Friends of Mount Arab Summit STEWARDS

Friends of Mount Arab have had a number of summit stewards since the beginning. You may note from our FOMA Newsletters (see the 'NEWSLETTERS' tab) some of our 'early years' summit stewards. Our list of available newsletters does not go back to the beginning of FOMA because much of that early history is not in digital form.

Many who have hiked Mount Arab will remember Thomas Cullen who came on board in mid-summer of 2011. Thomas ended his service at the summit in 2023. We are continuing our summit stewardship with Colin Tuggle and Sheila Young.

Caleb Tuggle, Junior Summit Steward (part time)

Caleb Tuggle has been serving as a summit steward for the past two seasons. His family has owned property at Mount Arab for almost 60 years, and he began exploring our mountain as soon as he could walk. Caleb will be graduating from Saranac Lake High School next year and is enrolled in the Natural Resource Science program at the Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES. He loves fishing, hiking, camping, and working outdoors. In the winter months, you may see him on the staff at the Mount Pisgah ski area in Saranac Lake.

Colin Tuggle, Summit Steward (part time)

It’s been a privilege to serve as one of our summit stewards for more than a decade. Rain or shine, we are blessed with an amazing resource at Mount Arab. We arguably have the most family-friendly Adirondack summit hike with ample parking and a well-maintained, moderate trail leading up to spectacular views. And our work that has been done to restore the tower and observer's cabin really shows. My family has owned property near Mount Arab for nearly 60 years, and I began hiking the trail as a child. Since the start of FOMA there have been dramatic improvements to the trail, tower, and cabin, plus a dramatic reduction in litter. When people see that something is well cared for, they tend to be more careful and respectful in turn.

All that FOMA has done has been made possible by contributions from our supporters. From my viewpoint as the executive director of another area nonprofit, I have seen that organizations like FOMA cannot make it without the generosity of their supporters. This continuing support has enabled FOMA to accomplish some critically important work over the last few years: from repairs to the tower and summit cabin to a world-class summit outhouse!

It's no wonder that many guide books list Mount Arab prominently on their lists of suggested hikes in the Adirondacks. We are stewards of a very special resource, a mountain that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy. And whether that hiker’s age is 3 or 83, hiking our mountain plants the desire to hike more, and to invest more time and resources enjoying our region. Mount Arab has become a priceless educational resource and economic catalyst for our region. I have no doubt that our work there is well worth it, and I look forward to many years of helping to preserve this amazing resource.

Sheila Young, Summit Steward (part time)

Sheila Young has been an outstanding asset to the FOMA Board, and an equally fine Summit Steward. However it has been harder than pulling rusty nails to get her to puff herself up for this brief introduction on the FOMA website.

Sheila has for many years been a licensed guide, her primary job, and fits in performing her duties as a FOMA part-time summit steward around her guiding schedule. She is also a wildlife rehabilitator, and is an Adirondack 46'er.

Needless to say, Sheila is an enthusiastic Adirondacker, and in her own words as she sits on the steps of the summit observer's cabin, "Loving the mountains!"