Snowy Mountain - 3,904'
As the tallest Fire Tower Mountain, and one of the more difficult, Snowy is a great primer for those looking for a moderate challenge or for breaking into the High Peaks in terms of difficulty. This climb includes a relatively long and gradual hike out over a few miles, followed by a steep climb in the last half mile.
There were multiple stream crossings during the trek, so getting water along the way would be no problem if that’s your preference. Although there is a nice lookout right before the top, the actual peak is entirely wooded, with views available at the top of the tower.
We summited this peak in Mid-February, meaning this was a fairly cold snowshoe climb. We had abandoned this climb near the peak during a previous winter, so it felt only right that we conquer it under similar conditions. Because of it’s ‘mild but manageable’ difficulty, this one makes for a great winter trek.
- Parking here is somewhat limited but it isn’t a particularly popular climb, we’ve never seen the lot full.
- Although the peak itself can be somewhat disappointing, the nearby lookout can provide some great views.
- Unfortunately for us, the Fire Tower cabin was closed for the winter, so we couldn’t get all the way up. This was also the first time we’ve ever encountered a winter tower that felt in-traversable. Here, the ice buildup was so thick that proper footing couldn’t be found.
*this excerpt was salvaged from the now defunct www.nysforestrangers.com, thanks to the Way Back Machine, written by Captain Paul T Hartmann (ret.)*
LOCATION: 7 miles southwest of Indian Lake and west of State Rt. 30.
STATUS: Has been restored by the DEC and is open to the public.
The first structure on Snowy was a wooden tower erected by the Forest, Fish & Game Commission in August 1909. In 1917 it was replaced with a 22′ Aermotor LS40 tower.
In 1933, four additional flights of stairs were added to bring the height to 47′ to get above the high growth attained by surrounding trees in the previous 15 years.
With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed at the end of the 1971 season. The tower appears on the National Register of Historic Places, being placed there Sept 23, 2001.
The DEC and local volunteers restored the tower in 2001.
Snowy is one of the mountains included in the Fire Tower Challenge sponsored by the Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK). “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 23 Adirondack Park summits and all 5 Catskill Park summits.”
Below, to the left, is a great vintage photo of Observer Alvin Mattison from the collection of Dan Locke [PHOTOS UNAVAILABLE]. To the right is a postcard generated from the Locke photo. Postcards can be a great research tool as, in the instance of fire towers, most are made from actual photographs, even in the early 1900s.
We Give This Trail: 6/10
Ratings are subjective: considers trail conditions, difficulty, views and other notable or unique characteristics