Sterling Forest
Fall 2012
I went to Sterling Forest State Park and met some of the volunteer workers there. They were at the Lakeville Ironworks site where in the 1700s iron was mined and smelted for the Revolutionary War effort. The mine was only about a half a mile’s stroll from the Visitor Center.

From there I proceeded to the Fire Tower, a two-mile hike of mostly uphill climb. I think that needs some emphasis -- it's like climbing a two-mile long flight of stairs. A typical flight of stairs is about 12 feet long. So that makes the hike about 880 times your house's flight of stairs. You will have to be fit to complete this hike.

While hiking I imagined what Sterling Forest must have been like a hundred or maybe even a thousand years ago. Probably more or less the same.

Wow.

Thanks to the volunteer workers for keeping Sterling Forest well-preserved and beautiful.

 Click on a picture to enlarge.
Lakeville Ironworks or Sterling Ironworks.
This was built in 1745.
This must be the blast furnace. Some of the volunteer workers can be seen taking a break on the left.
Waterfall beside the furnace.
Path leading to the Fire Tower.
Sterling Forest is home to bears and a certain type of rattlesnake.
Nearing the top.
The Fire Tower. I didn’t really think much of the fire tower -- I just knew I had to get there and climb it -- until I was at its foot and stopped to think, I’m actually going to climb this. It was kind of nerve wracking going up as the stairs got narrower and narrower as I went higher and higher and with each step I felt certain my foot will miss a step and fall through the gap and my hands will clasp at nothing and I will come tumbling all the way down. So I stopped two platforms short of the top as there was no more room to maneuver my arms to take good handheld shots much less my tripod. The firehouse was closed anyway according to a man I met on his way down. His chatty and perhaps 12-yearold son and their dog -- while the dog kept barking at me the son was telling me how sweet and friendly really their big dog was as he held its leash to keep it from attacking me -- was down on the ground below.
View from the Fire Tower.
Sterling Lake seen from the Fire Tower.
Another view from the Fire Tower.
Hiking back to the Visitor Center I took a different trail. If climbing a two mile flight of stairs isn't for you, don't fret, this classic, postcard view of Sterling Lake is right alongside the main road where all the tourists with their kids and baby strollers go. It's only less than a mile from the Visitor Center.
More ruins -- this one called
When I passed the Lakeville Ironworks site on my way back, the volunteer workers were no longer there. When I met them earlier (before I went to the Fire Tower), one of the volunteer workers joked, “Do you have a camera permit?” When I said, “No,” he gestured a wave to mean he wasn’t serious. He then said it’s a beautiful day for me to be out and told me about their FB page, “Friends of Sterling Forest.” Later after I posted these pictures there, I received the following reply: “Thanks for the beautiful pictures Virgelio!!!!! In reality, starting in the 1700's this area consisted of an iron mining industry. There were no trees, the furnace was constantly working, it was noisy and probably not that nice a place to be...... You should come hear one of our talks about the history of Sterling Forest :-)” I said
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