Buck Mtn. Fire Tower Trail officially opens

LONG LAKE | The Town of Long Lake and Hamilton County will celebrate the grand opening of the Buck Mountain Fire Tower Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Sept. 15, at 1 p.m. at the Buck Mountain Fire Tower Trail Parking Lot. The trail, which challenges hikers with a 500-foot-elevation gain in 1.2 miles at 2,400 feet, is located on South Sabattis Circle Road off NYS Route 30, eight miles north of the Long Lake Town center. Volunteers assisted Hamilton County Soil and Water and the town of Long Lake prepare the lower portion of the trail, including the construction of spans over bogs and other wet spots, with Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) overseeing this part of the project to ensure environmental sustainability. Over the last two summers, ADK's trail crew crafted a series of rock steps and wooden staircases to help hikers tackle the trail's steepest section. The trail leads to a 60-foot Aeromoter Fire Tower — installed in 1933 — boasting 360-degree panoramic views of the Whitney Wilderness and Little Tupper Lake and views of Bog Stream, Round Pond and Cat Mountain, Blue Mountain Lake, the Santanoni Range, Mt. Morris and Coney Mountain. The final phase of the project was the rehabilitation of the 60-foot fire tower itself. Fire tower specialist Mike Vilegi from Excelsior Fire Tower Group consulted on this part of the tower's rehab, which included the installation of a new sheet metal roof, treads, galvanized steps and fencing. The Buck Mountain Fire Tower Trail was built through collaborative community partnerships between the ADK, the NYS Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, Hamilton County Soil and Water Department, Hamilton County Highway Department, the Hamilton County Board Supervisors, and the Town of Long Lake. The Generous Acts at Adirondack Foundation and from the Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance at the Northern Forest Center funded the creation of the trailhead kiosk. Cedar Heights Timber LLC granted an easement across a portion of its property that overlooks the William C. Whitney Wilderness. More information on the Buck Mountain Fire Tower Trail, including its interesting history, can be found at mylonglake.com/news.

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Buck Mtn. Fire Tower Trail officially opens

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