Hike of the Week 5/5/2005

The Great Catskill Mountains Fire Tower Quest

Location:  where

Length:  length

Rating:  difficulty

Dogs:  dogs

Map:  map

Features: features

Watch out for: watchfor

Background:

background

Hike Description:

Thursday, May 5, 2005

The Great Catskills Fire Tower Quest: Can you do them all?

Editor's note: This is the first in a multi-part series on fire tower hikes in Catskill Park.

Hike name: The Great Catskill Mountains Fire Tower Quest

Location: Catskill Mountains: Hunter Mountain, Balsam Lake Mountain, Mount Tremper, Overlook Mountain, Red Hill Length: Varies

Dogs: All are relatively dog-friendly. Some of the Hunter trails are pretty steep.

Maps: New York/New Jersey Trail Conference Catskill Trails; NYNJTC New York Walk Book, maps 11, 12 and 13; Peter W. Kick's Catskill Mountain Guide.

Rating: Moderate to strenuous

Features: Five recently restored New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 80-foot steel fire towers. Incredible 360-degree panoramas from the towers.

Watch out for: If you have a strong fear of heights, the walk up the fire tower stairs could really be unsettling. Try focusing just on the stairs ahead of you and plug away. It will be worth the climb.

How to get there: More details on each individual installment.

Background: A total of 23 New York State fire towers were built in the Catskill region between 1909 and 1950. Fire observers manned the towers until 1990, when it was determined that aerial surveillance was more effective and economical than manning and maintaining the towers. The towers were abandoned, and deteriorated due to weather, animals and vandalism. The state decided to take down the towers, but local residents began movements to save them. In 1997, Helen Budrock of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development (CCCD) picked p the ball and contacted New Paltz DEC ranger George Profous, and the Catskill Fire Tower Project was born. Volunteers organized into five fire tower committees: Hunter, Woodstock, Margaretville, Phoenicia and Claryville. They raised money and eventually restored five towers: Hunter, Overlook, Balsam Lake, Mount Tremper and Red Hill. The towers were reopened to the public between 1999 and 2000.

Hike Description: Detailed hike descriptions to each of the five towers will be forthcoming in upcoming Hike of the Week installments. Stay tuned.

About the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference: The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a federation of hiking clubs, environmental organizations and individual members who volunteer their time and resources to build and maintain hiking trails and protect related open space in the bi-state region. The NYNJTC consists of more than 85 hiking clubs and environmental organizations and more than 10,000 individual members.

Information: For information on NYNJTC activities, call 201-512-9348, e-mail info@nynjtc.org or go to www.nynjtc.org.

Ralph Ferrusi of Stormville writes Hike of the Week for the Poughkeepsie Journal Players section. For comments, suggestions or to contribute your own favorite hike, call the Players Hot Line at 845-437-4848.

How to get there: 

getthere

About the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference : The NY-NJ Trail Conference is a federation of hiking clubs, environmental organizations and individual members who volunteer their time and resources to build and maintain hiking trails and protect related open space in the bi-state region.

Information : For a more detailed description of this hike including a map, visit www.nynjtc.org and click on Hike of the Week. For information on NYNJTC activities, call 201-512-9348 or email info@nynjtc.org.

Hike of the Week is a regular feature in the Poughkeepsie Journal Players section, call 845-437-4848. This hike is contributed by Jane Daniels, Chair of the NYNJTC Board of Directors.

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