Some members of the public are calling for the Gulf Brook lean-to to remain in the Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area, for more parking near the Jay Wilderness Area and for wider trails for skiers in unit management plans. The two areas are next to each other east and northeast of downtown Keene.

    At the public hearing on March 11 at Keene Central School in Keene Valley, several speakers called for the Gulf Brook lean-to to remain, in the face of the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s plans to remove it.

    The lean-to is next to Gulf Brook at the junction of the North Trail to Hurricane Mountain and the Lost Pond Trail. It is one of two lean-tos in the primitive area. The Gulf Brook lean-to would be replaced with a campsite near where the lean-to stands now.

    DEC Forester Rob Daley said the lean-to will need a new roof in the near future and that the State Land Master Plan calls for reconstructed lean-tos to be located more than 100 feet from most water bodies in wilderness areas. (Like all primitive areas, the Hurricane Mountain area is managed as wilderness.) The lean-to is currently about 40 to 50 feet from Gulf Brook. Instead of leaving it alone or relocating it, the DEC has proposed to remove it.

    Former High Peaks forest ranger Pete Fish, of Keene, is one of those who would like to see the lean-to remain.

    “It’s only had 54 years of use, which isn’t a lot,” Fish said. “The lean-to logs are in phenomenal shape. I punched them with a knife to see if they were sound, and they are indeed. All it needs is a roof, so I would frankly like to see it remain.”

    Fish had supported the DEC’s plan to remove the fire tower atop Hurricane Mountain because of its poor condition.

    Bert Yost, of Wilmington, spoke at the public hearing on behalf of the Hurricane Mountain Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club. He said the location of this lean-to is important to some hikers because it’s only a mile from the trailhead off of O’Toole Road.

    “After so many years, it is evident that there is no real environmental damage being done with the current lean-to, so we would like to see that it stays there,” Yost said. “This lean-to has provided many opportunities for camping in the area, which is popular with families in the area with children, and it is not a problem with misuse or overuse. It is also accessible to members of the public — for example, the elderly or those with moderate disability — who would not be able to hike several miles through rough terrain to visit or camp at a lean-to. Removing this lean-to will not be in the interest of the hiking and camping public.”

    Other than the lean-to, if repaired, the fire tower and a one-mile-long power line are what make this primitive area different from a wilderness area, where most man-made structures are not allowed. The fire tower is slated for removal, but the power line is on two private, deeded right-of-ways and will remain indefinitely.

Trails for skiers

    Keene resident Ron Konowitz, a well known backcountry skier, said he noticed that skiing is one of the primary uses for the Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area but that the unit management plan didn’t call for any trails to be improved for skiers. He would like this to change in the Hurricane Mountain UMP and similar proposals in the Adirondacks.

    “I don’t see any indication of increase in size of trails or special usage or any provisions put in to make those trails more accommodating for skiers,” Konowitz said. “It’s been a little bit of an issue in other unit management plans. The state master plan doesn’t address backcountry skiing as a viable use of wilderness, and I would just like to say it is. There are many people who feel a similar fashion.”

    Konowitz said he would also like the state agencies to address the issue of skiing in the State Land Master Plan because the sport is increasing in popularity.

    “In the last 20 years people are going out there, and not just cross-country skiing but backcountry skiing. It involves slightly wider trails but it is very low impact. I would just like the state to look at that usage both in the state master plan and also in some of these unit management plans.”

Jay Mountain parking

    As for the Jay Mountain Wilderness, Adirondack Mountain Club Executive Director Neil Woodworth said he would like to see more parking for hikers.

    “We agree with the department that more access is needed, particularly some formalized parking areas,” Woodworth said. “We ask you to look at access at the southern part of the Jay Mountain Wilderness, for those people who want to navigate by map and compass and GPS and so on. I don’t think we need a formal trail, but we could use a parking area, just to keep the road safe.”