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  • Fire Tower Ultra Challenge

    I still have a little ways to go on my fire tower challenge, and don't expect to finish until early next summer at the earliest... but already I've gotten to thinking, "what next?" After completing the 46 high peaks, some people chose to move on to the 100 highest. It seems to me the logical continuation of the fire tower challenge would be to climb all the publicly accessible peaks in the Adirondacks and the Catskills that used to have fire towers, but no longer do.

    Unfortunately, I don't have the proper resources immediately on hand to compile a 100% complete list, but I know that there are those on this forum who will help out.

    Here's what I've come up with so far based on memory and internet sources for publicly accessible mountains that once had towers but no longer do:

    Adirondacks:

    Kempshall Mt (High Peaks WA)
    Pharaoh Mt (Pharaoh Lake WA)
    Debar Mt (Debar Mountain WF)
    Cat Mt (Five Ponds WA)
    Ampersand Mt (High Peaks WA)
    Boreas Mt (Private- not sure if this counts as publicly accessible, but it's required for the HH, so I figured I'd include it)
    Crane Mt (Wilcox Lake WF)
    Makomis Mt (Hammond Pond WF, although the summit may be just barely on private land)
    Prospect Mt (Lake George WF)
    Tomany Mt (Ferris Lake WF)
    Tooley Pond Mt (Grasse River WF)
    Whiteface Mt (Whiteface Mountain IUA)
    Fort Noble Mt (West Canada Lakes WA)
    T-Lake Mt (West Canada Lakes WA)
    West Mt (Pigeon Lake WA)
    Catamount (privately owned near Carry Falls Reservoir, this one is also dubious as to whether it is "publicly accessible," access has been allowed in the past)
    Mt Electra (Five Ponds WA, this one is pretty remote, it could easily be the Allen Mt of this challenge)
    Hamilton Mt (Silver Lake WA, this could be another challenging one due to the remoteness)
    Palmer Mt (Another privately owned one near Au Sable Forks, but apparently open to the public)
    Beaver Lake Mt (Pepperbox WA)
    Moose River Mt (Ha-De-Ron-Dah WA)
    Bald Mt (Private owned west of Watsons East Triangle WF, but land is in easement, so this one might be accessible)
    Number Four (Independance River WF)
    Moose River (Roadside tower, halfway between Porters Corners and Moose River on Moose River Road)
    Rock Mt (Independance River WF)
    Whites Hill (Roadside tower, north of Whitehill Wild Forest)

    Catskills:
    Bellayre Mt (Big Indian WA)
    Gallis Hill (this one is a maybe... I think it's privately owned)
    Slide Mt (Slide Mountain WA)

    Quite the list, many have trails, but many would technically be bushwhacks at this point. Certainly not any harder than the hundred highest, though.

    Anyone else interested in going for it?

  • #2
    According to this link there were 108 towers in the Catskills, of which five remain. There are two addresses on that link which you could write to for possible information on the list. Sending you a PM also.

    Dick

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    • #3
      Not to begin sounding like a parrot, but please remember there were TWO fire towers on Beaver Lake Mt (The lower original & higher 2cd). .....dammit.. (LOL).
      --"Pete You***?!, Pete You***'s grandson?!...That name is nearly sacred & uttered with awe in THIS house!" : The late Dr. Reed's wife, upon entering her house & being introduced- so to converse with her husband about the old days, a little before he died. The kind of greeting you'll never forget & reinforces your image of the hero you never met. --

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Dick View Post
        According to this link there were 108 towers in the Catskills, of which five remain. There are two addresses on that link which you could write to for possible information on the list. Sending you a PM also.

        Dick
        The wording isn't the best in the opening paragraph, Dick. The next one after the short list says, "but the other eighteen towers that were used in the six-county Catskill Region." The 108 towers were for all of NY state, Catskill, Adirondack and other combined it seems. 108 in the Cats alone would be pretty crazy!

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Cory D View Post
          The wording isn't the best in the opening paragraph, Dick. The next one after the short list says, "but the other eighteen towers that were used in the six-county Catskill Region." The 108 towers were for all of NY state, Catskill, Adirondack and other combined it seems. 108 in the Cats alone would be pretty crazy!
          Serves me right for reading it too quickly and not carefully enough! Thanks, Cory.

          Dick

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          • #6
            I've found other information that indicates that Palmer Hill, in Au Sable Forks, still has it's tower standing, and is off limits to the public.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by pondhopper View Post
              Not to begin sounding like a parrot, but please remember there were TWO fire towers on Beaver Lake Mt (The lower original & higher 2cd). .....dammit.. (LOL).
              Thanks, that's good information to know! Of course, both locations would be required destinations.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Dick View Post
                Serves me right for reading it too quickly and not carefully enough! Thanks, Cory.

                Dick
                Elsewhere on that page, it says that there were 23 towers at one point in and around the Catskills.

                I didn't include publicly accessible tower locations outside the Adirondacks and the Catskills, but my OCD will probably drive me to include those at some point.

                Comment


                • #9
                  In addition to the Podskoch books on the sticky link, have you tried contacting Marty Podskoch directly? His contact information is at the bottom of this link:



                  Dick
                  Last edited by Dick; 11-01-2010, 09:21 AM.

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                  • #10
                    Dun Brook Mt. had a tower. I believe it is private land, however, and I don't know what access possibilities are. It is one of the Adirondack Highest Hundred peaks.

                    Also Ohmer Mt. (near Northville)

                    Dick

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Dick View Post
                      Dun Brook Mt. had a tower. I believe it is private land, however, and I don't know what access possibilities are. It is one of the Adirondack Highest Hundred peaks.

                      Also Ohmer Mt. (near Northville)

                      Dick
                      I didn't include Dun Brook because it is privately owned, and is off limits. For the hundred highest, mountains 101 and 102 are substituted in its place.

                      I saw Ohmer on the list, but it is privately owned. It could be a "maybe," depending on access.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by DSettahr View Post
                        Bald Mt (Private owned west of Watsons East Triangle WF, but land is in easement, so this one might be accessible)
                        According to the Discover the NW Adirondacks book, Bald Mt is indeed accessible. The tower is still there, but is lying on its side, having been torn down but not removed by IP.

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                        • #13
                          The Bald Mt. tower in Watson's E. Tri. has been removed by the DEC & was took to Dadville. Thought it was reassembled there, but will have to verify that, sometime. And the land was never owned by IP, but by other paper companys like Diamond I. etc.
                          --"Pete You***?!, Pete You***'s grandson?!...That name is nearly sacred & uttered with awe in THIS house!" : The late Dr. Reed's wife, upon entering her house & being introduced- so to converse with her husband about the old days, a little before he died. The kind of greeting you'll never forget & reinforces your image of the hero you never met. --

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by pondhopper View Post
                            The Bald Mt. tower in Watson's E. Tri. has been removed by the DEC & was took to Dadville. Thought it was reassembled there, but will have to verify that, sometime. And the land was never owned by IP, but by other paper companys like Diamond I. etc.
                            Info on Bald Mt. fire tower is here

                            Dick

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Think that's the other Bald Mt., Dick. Here's some old photos from the 1930's & my deceased aunt Virginia is in the pic & the guy with the mustache was Ranger Kuhl, whom had a wooden leg. They are sitting at the old ranger shack, near the old Bald Mt. fire tower. NYS went out of it's way to accommodate Ranger Kuhl in his vocation & built the "Watchtower Bridge" over the West Branch Oswegatchie to ease his walk to & from the tower (prior to good roads). The bridge was located about 1/2 upstream from Mud Pond:
                              Attached Files
                              --"Pete You***?!, Pete You***'s grandson?!...That name is nearly sacred & uttered with awe in THIS house!" : The late Dr. Reed's wife, upon entering her house & being introduced- so to converse with her husband about the old days, a little before he died. The kind of greeting you'll never forget & reinforces your image of the hero you never met. --

                              Comment

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