Bald (Rondaxe) Mountain
Fire Tower Restoration Project Progress Report
Website Provided By
Friends of Bald Mt., Box 206, Old Forge, NY 13420

We couldn't have done it without you! Thanks from all the Friends of Bald (Rondaxe) Mt.

Dedication Ceremony

Lace up your hiking boots, pack a lunch, prepare for the weather! Rain or Shine, join us to pay tribute to the men and women from DEC who have served in the region as foresters, rangers, and yes... summit observers. And . . . help us welcome our two SUNY Potsdam summer interpreters - Megan and Heather. Car-pool if possible, plans are underway for a shuttle bus service to ease the parking situation. We also have a great surprise for you at the tower . . . so don't forget your cameras!

Who are the Friends of Bald Mountain?

This project would not have been possible without the assistance of the great DEC folks who have helped - the Herkimer Co. rangers & foresters, the DEC Historic Preservation Office in Albany, the operations department in Lowville, and the regional office in Watertown. Our hats are off to the State Troopers in Saranac for that helicopter drop of supplies! Thanks to Steven Engelhart and Adirondack Architectural Heritage - for serving as our not-for-profit sponsor, and to the Genesee Valley Chapter of ADK - who, with Jack Freeman's slideshow, initiated the first gathering of our Friends Group and to the ADK volunteers who have traveled the highway for meetings and workdays for four years.

And ...  to our State-wide donors - from Rochester & Fairport to Manlius, Little Falls & Albany, Ithaca to Ogdensburg and Watertown, Peru, Poughkeepsie, and Montrose, Livonia and Bronxville. And ... to our donors from Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Oregon. And our hats are off to all the local volunteers & donors, the Town of Webb Supervisor Robert Moore, the Parks Dept. and Town Board, our Central Adirondack Association (CAA), especially to the Old Forge Hardware Store and Kiefer's Souvenir Village employees who have sold our fund-raiser patches, designed by local artist John Drexelius. A very special thank you to Ed Potts, Jr., from Norwood and the Hubbell family in Utica for our new windows!

As we begin Phase III of our "Adopt-A-Natural-Resource" project - (Maintenance and Interpretation) we welcome the partnership with SUNY Potsdam's Environmental Studies Program, and Michael Wilson, director of field studies. Megan and Heather will be working directly with Ranger Chad Richardson this summer, ready to greet visitors, prevent vandalism, maintain the trail register, assist with trail maintenance, and interpret the Bald Mountain Tower's great history. Michael has arranged with Sagamore Institute at Raquette Lake for housing the students. You can help by sending a donation to the address below to help fund the stipend & insurance for the interpreters. All donations of $10 or more will receive a Friends of Bald Mt. Patch - limited supply so contact us soon! 

See you at the DEDICATION CEREMONY!

Friends of Bald Mountain
Box 206, Old Forge, NY 13420