TREAT YOURSELF TO A HIKE—
A vertical one
Built in 1934, the fire tower still stands as the grand ole lady of the Mohican State Forest.
She was one of 45 such towers built beginning in 1924 and, until 1978, operated as fire lookout towers in Ohio’s forests.
“It’s hard to imagine now, but these acres were very lightly forested in the early 1920s; a time when much of the state had been clear cut.” Her task in that time gone by was to provide a platform to look over public lands that were newly planted with trees and areas where state foresters were encouraging a natural regeneration of woodlands explains the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on it's web site.
Back then, during periods of high fire danger, the cabins atop these lofty structures were manned by observers alert to smoke and fire. As Mark Welty, president of the Mohican Trails Club, (above) demonstrates, fire observers could use a device like the replica of an Osborne Firefinder pictured—invented in 1911—to pinpoint the relative bearing and distance of visible smoke, and alert fire crews.
The towers have not been used by observers since 1978. Improved telephone service and the use of aircraft in wildfire detection made the lookout towers obsolete.
“Time, weather and vandals took their toll on the wood and metal structures, in most instances rendering them unsafe for public access. Today, only seven of these historic structures remain standing in Ohio’s 20 state forests.”
The renovated 80-foot lookout tower in Mohican reopened to visitors in 2005.
The trails club assists forestry officials with maintenance of the fire tower and hosts visitors in the tower cab throughout pleasant weather periods. Go to their web site listed below and click on “Activities” for a listing of days when the tower will be staffed.
One recent Sunday I joined Mark for the 106 step climb to the tower cabin. I saw nothing but the handrails and steps during that ascent. You must realize I regard any elevation much above ground level—without the benefit of an airplane—extremely perilous.
But, once safely enclosed by the cabin I was treated to a terrific panorama of this rolling forest.
Peak fall colors, usually in early to mid October would be a visual gift to anyone willing to brave the climb.
____________________
Links:
http://www.mohicantrails.org/index2.php
A vertical one
Built in 1934, the fire tower still stands as the grand ole lady of the Mohican State Forest.
She was one of 45 such towers built beginning in 1924 and, until 1978, operated as fire lookout towers in Ohio’s forests.
“It’s hard to imagine now, but these acres were very lightly forested in the early 1920s; a time when much of the state had been clear cut.” Her task in that time gone by was to provide a platform to look over public lands that were newly planted with trees and areas where state foresters were encouraging a natural regeneration of woodlands explains the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on it's web site.
Back then, during periods of high fire danger, the cabins atop these lofty structures were manned by observers alert to smoke and fire. As Mark Welty, president of the Mohican Trails Club, (above) demonstrates, fire observers could use a device like the replica of an Osborne Firefinder pictured—invented in 1911—to pinpoint the relative bearing and distance of visible smoke, and alert fire crews.
The towers have not been used by observers since 1978. Improved telephone service and the use of aircraft in wildfire detection made the lookout towers obsolete.
“Time, weather and vandals took their toll on the wood and metal structures, in most instances rendering them unsafe for public access. Today, only seven of these historic structures remain standing in Ohio’s 20 state forests.”
The renovated 80-foot lookout tower in Mohican reopened to visitors in 2005.
The trails club assists forestry officials with maintenance of the fire tower and hosts visitors in the tower cab throughout pleasant weather periods. Go to their web site listed below and click on “Activities” for a listing of days when the tower will be staffed.
One recent Sunday I joined Mark for the 106 step climb to the tower cabin. I saw nothing but the handrails and steps during that ascent. You must realize I regard any elevation much above ground level—without the benefit of an airplane—extremely perilous.
But, once safely enclosed by the cabin I was treated to a terrific panorama of this rolling forest.
Peak fall colors, usually in early to mid October would be a visual gift to anyone willing to brave the climb.
____________________
Links:
http://www.mohicantrails.org/index2.php
A platoon of visitors swarms the Mohican fire tower on a recent Sunday morning in the small photo above. A visitor from Lordstown, OH (below) photographs an attractive display on Forest Fire Management located directly under the tower structure.
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