Epic adventures often start quite innocently. This one begins at the intersection of Delaware County Route 26 and Gregory Hollow Road. Local folks will know Route 26 as the one from Downsville up over “Junkyard Hill” heading towards Hamden and Delhi.

There is a new historical marker that was recently placed there, on September 9, to commemorate the Battle of Downs Brook during the Revolutionary War. The battle, which occurred on that date in 1778, was fought to avenge the deaths of Lt. Colonel John Graham and 11 of his men at the Battle of Chestnut Creek here in Sullivan County. Our local hamlet of Grahamsville (near where the battle took place) is named in his honor.

Two battles were fought in Sullivan County during the Revolution. The other was, of course, the Battle of Minisink. Research showed that there were two small battles in neighboring Delaware County, the one at Downs Brook and another at Lake Utsayantha near the Village of Stamford. 

Lake Utsayantha and nearby Utsayantha Mountain were named after a princess of our local Leni Lenape indigenous tribe. She was the daughter of the Great Chief Ubiwacha. There is a tragic legend about her drowning herself in the Lake after her husband and baby were killed by her father.

Princess Utsayantha is said to be buried atop Utsayantha Mountain, which her father named after her. The mountain is 3,209 feet in elevation and is the tallest peak in the area. The top is owned by the Village of Stamford.

Being the tallest mountain around, the NYS DEC naturally placed one of its many fire towers on top. The tower was erected in 1934. The view from it (like all of the fire towers) is breathtaking – absolutely breathtaking!

Why write about a mountain and fire tower in Stamford when we have wonderful ones to climb to nearby, like Red Hill and Balsam Lake Mountain? The answer is quite simple – accessibility. The good folks of the Village of Stamford have a road right up to the base of the tower where you can park your car.

Wait, it gets better. If someone has mobility issues and can’t climb to the top of the tower, there is a bench where people can see the view from ground level. It can be reached by folks with crutches and wheelchairs across a level section of (very slightly uneven) grass lawn.

Wait, again. Believe it or not, it gets even more amazing. There is a spot along the road just before the parking area where a couple of cars can pull off and see the view. That allows anyone that can be driven there to see the same view even if the person is extremely limited in mobility.

Wow. Just wow. Kudos to the people that run the Village of Stamford, and those on the various committees, that made their park and fire tower on Utsayantha Mountain accessible to all. It’s awesome.

Let us hope that the wonderful example at Utsayantha Mountain is followed by others and more things in our natural world become open to enjoyment by absolutely everyone.

Fall is upon us and the leaves are turning color. If you want to see the foliage from an excellent vantage, hook a right off of Route 23 in Stamford just past the Family Dollar store onto Mountain Avenue and head up the hill. Stay straight as the avenue becomes Tower Mountain Road. Take a left onto the dirt Tower Road. There are signs to help guide drivers to the summit. Trust me, the view is worth it.

Let’s all enjoy the outdoors!