Mount Luke

Mount Luke

Dana, Kenny, Lydia & Gabriel Koogler 

Jan. 2018 and April 24, 2018

   One pretty Saturday evening in January myself, Kenny, Lydia and Gabriel 

went over to Townsend to take a walk and make use of the playground. Lydia had been telling us for some time about a piece of property her family owned in Townsend.   I had heard it mentioned before when Debbie talked about that cabin they had sitting up on Mount Luke rotting down.   I did not know where Mount Luke was.  Liz inherited the property and had said she'd give it to Jared and Lydia if they wanted to put a mobile home or something on it.   Finally curiosity got the best of me.

I asked if while we were in the area if we could go see this place?  Lydia said sure she'd show us on the drive home.   We followed her instructions. It turned out to be about where I guessed.  It was down in the Kinzel Springs part of Townsend.   It is part of the former Kinzel Springs resort. 

The founder of the resort was a man of faith and named the four surrounding mountain peaks 

after disciples. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   

       The Kinzel Springs resort is long gone, but the mountains remain.   We started up the side of 

Mount Luke on a road that looks like you could fall right off the side.   One after another cabin hung off the side of the mountain.   Some looked like they were long abandoned. Others still occupied. Some like maybe they see a tad bit of use or care through the year.   Some are residences and occupied day in and day out.   We crept up the mountain a bit further on switchback curves and

soon we were there looking at the property and the cabin.  It is a three story affair and at one time must have been rather nice.  It sits decaying on a slope facing Dry Valley.   It is in very bad shape.

Getting a trailer home up there would be out of the question.  Getting any sort of structure to sit there

on the side of that mountain would be another monumental undertaking.   

Chimney sitting alone on the side of Mt. Luke

This is an expanded view of the terrain so you can see the notched out place.. I guess a house must have been there once upon a time.

Yet another spot where there used to be a cabin..... but now all that remains are steps and some fencing.

I drove back in Spring to see if there were any good wildflowers and there are a few.  Here is a mass of wild geraniums and yellow trilliums.

Catesby's trilliums were thick on the slopes

Closeup of Catesbys trillium blossom

Coral honeysuckle blooming on Mt. Luke

Another two story structure on Mt. Luke's slopes.   It has a deck still standing.

The flattest place on the mountain was this stretch of road!

Pink catesbys trillium.

    We drove to the end of the road. I was hoping for a view from the summit.   All we encountered was a burm of earth where they have fixed it to prevent you from being able to drive the mountain through from one road to another.   No views.  No summit access. 

  I now know where Mt. Luke is.   I will try to go back and see this place again in a different season.
Take more photos and do some more snooping round.