Bald
(Rondaxe) Mountain |
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2018
Notes Several of The Friends of Bald Mountain (FoBM) Fire Tower volunteers have done maintenance trips to the tower this past year. We have scrubbed out or painted over the usual graffiti and carried out trash found along the trail and the summit. Given the thousands of hikers who climb to Bald Mountain Fire Tower just north of Old Forge, NY each year, it is quite remarkable how respectful most of these folks are to this historic site. The photo on the left shows a typical crowd on an autumn weekend. According to the logbook at the trailhead, visitors come from all over the United States, Canada, and several other foreign countries. While we work, our FoBM volunteers enjoy talking to folks, sharing the tower's history, and taking numerous pictures of individuals, couples and various groups. It is always rewarding to hear them express their thanks for the work that we do. One can imagine how quickly these photos are shared far and wide with friends and family because of today's cell phone technology. Many of the visitors tell us this is an annual highlight of a trip to the Old Forge area and they were first brought here by their parents or grandparents. Busloads of school and summer camp kids visit too and gain an appreciation for the beauty that is still here in our Adirondack Park. We should never take it for granted and owe much to the gallant work of the fire tower observers who protected our Park during the heyday of wilderness forest fires. The fire towers also help to remind us how fragile our wilderness environment is and the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting it for the next generation. It is very encouraging to see young folks like the couple on the right who will hopefully become the next caretakers of our parks, forests, waterways, and wildlife habitats. Charlie and Ronnie, their well-behaved pups, I think enjoyed the outing as much as their owners did too.
Rondaxe Road Parking Situation
A DEC representative from Herkimer County told us last year that there are
no plans by NYS DOT in the works to expand the parking area at the
Rondaxe Road trailhead. This is a county road and the Town of Webb did get
permission to post parking restrictions to one side of the road only to
provide space for emergency vehicles to get through.
Old Map Table in the Bald Mountain Fire Tower Cab Replaced
Winter Weather prevented the installation of a new map table last year for our 100th Fire Tower Anniversary. It was no small task to haul all the supplies up to the summit but three Old Forge area volunteers, Carol, Paul & Linda got the work done this fall. Surprise, Surprise! Two hikers from Maryland, Art & Mimi Siebert, volunteered to lend a hand with the installation. Awesome
Job All Note:
Paul
hiking out with a headlamp - in a selfie taken by Carol . . . Light
Up the Towers Several folks led by Joseph Dlugolecki hiked up Bald Mountain on Saturday night of Labor Day weekend to participate in the Fifth Annual Light Up the Fire Towers from 9:00-9:30pm. The event was promoted by the NYS Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association to remember how the wardens in these towers helped to protect our local communities and the surrounding forests. The Friends of Stillwater Mountain in the Town of Webb also participated and Bald Mountain hiker Ron Walker sent a confirmation that they could see the Stillwater Tower's light. A FoBM volunteer also got a glimpse of the lights in the tower from the highway along Route 28 north of Old Forge. If you spotted this amazing sight and managed to take a photo, please send us a copy at FoBM, Box 914, Old Forge, NY 13420 or a digital copy by email. Volunteering to help the FoBM committee is a very rewarding experience. We work in one of the most beautiful places in the Adirondacks and meet the nicest people. You don't need to live here in Old Forge to volunteer like Joseph Dlugolecki and Ron Walker. Volunteers can be covered by worker's comp by filing out a simple form that is sent to Herkimer DEC office. Send us a note and we'll provide the form and details and notify you of scheduled workdays. TOWN OF
WEBB HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION EXHIBIT Incidentally, Ron Walker is a Trustee for the Town of Webb Historical Association (TOWHA) on Main Street in Old Forge. Their current exhibit called "As Far As The Eye Can See" is a tribute to the fire towers in Herkimer County, focusing on the six in the Town of Webb. Ron created an amazing replica of the Bald Mountain Fire Tower (photo above) on display in the front exhibit room. Once you step inside, a panoramic view from the summit is featured on several wall from a photo by local artist Kurt Gardiner. If you can't hike to the summit of Bald Mountain but are in the Old Forge area in 2019, stop into TOWHA to see this awesome exhibit. FYI - TOWHA has accepted our old map table for their archives. Florence
Ball-Mykel And now for a bit of our Tower's history! Florence was born here in Old Forge in 1899 and attended local schools. One news article in the 1920s called her "A Daughter of the Forest." Her father John "Ned" Ball built one of the first permanent homesteads in Old Forge along the Channel and was an highly respected Adirondack guide and game protector. His work required a man with extraordinary physical stamina and a dedication to duty, qualities he passed on to his daughter Florence. In 1925, she married Charles D. Mykel, a fish culturist and accepted the appointment as a summit steward the following year. Every day from late April to fall, she hiked the trail from her home in Old Forge to man the fire tower. When not in the cab with a set of binoculars looking out for fires, she warmly greeted thousands of visitors every year and patiently answered their many questions. One 4th of July weekend, over 400 hikers reached the summit and signed Florence's guest book. In 1927, she oversaw the construction of a new cabin and gave it a warm, homey look with curtains on the windows, an adequate supply of cooking utensils, and a library of her favorite books. Florence loved the outdoors and could hunt and fish as well as anyone. During the winter, she organized a women's snowshoe club and led their outings. When her husband's work took him to the fish hatchery in Rome, NY, Florence left her position as the fire tower observer to relocate with him. They later moved to Warrensburg, NY where he worked at the fish hatchery there but he died at a young age in 1952. Florence and Charles had one son Maurice. In her later years, she moved to Florida and worked as a nurse. She died on a visit to see her son in August of 1990 in Atlanta, GA. Florence Ball-Mykel and her husband Charles are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Barneveld, NY. Reminder: PATCHES SOLD OUT Thanks for
Visiting our Site! |