Adirondack Places
| Fire Towers - The Northeast Region |
Lyon Mountain | Half the fun of climbing Fire Tower summits - is finding them Lyon Mt. (5 mi. RT.) is located in Clinton Co., on the Chazy Lake Rd. north of Picketts Corners which is west of Cadyville (birthplace of my mother) and east of Redford (home of the ox-roast picnics years ago) on Rt. 3. Privately owned now, the trail is still open & rocky and enjoyable. We drove up a newly graveled road about a mile to the parking area, gratefully noting no posted signs. Though climbing mid-week in August, we encountered one hiker on the way down and three more arrived at the summit while we were there. You can't get much closer to the N.E. corner of the blue line than this and the views are spectacular all the way to Lake Champlain, the Green Mts. of Vermont, the High Peaks and skyline of Montreal. The tower is in relatively good shape, but views from the summit are excellent as well. According to AARCH - it is on the list of towers slated to be removed by the state! |
Pharaoh Mt. | Third weekend of September and had to pick a winner for the fall coloring and the "gotta have a view" crew on the hike with me. Pharoah Mt. (2,557) is a lovely summit, enjoyable hike and fun to get to. Located in Essex Co., it is off Exit 28 on the Northway, south .6 miles on Rt. 9, left on Alder Meadow Rd. to Crane Pond Rd. A rugged vehicle is needed to continue to the primitive camping area at Crane Pond, otherwise, an extra mile is added to the hike along a water-logged old dirt road. Barbara McMarin's 50 Hikes has a detailed description of the red-marked trail 2.9 miles in length and a challenging final 10 minutes. Though the tower and summit have been removed, three distinct rocky areas provide excellent views of Pharoah Lake, the Green Mts., High Peaks and of Gore Mt., Blue Mt. and Vanderwacker to the west. The trail in also branches off to Pharoah Lake & Putnam Pond for some additional camping opportunities - though a bit too crowded around Crane Pond for me. Close to some of my favorite watering holes in the Keene Valley area, where I met an interesting gentleman from the ADK Hurricane chapter and an old friend from the past. |
Belfry Mt. | Despite the boom,boom of mussle loaders in the distance, Belfry Mt. (1,850) was quite a pleasant surprise! As you can see, the tower is still there, though perhaps the most garish I've seen, and it is only .6 mi. up a gravel road to get to the summit. That of course can be a disadvantage - the trail is unsightly and I found a beat-up old trash can next to a charred firepit on the summit. But climb Belfrey's steps and the views of the Lake Champlain shoreline and over to the Dix Wilderness area are wonderful. The future of Belfry Tower is uncertain. Access is from Exit 30 on the Northway, east on Rt. 6 to Witherbee. At the crossroads, turn left onto Lincoln Pond Road (straight takes you to Mineville). You should see the tower as you ascend the first hill out of town, parking is on the left. Take a few minutes after the hike to explore this area. Witherbee is a snapshot from history, a mining company town with company built housing and a nicely restored church. There is a branch of No. Country Community College in Mineville and somehow, the day wasn't complete without a ride into Port Henry. I remember as a kid listening to the train conductor bellow - PORT HENNNNRIE! on those summer trips to my grandmother's in Fort Edward. Mon - Sat the train stops on its northbound route at 1:30, the southbound train you can pick up at 2:30. The station is unique and doubles as a senior citizens center! |
