|
Forest Fire Lookout Association |
|
North Carolina |
|
Chapter |
|
LOOKOUT TOWER CHALLENGE (LTC) Carolina Mountain Club Forest Fire Lookout Association Introduction The Lookout Tower Challenge (LTC) is a program that challenges hikers to reach 24 lookout towers in Western North Carolina. Fire and lookout towers offer breathtaking 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains. Lookouts are also historic structures left over from a bygone era of fire detection; sentinels of the forest that safeguarded the mountains and forests we cherish. The LTC encompasses hikes in all regions of Western North Carolina and offers an assortment of challenging hikes over varying terrain. Formal recognition from the Carolina Mountain Club is granted to those who successfully reach all 24 lookout towers. However, the real reward is the exhilarating vistas from their mountain summits. Rules
· All hikes must meet a 1.0 mile roundtrip distance with the exception of Little Snowball · Climbing of each tower is NOT a requirement of the LTC. One may climb the towers but only at one’s own risk. The Towers
Mileages are listed one way; double the distance for roundtrip length. Various routes are listed, depending on the hiker’s desire as to length of trip. Many can be incorporated into loops or shuttle hikes. Any of the routes are acceptable to meet the Challenge requirement. For some towers, other routes are possible but must meet mileage requirements. Check with the Challenge Committee to confirm other routes in question. Wayah Bald AT via Wine Spring Bald access trail from FS 69B (1.5) AT from Wilson Lick Ranger Station (3.2) AT from Wayah Gap at Wayah Crest Picnic Area (4.2) AT from Burningtown Gap (4.5) Bartram Trail From Nantahala Lake (7.3) Bartram Trail From FS 713 at Harrison Gap (5.3) Panther Top FS 85 Access Road (0.75) Joanna Bald FS 423B Access Road (0.6) Albert Mountain Bearpen Trail & AT (2.9) Albert Mountain Access Trail & AT (0.5) Albert Mountain Short Loop /w FS 69 (1.0) AT From Mooney Gap (2.5) Wesser Bald AT From Tellico Gap (1.9) Old Jeep Road from Tellico Gap (0.9) AT from Nantahala Gorge (6.5) Wesser Creek Trail (4.3) Cowee Bald FS 70 Access Road (0.5) Yellow Mountain Yellow Mountain Trail (4.9) Steward Cove/Buck Creek Trail (4.2) Shuckstack AT from Fontana Dam (3.5) Twentymile Creek Trail (5.5) Lakeshore & Lost Cove Trail (8.5) Lakeshore & AT Loop (12.0) Clingmans Dome Clingmans Dome Summit Trail (0.5) Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail (1.0) Clingmans Dome Summit Loop (1.5) AT From Collins Gap (1.7) Mt. Cammerer Low Gap Trail & AT (5.6) Big Creek Loop (16.9) Lower Cammerer Loop (15.0) AT from Davenport Gap (5.2) Mt. Sterling Mt. Sterling Trail (2.7) Baxter Creek Trail (6.1) Pretty Hollow Gap & Mt. Sterling Ridge Trails (7.4)
Mt. Noble Mt. Noble Trail (2.4)
Barnett Knob - Barnett Fire Tower Access Road (0.6) Rich Mountain AT from Tanyard Gap (2.6) AT From Hurricane Gap (1.1) Roundtop Ridge Trail (4.3) Roundtop Ridge/AT Loop (11.6) Camp Creek Bald Camp Creek Bald Jeep Road (0.8) AT from Jones Meadow (1.3) Hickey Fork & Pounding Mill Trails (5.5) White Oak Flats Trail (6.4) Chambers Mountain Chamber Mountain Access Road (1.9) Fryingpan Mountain FS 450 Access Road (0.7) Big Bald/Fryingpan Mountain Trail from Pisgah Campground (1.6) Bearwallow Knob Bearwallow Mountain Summit Road (1.0) CMC Hike #333 (4.6) Little Snowball Big Ivy Historical Campus – This tower must be driven and does not have a trail. Douglas Falls is nearby; Craggy Gardens is nearby and is the location of the Little Snowball Trail, which is also required for the challenge. Little Snowball Trail (3.6) Mt. Mitchell Old Mitchell Trail (2.0) Mt. Mitchell Trail from Black Mountain Campground (6.1) Black Mountains Crest Trail From Bowlens Creek (12.0) Many other options Green Knob Green Knob Trail/Lost Cove Ridge Trail (3.3) Green Knob Trail from BRP overlook (0.5) Snooks Nose Trail & Green Knob Trail (4.4) Flat Top Mountain Flat Top Tower Trail (2.7) Rendezvous Mountain -Mountain Ridge Trail (3.5) Moores Knob Moores Knob Trail (1.9) Moores Wall Loop Trail (4.5)
Recognition Successful completion of the Challenge will be recognized with the award of a Certificate at the annual meeting of the Club (or mailing of Certificate if unable to attend), a patch and the listing of the completers name on the CMC website. Documentation must be submitted to the CMC Challenge Committee listing the information in (1) and (2) (a form is attached that can be downloaded to assist in providing this information): (1) Date you hiked to the tower (2) Hiking route used including trail/road names and roundtrip mileage (3) The hiker must be a member of the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) and the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA). Membership applications are available on the CMC website and by linkage on the website to the FFLA. Towers may be added or removed from the LTC over time. Completers need only successfully reach the towers included in the LTC at the time of application for the award to receive recognition. If towers are added at a later date, previous completers are not required to hike to them to maintain their award. Hikes to towers prior to the creation of the challenge will be accepted provided they satisfy the distance requirement and the date of hike is provided.
Frequently Asked Questions 1) Why is the required distance so low? Many lookout towers can only be accessed by short trails or roads. The maximum roundtrip hiking distance for several towers, such as Joanna Bald, Cowee Bald, and Panther Top barely exceed 1.0 mile. Road walking additional distance to achieve more mileage was not deemed to be necessary nor desirable. Nevertheless, towers with short hikes are equally worth visiting for their views and history. 2) Can I drive to lookout towers that can be accessed by car? For those that can be driven, reaching a lookout tower by car will not qualify for the LTC. However, many towers which are accessible by car present the opportunity for hiking shuttles. An example is hiking from the bottom to the top and driving back to the bottom. Towers where shuttles like this are possible include Rich Mountain, Mt. Noble, Wayah Bald, Camp Creek Bald, and Rendezvous Mountain. 3) Why are not all lookout towers in western North Carolina included in the LTC? Many other towers are restricted due to disrepair and deterioration, vandalism, private property, and communications equipment. Towers in disrepair that are rehabilitated can be added to the LTC in the future. Likewise, towers on the LTC that become restricted or fall into disrepair can be removed from the LTC. 4) Why is it not a requirement to climb the towers? The Club cannot assume the risk of requiring a hiker to climb the towers in order to achieve this challenge. While hikers may climb a tower, if desired, they do so at their own risk. A few of the towers have certain sections that are closed due to conditions that are not considered safe. 5) Why does the Little Snowball Lookout require two components? The Little Snowball Lookout was saved from demolition and re-erected at another location. A private citizen purchased the tower in 1980 when it was earmarked for removal. After dismantling and removal from the mountain piece by piece over the course of a year, it remained in storage for over two decades. In 2004, it was re-erected and restored by the Big Ivy Historical Society on their campus. With the tower’s pristine preservation and extensive restoration, it is the most historically complete lookout tower in North Carolina. Its now stands as one of the most successful lookout tower restoration stories in the state and an example of the importance of saving lookout towers. In addition to visiting the tower, reached by car, the LTC also requires the hike to its former location near Little Snowball Mountain. This hike exhibits a removed lookout site – a common scene all over western North Carolina and one that will become more prevalent without intervention to preserve lookouts. Nevertheless, the CMC periodically maintains the summit clearing which offers great views. 6) This challenge seems easy. Is it? The hiking distance requirement for this challenge is predetermined by the lack of long hiking options to several towers and therefore is short in duration. However, other hikes, such as Yellow Mountain and Mt. Cammerer, require significantly greater mileage (10+ miles) than the minimum requirement. Additionally, many hikes, regardless of distance, often require an ascent of many thousand feet. Just because a hike isn’t long will not mean that it is not difficult. Mt. Sterling and Shuckstack are examples. In addition, most towers cannot be coupled into the same day because of their spatial proximity; this is contrary to SB6K, P400, and 900M challenges. Therefore, most towers will require a separate hike on a separate day and result in a longer time commitment to complete the challenge. This factor benefits the hiker with exposure to multiple regions and mountain ranges in western North Carolina. 7) Why lookout towers for a challenge program? Lookout towers offer one of the best hiking destinations. There is no better reward than a stunning, 360 degree vista after the difficult physical expenditure of reaching the summit of a high mountain. Most mountain peaks in the southern Appalachians are shrouded in trees and offer limited or no views to reward a difficult ascent. Lookout towers promise the ability to elevate above the trees to enjoy the surrounding mountain scenery – some of the most beautiful in the country. Moreover, lookout towers are historic structures, just like historic cabins, barns, churches, and mills. For nearly half a century they were used as watch posts to quickly detect forest fires that threatened our valuable wild lands. Lookout tower challenges are popular in other parts of the country – including New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. 8) What is happening to the lookout towers in North Carolina? Though on public lands, lookouts are not actively maintained by government agencies. No longer used for fire detection, they receive no sustained funding for upkeep and maintenance and subsequently suffered from neglect. The towers have succumbed to vandalism, severe weather, and deterioration. As a result, handfuls of towers across the state have been removed forever; others have had their access restricted and face imminent dismantling. The remaining towers are valued hiking destination to outdoor enthusiasts as well as important landmarks of our cultural history. Funding and volunteer effort is absolutely necessary to save the towers from future deterioration and removal. Consider joining the Forest Fire Lookout Association and donating or volunteering to a restoration project to preserve North Carolina’s lookouts. 9) What is the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA)? The FFLA is a national organization that seeks to preserve, protect, and restore lookout towers for their scenic and historic value. The North Carolina chapter of the FFLA strives to preserve western NC’s lookouts, restore those towers in deteriorating condition, and improve access to the towers for hikers. Join the FFLA to become involved with a lookout tower restoration and help save NC’s fire towers. The NC chapter of the FFLA co-sponsors the LTC.
|
