Poughkeepsie Journal from Poughkeepsie, New York • Page 22

eC PLAYERS THURSDAY MARCH 4, 2010 POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL Sid to Beebe Hill tower offers breathtaking views HIKE OF THE WEEK :4 rJf Foresters, NYS-DEC Forest Rangers and members of the Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA) joined up to restore the tower and the observer's cabin and build a hiking trail system in the Beebe Hill State Forest By 2002, 80 percent of the restoration work was complete, but then things stalled for three years, until the Forest Fire Lookout Association formed a Beebe Hill Chapter, and the New York State DEC and Albany Local No. 12 of the Iron Workers Union from Albany stepped up to the plate. There are plans afoot to restore the cabin interior, to serve as a "living museum with exhibits illustrating the history of the fire tower system and forest fire control in New York State" Hike description: This is a straightforward ski or hike. We got out of the car, put on our skis and headed up the wide, gently sloping road. Temps were in the single digits.

On this peaceful, perfectly quiet day, the only other sign of life was a set of fresh coyote Hike name: Cross-country ski to the Beebe Hill Fire Tower. Location: Northeastern Columbia County, near Austerlitz. Length: About 2 miles round-trip. Rating: A pretty easy ski Photo gallery: www.poughkeepsiejournal Dogs: Fido may love it, but not on doggy skis. Maps: Topo map on Web site.

Features: A super ski up a wide, mostly gentle access road to a restored fire tower with a "hey wow!" 36Megree view. Watch out Ion When we were there, there were several inches of snow on Engel Road, and it wasn't plowed. It's a half-mile or more to the parking area, and fairly flat, but there are some ups and downs. We wouldn't have attempted it with a two-wheel-drive vehicle. Background: How did we end up at Beebe? We'd been at Art Omi the week before, and stopped at the Claverack CiMirtM raHnin Ralph Ferrusi of Stormville cross-country skis to the Beebe Hill Fire Tower in Columbia County.

For a photo gallery, visit www.poughkeepsiejoumal.comphotos Agway to buy bird seed. Kath entered a contest, and we were informed she had won something. She asked me to find something outdoorsy to do in Columbia County when we returned. We had once skied to No Bottom Pond with our friend Mark Za-jkowski, and he always wanted to show us the Beebe tower someday. And, Kevin Boyce had e-mailed me a while back singing its praises.

I looked it up on the Web, and off we went The Beebe Hill "forest fire observatory" was originally on the summit of Alander Mountain from 1928-30, then on Washburn Mountain, 1933-63. Moved to Beebe, it operated continuously from 1964-87. In 1997, agroup of local residents, NYS-DEC steps. The view, as usual from these towers, made me gasp out loud. Many towers have views of range after range of mountains.

The beauty of this one, though, was the sweeping view far, far north over vast stretches of flatland and farmland. How to get there: Taconic north to Route 217 exit Right on CR 21C, right CR 21, left on Crow Hill RoadCR 7, right on 203, left on Stonewall Road, right on Engel Road (unplowed, but four-wheel-driveable when we were there). Ralph Ferrusi writes Hike of the Week each Thursday in Players. Ferrusi has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail as a section hiker twice! For comments or to contribute an idea, send e-mail to rjferrusifrontiemet.net tracks heading up the road. The road eventually steepened a bit, but not enough to have to sidestep or do any radical herring-bone steps.

It swung to the right, swung to the left, and reached the only herring-bone-required pitch a relatively short one almost within sight of the restored cabin and tower. The 60-foot tower had nine flights of nine thick, sturdy wooden tj vuxkiixir 1 1 1 1 a a 1 1 a i a a 1 a a uizrjv PLAY llflHD OR GO IB! Or" A 6,000 SQ.FT. BASEBALL SOFTBALL TRAIZJG CENTER MA LESSONS CLINKS CAMPS 2 Credit Check or Background Check Strictly Licensed by Tbwn ofwapplnger 1 i Vmmt gat rlfpti aff by at-of-townar. mail-in eampaaiaa gaM ha EATTINS CAGE RENTALS strength a TRAIM3K3 Licensed by Dutchess County Consumer Avoirs 1 tr- 3 i7M Ha HIT RUN HIGHLANDERS TRAVEL TEAM TRYCUTS FOR SU TO 18U PLAYERS PLEASE CALL FOR INFO GOFBANSWAY.PCUSMXEEPSIE CALL 845-214-0900 10 Otkar Uaatlaa. i.

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