4Ks with Structures (Past or Present)

[Tom Rankin]

Here is my list:

Maine

• Old Speck - Observing platform - usable
• Avery - Fire Tower/Cabin - Recently burned but foundation remains. Slight shelter
• Abraham - Unsafe Fire Tower, crude stone shelter
• Sugarloaf - Ski Center Building
• Saddleback - Remnants of Building - slight shelter - remnants of fire tower and cabin
• Reddington - Remnants of Weather Station

New Hampshire

• Lafayette - Remnants of Building
• Carter Dome - Remnants of Fire Tower
• Moosilauke - Remnants of Building - slight shelter
• Cabot - Cabin (near summit) - Unlocked - remnants of fire tower at cabin.
• Carrigain - Observing Platform - usable
• Garfield - Remnants of Building - slight shelter
• Osceola - Remnants of 2 Fire Towers
• Hale - Remnants of Fire Tower
• Washington - LOTS!
• Wildcat D - Observing platform - usable
• Cannon - Summit building, observing platform, fire tower remnants under current building.

New York

• Whiteface - Summit Weather station and shelter (not open in Winter), former fire tower.
• Marcy - Stone Shelter, removed
• Hunter - Fire Tower and Cabin (staffed by volunteers in warmer months)
• Slide - Remnants of Observing platform, leanto's - removed

Vermont

• Killington - Fire Tower. Other structures close by.
• Ellen - Ski center building near summit, and chair lift.
• Abraham - Small rock shelter.

Comments, corrections and additions welcome.

 

[nartreb]

Cabot also has foundations from the old fire tower:
http://www.firelookout.org/towers/nh/cabot.htm

Some interesting tidbits (e.g., the origin and fate of Cannon's fire tower) on that firetower site, see the state links from this page: http://www.firelookout.org/fflatowerhome.htm

 

[skiguy]

Nice list...without actually looking I would think this list would be quite a bit longer if it were to include 3k peaks and above.

 

[TCD]

In Vermont, don't forget Mansfield (all sorts of stuff) and Ellen (Sugarbush ski area).

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Not to nitpick, but the cabin on Cabot is quite a bit lower than the summit. It's been a few years, but IIRC it's about 1/3 mile away, and doesn't feel like it's on the summit at all.

 

[MichaelJ]

The old tower on Cannon was taken down just a year or two ago, though the foundation, adjacent to the new tower/platform, is still there.

 

[skiguy]

Not to nitpick, but the cabin on Cabot is quite a bit lower than the summit. It's been a few years, but IIRC it's about 1/3 mile away, and doesn't feel like it's on the summit at all.

The Fire Tower "was" on the Summit of Cabot. I believe Tom's list states structures past and present.

 

[Tom Rankin]

In Vermont, don't forget Mansfield (all sorts of stuff) and Ellen (Sugarbush ski area).

How close to the summit is the nearest structure? Not in the immediate vicinity, right? At least a few hundred yards down the ridge, IIRC...

Regarding Ellen, what is it and how far from the true summit?

Kevin/Nartreb, I updated that entry, thanks.

Skiguy, if I did that, I'd be updating it forever!

 

[Tom Rankin]

The old tower on Cannon was taken down just a year or two ago, though the foundation, adjacent to the new tower/platform, is still there.

I thought so! I remember seeing it, but last winter, it was gone! Thanks, I'm not crazy! (Well, maybe! )

 

[skiguy]

Skiguy, if I did that, I'd be updating it forever!

Like I said the list would be quite a bit longer!

 

[nartreb]

Don't forget that Mansfield is two 4Ks. The Nose has a couple of radio towers very close to the summit, with a good-sized building just below.

The nearest structure to the Chin is either the ski lift station or Taft Lodge, both of which feel significantly lower. The lift station is obvious in this satellite view:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.54014,-72.81146&z=15&t=S
Switch to Topo view and look a little north of the lift station for Taft lodge.

This photo shows the lift station in relation to the Chin:
http://www.davidalbeck.com/photos/2010/mansfield/i022.jpg

Here's a satellite view of the Nose, notice the shadows cast by the antennae:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.52584,-72.81512&z=18&t=S

Here's a photo showing some of the antennae around the Nose:
http://www.davidalbeck.com/photos/2010/mansfield/i017.jpg
(The small shed in foreground is associated with the recreational parking lot - the much larger buildings used by TV staff are not visible from this angle).

A view from the Nose:
http://www.davidalbeck.com/photos/2010/mansfield/i026.jpg

 

[Tom Rankin]

Don't forget that Mansfield is two 4Ks. The Nose has a couple of radio towers very close to the summit, with a good-sized building just below.

The nearest structure to the Chin is either the ski lift station or Taft Lodge, both of which feel significantly lower. The lift station is obvious in this satellite view:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.54014,-72.81146&z=15&t=S
Switch to Topo view and look a little north of the lift station for Taft lodge.

Here's a satellite view of the Nose, notice the shadows cast by the antennae:
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=44.52584,-72.81512&z=18&t=S

Well, I guess there is some debate about that, and since it is off limits, I will skip that one. (Again, if I compiled a list of near misses, I would be at this forever! e.g. Galehead hut, lean-tos near summits, etc.)

 

[nartreb]

The foundations on Cabot I was referring to are beside the cabin. Only a little lower than the summit vertically, but indeed some distance horizontally. Was there another tower on the true summit?

 

[nartreb]

What makes you say the Nose is off limits? I didn't see any signs to that effect on my two visits (just warnings about radio exposure), and rangers saw me up there but didn't say anything to me about it when I chatted with them afterward.

 

[peakbagger]

Jay Peak in VT got shorter when they blasted the summit to build the building

 

[Guthook]

Jay Peak in VT got shorter when they blasted the summit to build the building

I've heard this before as a reason it's not a 4000 footer, but the current elevation is around 3860. They would have had to take a heck of a lot off the top for it to have been 4000 feet before. The mountain sure doesn't look like it had that much taken off

 

[Kevin Rooney]

The Fire Tower "was" on the Summit of Cabot. I believe Tom's list states structures past and present.

Yes, agreed - but the cabin I think Tom's referring to is the Boy Scout cabin, and that one's nowhere near the summit.

Jay Peak in VT got shorter when they blasted the summit to build the building

Hmmm ... I know that's often said, and I never climbed the peak until after the ski area was built. But - that building on the top housing the lift structure isn't really on the top. I've climbed it several times, and I never got the sense it was actually shortened by the construction.

But, maybe not. I was wrong once before when I thought I was wrong

 

[peakbagger]

Sorry for the confusion Jay is on the 100 highest list. They did blast some of the top off but it wasnt a 4k to begin with.

 

[Chip]

certainly not a 4k, but this is interesting info on the stone structure and plaque on Bear Mountain in CT.

 

[RoySwkr]

[*]Saddleback - Remnants of Building - slight shelter

Also fire tower and cabin footings

[*]Cabot - Cabin (near summit) - Unlocked - remnants of fire tower at summit.

Fire tower near cabin not summit

[*]Garfield - Remnants of Building - slight shelter

In addition to concrete footings there was a nearby toolshed or outhouse in woods

[*]Osceola - Remnants of Fire Tower

Remains of 2 fire towers, one at ledges one near true summit

[*]Cannon - Summit building, observing platform, fire tower remnants under current building.

Fire tower was at end of current bldg toward ski lift

Nose does have 200' col (previous note here), tower at summit to be relocated eliminating hazard