The guardian of Colorado's Front Range
At the summit of Devil's Head, the highest point in the state of Colorado's Rampart Range in Pike National Forest, Ashley Farinacci-Silfies stood in her lookout tower, gripping a pair of binoculars: "That could be a fire," she said, looking intently into the distance. Shortly afterwards, she realised it was only dust, likely from a dirt bike, mimicking the smoky wisp of a new fire. "Luckily, not this time."
Named for its jagged peak, Devil's Head soars 9,748ft into the sky in the Rampart Range, part of Colorado's Front Range that makes up the easternmost edge of the Rocky Mountains. The mountain offers stunning vistas that extend east towards Kansas, west to the Continental Divide, north to Wyoming and south to Pike's Peak, a popular "fourteener" – mountaineering parlance meaning a mountain over 14,000ft. To preserve the forest's beauty, fire management is crucial.
Employed by the US Forest Service, Farinacci-Silfies is the last remaining fire lookout in Colorado's Front Range, and the Devil's Head Lookout tower is one of only a handful of fire towers in the US that still maintain seasonal operations. Her job, which she has been doing for two seasons, has largely been replaced by technology, such as 360-degree cameras, drones and aircraft equipped with heat sensors used to detect new fire starts. But, according to Farinacci-Silfies, "Technology can't replace me." She points out that forest service teams appreciate the flexibility offered only by humans; our ability to synthesise information and respond to teams on the ground is something that "drones can't do".
Farinacci-Silfies's job as a fire lookout requires her to spend six months of the year living in a remote log cabin accessible only on foot via the Devil's Head trail, a 1.25-mile hike covering 900ft of elevation. However, much of her time is spent in the nearby fire lookout tower, perched atop the terminus of the Devil's Head trail, one of the Denver area's most popular.
Farinacci-Silfies appreciates the novelty of her work, marvelling at the beauty of her surroundings. "Every hour the sun changes, illuminating something different that I haven't seen before."
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210809-the-guardian-of-colorados-front-range
_________________________________________________________________________________
When I was in college I knew a guy who worked summers in a fire tower in Montana. I didn't realize there were so few left.
= new reply since forum marked as read
DemoTex, I think is his user name. You can probably find some of his posts in the Photography forum. He often includes snippets of life on the mountaintop. 
Your photos are beautiful! 
