howe, is acting as project manager.

The lookout, built in 1953, was 14 feet by 14 feet and came equipped with a table, two chairs and a single-person bed. Its walls were framed glass, giving occupants a 360-degree view. On the day of the fire, Sept. 8, occupants renting the structure saw the fire coming and fled, according to Howe, who spoke with one of the renters. The fire, pushed by winds, raced more than 15 miles that day.

“They got out of there before it got too close,” he said.

Scott Blower, Wild Rivers District ranger for the forest, approached Howe last year about partnering up on the project. Howe’s organization has been building trails for years in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and national forest.

“We started to build a really strong partnership based on our mutual love of the area,” Howe said. “I think Scott saw us as a lean, mean cooperator who can get sh — done.”

Blower said funding for the project required a match from a nonprofit organization such as the club.

“Gabe was the one who accepted the challenge,” he said.

Completion is expected in a couple of months.

Sign up to help by sending an email to alex@siskiyoumountainclub.org. Donations may be made at siskiyoumountainclub.org.

KS Wild events include hikes, bike ride

The public is invited to join the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center for upcoming events:

• A “hike and write” is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday featuring a shaded, moderate walk in the woods in a timber sale unit of the Poor Windy project. Participants will learn how to write an effective letter to the editor to raise awareness about forest issues.

• A forest bathing walk is set for 9:30-11 a.m. Sunday in the Mount Ashland area. Forest bathing is the act of taking in nature calmly and quietly. The walk is not long and strenuous. Bring something to sit on.

• A “steep and short” bicycle ride in the Soda Mountain area is set for 8 a.m. to noon Friday, July 5. The ride will be about 2,200 feet of ascent and descent over about 19 miles. The terrain is mostly double-track gravel roads with two bushwacking sections.

• A Red Mountain wildflower hike of 4 miles is set for 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6. Hike along a short section of the Pacific Crest Trail.

• A Hobart Bluff sunset hike is set for 7:30-10 p.m. on Friday, July 12. The hike is 2.5 miles out and back along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

The outings leave from KS Wild offices at 562 A St. in Ashland. Register at kswild.org. Call Allee Gustafson for more information, 541-488-5789, ext. 1014.

Bird walk is Saturday on Mt. Ashland

Max McClarnon leads a bird walk to Mt. Ashland 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call 541-772-2107 or visit Wild Birds Unlimited at medford.wbu.com/.

Kids safety camp is July 1-3 in Central Point

Fire District No. 3 and Central Point Parks and Recreation will host a safety camp for children ages 9-11 from 9-11:30 a.m. July 1-3 at the District 3 fire station at 1909 Scenic Ave. Kids will learn about being safe while staying home alone, babysitting, riding bicycles and more.

Cost is $10. Contact the parks department at 541-664-3321. Register at centralpointoregon.gov/schedule.

Collect seeds, pull weeds at Vesper Meadow

Observatory events include bird banding, auto tour

Upcoming Klamath Bird Observatory events include bird banding on July 10 and an auto tour featuring birding and history on July 14:

• Join KBO scientists for a full day of immersive birding and learning in the Upper Klamath Lake region, from 6:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. July 10. Participants will observe bird banding up close with biologists and interns. There will be a bird walk, too. No birding experience is necessary.

Trip leaders are Lisa Michelbrink and Shannon Rio, KBO board members. Cost is $65. Space is limited.

• Join historian and author Jeff LaLande along with birders Frank Lospalluto and Stacy Taeuber for an auto tour featuring history and birding from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on July 14 along the Siskiyou Crest, including a short hike along the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Ashland.

Historic features include Railroad Tunnel No. 13, the old Siskiyou Pass, Grouse Gap shelter and the 1850s-1860s “Mountain House” stage stop. Other stops will feature the 1846 Applegate Trail and the Hill-Dunn cemetery.

Minimum donation is $50 per person. Space is limited. Participants will travel in a carpool caravan from the Ashland Rite Aid, 2341 Ashland St.

Register at klamathbird.org.

Help partnership collect native seeds

Join Rogue Native Plant Partnership in an effort to collect seeds from Camas, native bunchgrasses and other plants from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 12 on Roxy Ann Peak.

No experience is necessary. All ages are welcome. Difficulty is moderate. The event is free.

The meeting location is the top parking lot at Roxy Ann Peak, also known as Prescott Park. The lot is along Roxy Ann Road, about 2.4 miles from Hillcrest Road.

BearFest bears are out in Grants Pass

Evergreen Federal Bank’s annual BearFest continues through Labor Day in downtown Grants Pass and around the city, featuring 56 life-size fiberglass bears painted and decorated by Southern Oregon artists. View a map of bear locations at evergreenfederal.bank/BearFest. For more information, call 541-479-3351.

Bend museum features ‘Forest at Night’

The High Desert Museum in Bend has opened its latest interactive experience, Forest at Night, to showcase the realm of nocturnal species and the importance of preserving darkness for their survival. Insects, mammals and birds of prey have evolved over millions of years to navigate, hunt and thrive in the dark.

The exhibit simulates a forest illuminated by the glow of stars and moonlight. Constellations guide migrating birds on their journeys across the high desert.

The exhibit delves into the issue of light pollution. Artificial light disrupts ecosystems, posing a threat to nocturnal species. People can help by using motion sensors, installing shielded light fixtures and opting for warm-colored bulbs to minimize their impact on the night sky.

The exhibit is open through the end of the year. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 59800 U.S. Highway 97.