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?
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?
Comment