Are there stairs or an elevator to get up there?
Do you sleep up there, too?

1: Yes. The brown boxes on the catwalk under the flag are 5-gallon "cubies" of water, each weighing a little over 40 pounds. There are eleven showing, including the one on the left corner, one in the lookout, and eight empties in the back of my truck. That represents 100 gallons (800 pounds) of water. I replenish at the ranger station mid-season with another 25-30 gallons, just to be on the safe side.

2. Yes. There are 43 very steep steps to ascend the 30 feet up to the lookout.

4. No. No elevator, sadly. But I do have a pulley-hoist system, mainly for small loads less than about 30 pounds (backpacks, groceries, etc).

5. Yes. I live and sleep in the lookout. My normal shift is 13 days on, one day off. I am on duty 12 hours a day, but available 24.

If conditions warrant, the fire managers sometimes postpone my off day. But usually other arrangements are made, like increased reconnaissance flights or road patrols by firefighters.

, a small pink flower that is the state flower of Montana.

I got back home to South Carolina in time for hurricane Helene.

Good one.