The Fire Tower Book is out!!!!

Our book 29 Fire Tower Trails in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains is now out. It is about the 29 remaining fire towers, all of which are part of the ADK Firetower Challenge.  We did them all! You only have to do 23 to meet the “ADK Fire Tower Challenge”.  In this book we have included explicit directions from Interstate highways, where to park, what you might see and what we found. We also included GPS readings and more than 60 full color photos. It’s all in our usual user friendly format. The ADK Firetower Challenge is much less than trying to become a 46’er, but a fun and rewarding challenge just the same.

2012, 129 pages, spiral bound, $19.95 

You can ask for this book at your local bookstore or outfitter. Or just order it from the publisher, Common Man Books at: www.commonmanbooks.com or call them, toll free at: 866-793-0555.

Firetowers of the Adirondacks and Catskills

Coming soon! Our book about the 29 remaining firetowers, all of which are part of the ADK Firetower Challenge. We did them all! In this book we have included explicit directions from Interstate highways, where to park, what you might see and what we found. We also included GPS readings and more than 60 full color photos. Titled 29 Fire Tower Trails in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, it should be available by April of 2012. It's up-to-date and user friendly in our usual format. The attached photo is a just a draft copy of the cover, but you get the idea. More later as we get closer to publication.

ADK Firetower Challenge - Continuing, but ......

Even though we have successfully completed the ADK Fire Tower Challenge, we're not done! . The book is done! Either Roger or Mike, or both have completed the last of the Fire Tower trails. So the "book"' is on its way to the editor and publisher with all of the fire towers in it. But for this Blog, we actually still have two more towers to do next spring. So stay tuned until we do the remaining towers for this Blog, and until the book comes out next spring. We'll keep you posted then.

Wakely Mountain - October 15, 2011

We left Glens Falls, NY on our way to Wakely Mountain, about 90 minutes away. The temperature was about 60 degrees with light winds and clear skies when we left. We hit intermittent rain showers along the way and decreasing temps. Upon arrival at the base, we donned raingear and headed up. Three miles and nearly 3 hours later, after an ascent of 1635 feet, we finally reached the summit at nearly 4000 feet. (3744 to be exact). The temp up there was 34 degrees, with heavy winds. While we were there, the rain turned to SNOW! In October!

The ten story firetower was impressive, but we couldn't climb it in those conditions. But it is done for the upcoming book, and we had a fun day of adventure and exercise, even if we didn't get to see those great views from the top we were promised. Maybe next year, on a CLEAR and much WARMER day. :-) http://www.rogerfulton.com/ Stay tuned, we still have two more towers to climb this year.

The "Prize" of the ADK Firetower Challenge

As of this date, we have technically completed the ADK Firetower Challenge. We've climbed all five of the mountains in the Catskill Preserve. And we've climbed more than 18 of the 24 mountains in the Adirondack Preserve. We submitted this Blog to the ADK Saratoga/Glens Falls Chapter that sponsors the "Challenge." They approved us and sent us each the patch to the right which recognizes our accomplishment of completing the challenge. So we SHOULD be done with a feeling of great success under our belts. But, being the "over-achievers" that we are, we have vowed to do "every" firetower listed in the challenge. That will include the newest one, not even on the list yet, at Loon Lake Mountain in Franklin County. There will be a guidebook published on all of this by the spring of 2012. Twenty-seven of the 29 chapters in that upcoming book are already written. So stay with us! It's all great fun. (Three more to go!)

Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain - 9/11/11

This was a "fun" mountain to climb. It's only about 400 feet to the summit. Much of it is over bare rock. Thus, the name "Bald" Mountain. The views along the way, as well as at the top are great. But on a more human note, we met a great family who had just come down from the top. It was the Honan Family from Spencerport, NY. They are 'musical' family' with an album pending. They are an example of how "Family friendly" this firetower mountain is. After all, the 8 of them did it! Check out their website at: http://www.honanfamilymusic.com/

Woodhull Mtn - 9/10/11 - Old Forge, NY

To climb this mountain we had to mountainbike in 5 miles on a dirt and gravel forest road. That just got us to the START of the firetower trail. Then we were going to hike 2.5 miles up the mountain, climbing 800 feet to the summit at about 2400 feet and the firetower. Then 2.5 miles down and then mountainbike out another 5 miles to our vehicle. We think that's why this is billed as the "least visited" firetower in New York State. So, naturally, we HAD to do it! So, overall we hiked and biked just under 14 miles over about 5.5 hours for the day. We had our usual "subs and suds" on the summit, and a VERY good day overall. Tired, but accomplished!