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ADK Fire Tower Challenge
Here’s a hiking challenge that combines history with outdoor recreation: the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Fire Tower Challenge, a program of ADK’s Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter.
There’s also a Winter Fire Tower Challenge (Dec. 21 and March 21).
People completing the challenge do not have to be ADK members.
To complete the challenge and receive the official full-color patch, hikers must climb and document, by date, ascents of at least 23 fire tower summits: 18 of the Adirondack Park summits and all five Catskill Park summits. Climbing each tower itself is not required, and it is not recommended for those towers that have not been restored for safe public use.
The mountain should have a standing fire tower on the date of the ascent. (View the Summit List PDF for the updated list at https://www.adkgfs.org/firetower.challenge.php.)
When registering the dates of the climb, use extra sheets of paper to describe details of interest: weather, wildlife sightings, impressions, companions — anything that caught your attention.
Send the Summit List and additional pages — name and address on each — along with a check for $5.00 per patch. (Kids 15 and under are free.) Make checks payable to “ADK Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter” and send to: Fire Tower Challenge, Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter Adirondack Mountain Club, P.O. Box 2314, Glens Falls, NY 12801. It may take four to six weeks before the patches are mailed.
LIST OF FIRE TOWERS
Mount Adams re tower
Adirondack Park Mount Adams Mount Arab Azure Mountain Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain Belfry Mountain Black Mountain Blue Mountain Cathedral Rock Goodnow Mountain Gore Mountain ** Hadley Mountain Hurricane Mountain Kane Mountain Loon Lake Mountain Lyon Mountain Owls Head Mountain Pillsbury Mountain Poke-o-Moonshine Mountain Snowy Mountain
Spruce Mountain * Stillwater Mountain * St. Regis Mountain Vanderwhacker Mountain Wakely Mountain Woodhull Mountain
* Closed during hunting season
Catskill Park Balsam Lake Mountain Hunter Mountain ** Overlook Mountain Red Hill Mount Tremper
** Because this is a hiker challenge, ADK asks Challenge completers submitting Gore and Hunter mountains do so on the trails (rather than a ski lift).
Donnelly’s Ice Cream
If you’ve never been to Donnelly’s, put it on your to-do list. It’s worth the ride!
Famous TWO-TONE CONES
An Adirondack Tradition Since 1953
OPEN DAILY 11ish-9:30 PMish
‘til 9 PM starting August 19
