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Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain
Fire Tower Restoration Project
Website Provided By
Friends of Bald Mt., Box
206, Old Forge,
NY 13420
 2008 – Phase III of the
Restoration Project Continues
Link to Photos of the New KIOSK installed in June!
2007 NEWS – from FoBM
2006 Progress Report - We're
Still Working!
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Steering Committee
(A number of Volunteers
have since been added to our "Adopt-A-Natural Resource
Agreement")
Co-Chairman
Ann Spaziano
- MacBride
Co-Chairman
Barb Ball
Secretary
Peg Masters
Treasurer
Janice Walter Ferrick
Sandy Tetreault
Reed & Barb Proper
Jack Ball
Charlie & June Kiefer
John & Betty Young
Kevin MacBride
Richard A. Ulrich
Walter Coogan**
Gary VanRiper
Jim Tracy
Pat Ferrick
Hans Schmid
Larry Coon
**The committee sadly acknowledges the loss of Walter Coogan of Syracuse
who died of cancer in December 2003
Hiking
Directions
The official DEC parking area is on the Rondaxe Road
off Rte. 28 approx. 2 miles north of the Hamlet of Old Forge, NY
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Summit Report
2005!
Party on the
Summit! - Dedication Day
Re-Opening-Dedication
Set for June 18, 2005
2004
Work Project Photos
Nov. 2004 - Security
Fence Installation - Donor Thank Yous!
September 25th-26th - Fire Spotters - 3-days of great progress!
September 18th - Platforms-New Cab Floor! - Great weather helps crews!
September 15th - Supply Drop by Helicopter - Coordinated by DEC!
September 8th, 2004 -Trash - Vandals - But . . . Progress Link!
August 11th, 2004 - Mystery Summit Volunteers - haul platform boards
June 5th, 2004 - HOW DID THEY
DO THAT? - painting the fire tower
Notes from our Supporters - Link
July Financial Report - Link
Fundraiser Patches Available - Info
HERE
Bald (Rondaxe) Mt. Map
Location from TopoZone
also
Fire
Tower History - in vintage photos! Updated 12/04!
2003 Workday Photos
from June-July-August-September
In June of 2003, this is
what the tower looked like. If you haven't climbed to the tower recently,
check out these pictures!
Marty Podskoch - New Book with Bald Mt. History
April 2003: Funds raised to date: $4,415!!
Great Story - Bob &
Janet Evans - Former Observers
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Friends of Bald Mountain
Steering Committee
In May of
2002, members of the Rochester based Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack
Mountain Club organized a meeting in Old Forge, NY for anyone interested in
forming a committee to develop a plan for restoring the Fire Tower on Bald
Mountain. The Bald Mountain Tower, also known as the Rondaxe
Fire Tower, was officially closed by the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) in 1990. More than 10 years of harsh weather and
lack of maintenance have left the historic tower in great need of repairs. A
committee was formed that evening to begin the task of restoring the tower to
its original condition, developing an educational component that highlights
the tower's human and environmental history, and to recruit partners who
would lend manpower and financial support for the project.
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DEC Logo
Adirondack Architectural Heritage Logo
ADK Logo
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Partnerships
The steering
committee is working with The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and have
signed a formal 5-yr. commitment "Adopt-A-Natural-Resource"
agreement with the DEC. In addition to restoring the tower, the committee
plans to work with local DEC personnel on trail maintenance, improve signage,
and an educational component that teaches good conservation practices
including fire prevention.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage
(AARCH), located in Keeseville, NY, agreed to work with the Friends of Bald
Mountain Steering committee to provide administrative services related to
funds, and share their experiences working with other Adirondack communities
working to restore their local fire towers. AARCH recently was successful in
getting eight other fire towers in the Adirondacks
listed on the National Historic Register.
We are
fortunate to have several members of the Genesee Chapter of ADK in Rochester on our steering committee. They
are committed to recruiting additional laborers for tower work projects,
trail maintenance, and helping to publicize our efforts to raise funds for
the restoration of the Bald
Mt. Tower.
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Location from USGS
Name:
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Bald Mountain
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Type:
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summit
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Elevation
(feet):
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2350
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State:
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New York
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County:
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Herkimer
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USGS 7.5' x
7.5' Map:
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Old Forge
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Latitude
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434419N
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Longitude
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0745451W
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Progress Notes from 2002 - A summer of fund raising & public
awareness of our project
August 23, 2002 - OLD FORGE, NY: The
Friends of Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain Steering
Committee met recently to outline work projects for the fall of 2002.
Priority will be given to upgrading the staircase of the Bald Mountain
Tower by replacing
stair treads, landings, and security fencing. Depending on fundraising
efforts during the winter of 2002-2003, the committee hopes to repair and
paint the cab, replace the flooring, add security windows, and install an
interpretive map of the geological features viewed from the tower. Treasurer
Janice Walter Ferrick announced that $917 has been
collected to date from donations to the restoration fund. Expenses for
brochure printing and postage total $181.65. A collectible patch design has been
selected which the committee hopes to produce and sell at $5 each plus $1 for
shipping. To reserve a patch, contact Treasurer Janice Ferrick.
September 4, 2002 - Old Forge, NY: The
Friends of Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain Steering
Committee have distributed nearly 2000 brochures to date. Our funds are
growing and we have collected $1,557. Thanks to all who are getting the word
out and to all our donors! Members of the committee are working on a new
brochure, final approval of the patch design, publicity releases to area
newspapers, and details of the "Adopt-A-Natural-Resource" agreement
with the DEC so that work can commence soon.
September 20, 2002 - OLD FORGE: Steering
committee members L. Coon, D. Ulrich, and P. Masters
met with ADK Fall Outing Hikers on the summit of Bald Mt.
over the weekend. More than a third of the group attending the conference at
Water's Edge in Old Forge made the trip to the summit to hear about the fire
tower's history and plans of the committee for their restoration project. Photo provided by Larry Coon
of the ADK Genesee Valley
Chapter. NYS
Forest Ranger Doug Riedman from the region reports that in 2002 thru 8/31/02
- 10,014 signed the register book. This compares with an average of 6500
users per year over the past several years. Friends of Bald Mt.
Treasurer Janice Ferrick reports that as of
September 18, 2002, the restoration project has received $3,492!
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