How 2 Adirondack Chairs Led to Tickets for 3 Hikers in Catskill Mountains

Did you know it was illegal to leave an Adirondack chair on the summit of a mountain in New York? Even if it is for a good reason.

Three hikers from New Jersey decided to climb to the summit of Slide Mountain in Ulster County on July 8.

Slide Mountain is located in the Slide Mountain Wilderness and is the highest Catskill peak with an elevation of 4,120 feet.

Summit Seats

The hikers brought two Adirondack chairs and a table that they planned to leave behind for the public to use.

How nice. Who wouldn't want to have a seat after hiking all that way to the top?

A kind gesture. But an illegal one.

Illegal Seats

Forest Rangers met the group at the trailhead and explained it is illegal to leave the chairs at the summit. The group refused to retrieve the chairs, so Ranger Martin issued a ticket for abandoning property in a wilderness area.

Can't say as I blame them. Who would want to go all the way back up to carry two heavy Adirondack chairs back down again? As if the trip up the first time wasn't strenuous enough. The fine may have been worth leaving them behind.

But someone had to get the illegal chairs from the summit of the mountain. That responsibility fell on Forest Ranger Martin and Summit Steward Moran.

So the next time you decide to go hiking, remember the phrase - leave no trace....or chairs. Just be sure to remember your water to stay hydrated.