New Hampshire Fire Tower Cut Backs

[rocket21]

I don't think I've seen any mention of this here yet, so I figured I'd let y'all know, since there are some hikers who enjoy hiking to fire towers and checking out the cabs when open.

The following towers will either not be staffed or will see only high fire risk period staffing this year:

Croydon Mountain
Federal Hill
Green Mountain (only on high risk days)
Magalloway Mountain

 

[Amicus]

The following towers will either not be staffed or will see only high fire risk period staffing this year:

Green Mountain (only on high risk days)

It's merciful, I guess, that the great Roland ("Harry") Libby retired following the 2006 season, after decades as the Firewarden of Green Mt. He and the Tower were honored by a ceremony that summer. He introduced me to Scudder's View Guide and we got to be friends, over the course of dozens of visits.

Heidi, I am happy to admit, was an excellent successor last year. I hope at least that she will be the "high risk" Warden.

 

[RoySwkr]

The following towers will either not be staffed or will see only high fire risk period staffing this year:

Croydon Mountain
Federal Hill
Green Mountain (only on high risk days)
Magalloway Mountain

Magalloway has not been staffed full time for years, they use a patrol system where the guy spends most of his time driving around issuing tickets for illegal camping and fires

It may be that Federal Hill is less useful now that there is a tower on Pack Monadnock instead of Hyland Hill, and half of the area seen from Green is in ME which used to have some sort of cooperative agreement

Sorry to see them go, but they seem to have chosen carefully for cutbacks

 

[rocket21]

Magalloway has not been staffed full time for years, they use a patrol system where the guy spends most of his time driving around issuing tickets for illegal camping and fires

Ya, I forgot to take note of which ones were new cutbacks other than Green Mountain, since it's just about the closest active fire tower to me. I imagine they looked at multiple metrics beyond just proximity to the next fire detection service (perhaps total cost of manning the tower/fires reported, etc.).

Fortunately Green Mountain has a decent deck just below the cab, so it's not like you have to stand on a stairway to get the views like is the case with some other towers.

As some know, Red Hill is unaffected by this, as it's staffed by the town of Moultonboro.

 

[grouseking]

Croydon Mountain

I thought the general public wasn't allowed up there anyways. That's in Corbin Park, right? I've wanted to go there every since I saw the bare rocks of one of the summit ridges from I-89. It must give quite the unique view.

Plus, maybe I'll even see an elk, or a wild boar! Not sure if I want to meet a wild boar in the woods, though....

grouseking

 

[whichway]

They only come out at dusk and like most critters, they're pretty timid around people. We were told, though, that if you stumble across a sow and her piglets, you need to climb the nearest tree ASAP.

Not sure if I want to meet a wild boar in the woods, though....

 

[whichway]

Fortunately Green Mountain has a decent deck just below the cab, so it's not like you have to stand on a stairway to get the views like is the case with some other towers.

I have yet to visit Green Mtn, though I hope to make it there this year...

Those seeking a fire tower in NH with an open cabin should try Smarts Mtn. It isn't an "active" firetower (hence not on the Fire Tower Quest list), so the cabin isn't locked.
The Smarts tower also has a couple more flights of stairs than those I've visited on the Quest list, for those of you who enjoy vertigo

http://www.firelookout.org/towers/nh/smarts.htm

 

[jrichard]

Federal Hill

I'm surprised that Federal Hill was staffed at all. The towns around it have exploded. Development has literally crept right up to the base of the road to the top.

(Maybe they found it useful for triangulation?)

 

[RoySwkr]

I'm surprised that Federal Hill was staffed at all. The towns around it have exploded. Development has literally crept right up to the base of the road to the top.

Actually MA has retained the fire towers in the E and closed those in the W, the more settled areas both have more fires and have potentially greater loss per acre burned so early detection is more valuable. And the piney woods in SE MA are a real fire hazard.

 

[rocket21]

Actually MA has retained the fire towers in the E and closed those in the W, the more settled areas both have more fires and have potentially greater loss per acre burned so early detection is more valuable. And the piney woods in SE MA are a real fire hazard.

I think they're still staffing some of the towers in the west during peak periods. I have heard active radio equipment in the cabs on Borden and Massaemett and if I'm not mistaken, they have even detected a few fires from Massaemett in recent years.

 

[marty]

Re. Croydon Mountain:

I thought the general public wasn't allowed up there anyways. That's in Corbin Park, right? I've wanted to go there every since I saw the bare rocks of one of the summit ridges from I-89. It must give quite the unique view.

Just like Grouse King, I noticed that impressive area from I-89 and began researching it. What I found is that it was closed to the general public. Did not know it was within the Corbin Park preserve, though, but this link indicates that it is: Croydon - Corbin Park

The text from the above link also states that Croydon Peak used to have trees, but there was a big forest fire there in the early 50s.

Marty

 

[bigmoose]

Was at the Croydon Tower last weekend, which was locked and not staffed.
The view from the tower steps and the bare rocks beneath was, indeed, unique and impressive. Felt like a 4k with 2k prominence.
jt

 

[dms]

I had waited years for the chance to visit Croydon, having seen it from 89 on my inumerable trips to VT. It did not disappoint! On a beautiful Mother's Day afternoon in balmy temps, it couldn't have been any better on any other peak. The views are absolutely incredible in all directions. Seeing an elk and several deer and wild boar was icing on the cake. Can't wait to go back someday!

 

[Nate]

Actually MA has retained the fire towers in the E and closed those in the W, the more settled areas both have more fires and have potentially greater loss per acre burned so early detection is more valuable. And the piney woods in SE MA are a real fire hazard.

Considering that most of the fire towers in eastern Mass. are fenced off, but the ones in Western Mass. aren't (at least of the few I've seen), where's the dividing line between the two groups?

 

[BillDC]

Mass regularly staffs Pelham (Lincoln Mountain), Ludlow (Minechoag Mountain), and Mount Toby (Sunderland) in the West. Shelburne is still used for sure, but I haven't seen it consistently staffed.

In the Berkshires, the only 2 useable towers (Savoy and Monterey) aren't regularly staffed, but are maintained and ready to go anytime. There was talk of putting a cab back on Lenox Mountain, but I doubt it will happen.

Bill

 

[Amicus]

Considering that most of the fire towers in eastern Mass. are fenced off, but the ones in Western Mass. aren't (at least of the few I've seen), where's the dividing line between the two groups?

I happened to wander by the tall and fenced Holt Hill firetower in Andover a couple of weeks ago, during that drought with many brushfires. A ranger was on duty, observed my quizzical upward stare and invited me up. One of those life-altering five minutes! I saw things I've never seen before - imagine looking down (OK - maybe 5 degrees) at the summits of Weir and Boston Hills!

That fire-tower cabin is the Carrigain of Essex County, and why shouldn't we tax-payers enjoy it? We pay for it!

 

[RoySwkr]

Considering that most of the fire towers in eastern Mass. are fenced off, but the ones in Western Mass. aren't (at least of the few I've seen), where's the dividing line between the two groups?

Mass regularly staffs Pelham (Lincoln Mountain), Ludlow (Minechoag Mountain), and Mount Toby (Sunderland) in the West.

I was using the Connecticut River as an informal dividing line, apparently the official line is elsewhere as the 3 regularly-staffed towers Bill mentions as West are E of the Connecticut. Maybe everything W of Worcester County on this map is W?
http://firelookout.org/towers/ma/mass.htm

 

[Nate]

To clarify my question, I wasn't asking about where the state assigns the line between eastern and western Mass., at least as far as its firetowers go, nor was I asking about which fire towers are actively staffed.

My question was, considering how just about every fire tower in eastern Mass. has a locked fence around it, but the few I observed in western Mass. didn't, how far west does one have to get in the state before they encounter towers that aren't fenced off?

 

[rocket21]

My question was, considering how just about every fire tower in eastern Mass. has a locked fence around it, but the few I observed in western Mass. didn't, how far west does one have to get in the state before they encounter towers that aren't fenced off?

Grace, Lincoln, and Toby have all been accessible for me when not staffed. They're all east of I-91/Connecticut River, but still considered by many to be Western Massachusetts.

The next tower east of there that I've been to, Wachusett, was inaccessible when I hiked it a few years back.