andrea callard

From the top of a fire tower mountain, a 360 degree panoramic view includes other mountains, vast stretches of forest, bodies of water, and climactic skies. That view, the physical workout, the aroma of balsam, unfamiliar fungi, new plants, rock structures, and cell service at the top reward the climber.

Going down always seems faster but it is not always easier. Be safe. Wear supportive shoes, sign the register, drink water and rest as needed. Below is a list of fire tower mountains Callard climbed and her first person notes documenting the hikes.

Azure Mountain
August 14, 2012 with Adam. Called my mother from the top where there was cell service. She had had two hip replacements in her eighties.

Balsam Mountain
April 16 2006 with Christy on Easter morning.

Belfry Mountain
August 26, 2003, with son Luke and Austin and Steve and Hope the dog.

Black Mountain
August 29, 2004, with Hope the dog. The photos show lots of communication hardware behind chain link at the top.

Blue Mountain
September 1, 2002, my first fire tower hike. On a Labor Day weekend, no campsites were available last minute. With the company of Hope the dog, I drove to the mountain anyway and slept in the car. My early climb to the top took about 90 minutes. In the tower, I met a sweet couple from Michigan on their honeymoon. They took my picture and mailed it to me and I am still looking for it. The hiking felt great and I decided to climb 22 more fire tower mountains before I might need a hip replacement.

Cathedral Rock
August 4, 2013 with Luke, Rachael, and her dog Porter.

Goodnow Mountain
November 1, 2003. with Hope the dog. The sign at the top was rusty. The view was beautiful and moody under overcast skies.

Hadley Mountain
Fall 2002 A weekend hike with the dogs Hope and Teddy and with Joel in a rainy mist with no umbrellas. Several times, we heard shots somewhere nearby and that was creepy.

Hunter Mountain
September 22, 2019, with Christy and many other hikers, a beautiful day. The final hike.

Hurricane Mountain
Fall 2008 with Jeri, Abby, Michael. We hung out in the sunshine and read the New York Times. Michael climbed a tree.

Kane Mountain
July 27, 2018, with Bernt. There were workers at the tower who arrived in a vehicle, a surprise. Others had carved their names into the wooden floor of the cab.

Lyon Mountain
August 26, 2004, with Hope the dog. I made photos of ghost fungi on the mountain and the prison wall below at Dannemora, below Lyon Mountain.  The Roeblings used the superior iron ore from Lyon Mountain at the core of the cables supporting the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, and the Golden Gate Bridges. Early on, prisons provided captive labor for mining.

Mount Arab
July 22, 2010, with Adam, up and down before a thunderstorm. On the way back to our campsite, we had a beautiful drive and a good dinner at Terrio’s where I charged my cell. Terio's is gone now.

Mount Tremper
June 18, 2017, I walked alone but there were others on the trail, like a girl wearing sandals. Lines of stones arranged across the path divert water from eroding the path. It was a hot, humid day and I became dehydrated. I took a hard fall into a pile of rocks on the way down the mountain.

Overlook Mountain
October 14, 2012, with Christy and Karen. I recognized a landfill from the top of the cab and we located it later on the way home.

Owl’s Head Mountain
September 2, 2007, I stayed at the Long Lake Hotel and worked on my MFA graduate thesis. I hiked up the mountain alone but met another hiker near the top. We hiked down together and chatted. He was trying to work out some difficult situation with his girlfriend and her son. I probably mentioned that each different person in a functional family has needs.

Pillsbury Mountain
August 17, 2012, with Adam in light rain.

Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain
August 6, 2004, with Karen and Hope the dog.

Red Hil
June 10, 2017, alone. Unique to my experience, on a mown lawn, there was a docent reading in a chair. The Friends of Red Hill have restored the ranger's cabin. One of the Friends owns land adjacent to the tower area so they drive the lawnmower up.

Rondaxe,
July 25, 2018, with Bernt. The large, smooth rock at the top is memorable and so is the dehydration.

Snowy Mountain
Spring 2003, with dogs Hope and Teddy and Joel. Up and down took us seven hours.  About 1/3 or the way up, we passed a woman who had just had her knees replaced. Her husband encouraged her but she was clearly having a hard time of it. We did not see them on the way down. Joel wore loafers with no arch support and napped in the sunshine at the place with the huge broad lookout. I climbed the tower to take in the grand vista. The cell signal was strong and I spoke with my father. Later, my hips felt loose in a disturbing way. There was a dog-friendly motel just north of Indian Lake.

Spruce Mountain
August 1, 2014, with Adam and Greta. We hiked this trail when it was marked with many stone cairns. Sadly, I lost the iPhone library with those photos the following year.

Vanderwacker Mountain
August 28, 2003, with Luke, Austin, and Steve, and Hope the dog. Austin, a competitive athlete, raced to the top.