Adirondack Fire Towers - Stay or go ?

I received an email on this subject today. I have removed the sender's comments, and am simply providing information.

On Thursday, July 7, 2005, the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will begin the process of determining the future of three fire towers:

• Hurricane
• St. Regis
• Wakely

If you want to comment on whether the towers should stay or go, write to:

Board of Commissioners
The Adirondack Park Agency
P.O. Box 99
1133 NY Route 86
Ray Brook, NY 12977

(And remember, please keep politics out of this thread).

I simply do not understand this. What are they hurting. Unless some are so badly damaged they would be dangerous to climb whats the problem. Just fix them. you don't have to tear them down. Hurricane and st. regis you dont need them for a view but he others you do. I doubt if i would climb wakley or adams if there was no view. Why does everything have to be so black and white? Sometimes things for into a "gray" area. You cant declare a area as a "wilderness" area becouse there is something man made standing?

I think the tussle has to do with manmade structures in Wilderness areas. Since the towers have been there for a long time, I'm generally in favor of keeping them, and making the stairs safe for a view.

If some have to go, then it should never be ones on wooded summits like Mt Adams. Another point to consider, as peaks like Hurricane have a great view without the tower. Personally, I like glancing around and seeing the Hurricane tower in the distance. It helps to quickly get oriented.

Some of us got the ball rolling with DEC and ADK( Doc McPeak was a notable one), and letter writing to the DEC Commissioner and ADK got the tower's footprint removed from Wilderness consideration.
If the towers mentioned here are important to you, then email and phone calls to ADK would be important as well as letting them know if you an ADK member. I'd also suggest mentioning it to your ADk Chapter Chair.
The final determination won't be made by ADK, of course, but then can lobby DEC if convinced.

'

Adk_dib said:

I simply do not understand this. What are they hurting. Unless some are so badly damaged they would be dangerous to climb whats the problem. Just fix them. you don't have to tear them down. Hurricane and st. regis you dont need them for a view but he others you do. I doubt if i would climb wakley or adams if there was no view. Why does everything have to be so black and white? Sometimes things for into a "gray" area. You cant declare a area as a "wilderness" area becouse there is something man made standing?

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"What are they hurting" ? Nothing in my opinion.

Some are in danger of collapsing (eventually), yes.

"Just fix them". Sure, but who pays for it? Many towers have been adopted by various groups and have been restored. I don't know if Hurricane has a group fighting specifically for its preservation.

Hurricane has been declared a non-conforming structure. Perhaps the APA will resolve the controversy, one way or the other. It seems to me that this tower could be given 'historic' status, and grandfathered into protection. But there are people who say that if we allow one exception, we will have to start allowing others.

The most recent exception was Mt Adams. Outside pressure kept it, the old trail has been revitalized, and the tower repair, ongoing.
Without the letters and phone calls, Adams would have been a nonconforming structure and either going or gone.
You and I are on the same page. Thanks for alerting/reminding everyone.

PB

Peakbagr said:

The most recent exception was Mt Adams. Outside pressure kept it, the old trail has been revitalized, and the tower repair, ongoing. Without the letters and phone calls, Adams would have been a nonconforming structure and either going or gone. You and I are on the same page. Thanks for alerting/reminding everyone. PB

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No problem. Adams was a great hike a few weeks ago, and has great views, thanks to the tower. The restoration is still ongoing, I can attest to that.

At the trailhead, I met two people who said they were heading there. They mentioned that they had tried it last year and gotten lost. We started about 5 minutes after they did, and we never saw them. The trail was plainly marked and very easy to follow. When we got back to our car, theirs was still there! I hope they made it out ok!

I'm glad our group here may have been able to have some influence on decision making by the APA and DEC.

(Start of rant.)

I'm continually disappointed by all the tilting at windmills and wild flailing at contrived BS "issues" like towers, bolts, and self issuing permits. All fluff for politicians. Heck, the box for the permits at the Roostercomb trailhead hasn't been emptied in so long, you can no longer force a permit through the slot. And how many of you have ever seen the bolts on Wandering Lunatic from a hiking trail? How about spending those resources on taking on acid rain, and on more Rangers and Stewards to help educate users, and actually enforce the perfectly adequate regs we already have?

(Sorry. End of rant.)

Tom Rankin said:

I don't know if Hurricane has a group fighting specifically for its preservation.

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An e-mail I got:
"We are doing quite well in our attempt to save Hurricane Fire Tower
but we still need more help. Please, if you agree it should be saved,
look at our website {www.hurricanefiretower.org} & see what we are
trying to do.
Then please write us a letter or an email telling us your feelings.
If you use email, please sign your name and address as with a letter
or we can't use it.

Send to [email protected] or to
The Friends of Hurricane Tower
Box 426,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932-0426

Thanks all who have helped and I hope there are more to come."

Peakbagr said:

Personally, I like glancing around and seeing the Hurricane tower in the distance. It helps to quickly get oriented.

Click to expand...

A US Forest Service historic preservation officer from the SE told me that he was hoping to retain some towers as landmarks even if they were not climbable.

!!HERE WE GO AGAIN!!

Wakely is the tallest of the fire towers left in the Adirondacks standing at 80', if for no other reason keep it for that fact. Without it the views are pretty much-hell there are none. Making only those wanting to do the Adirondack 100 highest the ones in search of its summit. Again putting more strain on the trails of the high peaks.

St. Regis is a very shakey tower but still a staple of Adirondack history, the summit still has superb views from its summit, I guess I'm just a little sentimental.

Hurricane is just down the road from where I live, even though the summit has 360 degree views from its summit the view from rte 9N of the tower is one of everyday life and to some, such as I, would miss that.

Again if we can restore Adams, Goodnow, Bald (Rondaxe) and others-what's stopping other groups from tackling these.

So what happens to some of the mountain trails to fire tower peaks once the tower has been removed? ADKers only have to look at fine examples like Kempshall, Hamilton and T-Lake. These 3000 footer peaks still have partially open clearings on top, but offer no views whatsoever without the tower. End result: very few visits to these mountains.... and the trail eventually disappears (another lost treasure). This also can happen to similar popular wooded summit tower peaks like Pillsbury and Wakely if preservation plans aren't soon implemented.