Mount Marcy
Encyclopedia
Mount Marcy is the highest point in New York State
, with an elevation of 5344 feet (1,628.9 m). It is a popular destination for hikers due to its stature and great views, and the peak can get very crowded in the summer months. Located in Essex County
, the mountain is in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks Region of the High Peaks Wilderness Area
.
, who authorized the environmental survey that explored the area including its highest peak, known at that time as Tahawus. "Tahawus" is an Indian word that means "cloud splitter;" the local Indians, however, actually had no name for this mountain - the name Tahawus was given to the mountain by white settlers of the area. The first recorded ascent of Mount Marcy was in 1837 by a large party led by Ebenezer Emmons
. Today the ascent is easier due to existing trails that require no technical skills
, allowing ascent and descent to be made in a day.
The shortest and most frequently used route up the mountain is from the northwest, the Van Hoevenberg Trail, which starts at the Adirondak Loj
near Heart Lake. From there it is 7.4 miles (11.2 km) to the summit, a lengthy roundtrip which can nevertheless be done in a day. A large section of the trail is suitable for alpine skiing and snowboard on the way down, although there are a few locations where snowboarders will have to take off their snowboard and walk up a little.
Hikers starting up the Johns Brook Trail from the Garden parking north of the mountain in Keene Valley have a 9-mile (14.4 km) journey to the summit, and sometimes spend a night at Johns Brook Lodge in the process.
A lengthier southern approach can be made from either of the two major trailheads for the southern High Peaks, Upper Works or Elk Lake.
Mount Marcy is in the Town of Keene
in Essex County
.
, at the col
between Mount Marcy and Skylight, is the source of the Hudson River
. Theodore Roosevelt
was camped there on September 14, 1901 after summiting Marcy when he was informed that President William McKinley
, who had been shot a week earlier, had taken a serious turn for the worse.
Roosevelt and his party hiked ten miles (16 km) down the southwest face of the mountain to Long Lake, New York
where he hired a stage coach to take him to the closest train station at North Creek, New York
. The route from Long Lake to North Creek has been designated as the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail
.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, with an elevation of 5344 feet (1,628.9 m). It is a popular destination for hikers due to its stature and great views, and the peak can get very crowded in the summer months. Located in Essex County
Essex County, New York
Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
, the mountain is in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks Region of the High Peaks Wilderness Area
High Peaks Wilderness Area
The High Peaks Wilderness Area, the largest Forest Preserve unit in New York, is located in three counties and six towns in the Adirondack Park: Harrietstown in Franklin County, North Elba, Keene, North Hudson and Newcomb in Essex County and Long Lake in Hamilton County.-Geography:It is roughly...
.
History
The mountain is named after former governor William L. MarcyWilliam L. Marcy
William Learned Marcy was an American statesman, who served as U.S. Senator and the 11th Governor of New York, and as the U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of State.-Early life:...
, who authorized the environmental survey that explored the area including its highest peak, known at that time as Tahawus. "Tahawus" is an Indian word that means "cloud splitter;" the local Indians, however, actually had no name for this mountain - the name Tahawus was given to the mountain by white settlers of the area. The first recorded ascent of Mount Marcy was in 1837 by a large party led by Ebenezer Emmons
Ebenezer Emmons
Ebenezer Emmons , was a pioneering American geologist.Emmons was born at Middlefield, Massachusetts, on May 16, 1799, son of Ebenezer and Mary Emmons....
. Today the ascent is easier due to existing trails that require no technical skills
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, allowing ascent and descent to be made in a day.
Routes
Mount Marcy is one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. The majority of the mountain is forested, although the final few hundred feet is above tree line. The peak is dominated by rocky outcrops, lichens, and alpine shrubs. There are two plaques at the top commemorating the centennial of the climb as well as the mountain summit itself.The shortest and most frequently used route up the mountain is from the northwest, the Van Hoevenberg Trail, which starts at the Adirondak Loj
Adirondak Loj
Adirondak Loj is a historic lodge near Lake Placid in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. The Loj, built in 1927, is currently owned and operated by the Adirondack Mountain Club. Located on the shore of Heart Lake, it is at the trailhead of the most popular trails to Mount Marcy and...
near Heart Lake. From there it is 7.4 miles (11.2 km) to the summit, a lengthy roundtrip which can nevertheless be done in a day. A large section of the trail is suitable for alpine skiing and snowboard on the way down, although there are a few locations where snowboarders will have to take off their snowboard and walk up a little.
Hikers starting up the Johns Brook Trail from the Garden parking north of the mountain in Keene Valley have a 9-mile (14.4 km) journey to the summit, and sometimes spend a night at Johns Brook Lodge in the process.
A lengthier southern approach can be made from either of the two major trailheads for the southern High Peaks, Upper Works or Elk Lake.
Mount Marcy is in the Town of Keene
Keene, New York
Keene is a town in central Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,063 at the 2000 census. Keene is the home of Mount Marcy, the highest mountain in New York state, as well as the Great Range and 15 of the 46 High Peaks, and the Ausable Lakes, the source of the Ausable River...
in Essex County
Essex County, New York
Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
.
Lake Tear of the Clouds
Lake Tear of the CloudsLake Tear of the Clouds
Lake Tear of the Clouds is a small tarn located in the town of Keene, in Essex County, New York, on the southwest slope of Mount Marcy; it is both the highest lake in the state and the highest source of the Hudson River via Feldspar Brook and the Opalescent River...
, at the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between Mount Marcy and Skylight, is the source of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
was camped there on September 14, 1901 after summiting Marcy when he was informed that President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, who had been shot a week earlier, had taken a serious turn for the worse.
Roosevelt and his party hiked ten miles (16 km) down the southwest face of the mountain to Long Lake, New York
Long Lake, New York
Long Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York in the United States. The population was 852 at the 2000 census. The town is named for long Long Lake beside which it sits. The town is entirely within the Adirondack Park and is the most northerly town in the county. It is a summer tourism...
where he hired a stage coach to take him to the closest train station at North Creek, New York
North Creek, New York
North Creek is a hamlet in the Adirondack Park, in the town of Johnsburg, in Warren County, New York, United States. It is an area known for skiing , hiking and other outdoor recreational activities. It is located at ....
. The route from Long Lake to North Creek has been designated as the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail
Roosevelt-Marcy Trail
The Roosevelt-Marcy Trail is named for the historic route Vice President Theodore Roosevelt traveled on a dangerous midnight stagecoach ride from Tahawus to the North Creek train station to take the Presidential oath....
.
See also
- Adirondack Park
- High Peaks Wilderness AreaHigh Peaks Wilderness AreaThe High Peaks Wilderness Area, the largest Forest Preserve unit in New York, is located in three counties and six towns in the Adirondack Park: Harrietstown in Franklin County, North Elba, Keene, North Hudson and Newcomb in Essex County and Long Lake in Hamilton County.-Geography:It is roughly...
- Mountain peaks of North AmericaMountain peaks of North AmericaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of greater North America.This article defines greater North America as the portion of the continental landmass of the Americas extending northward from Panama plus the islands surrounding that landmass...
- Mountain peaks of the United StatesMountain peaks of the United StatesThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
External links
- Mount Marcy hike and trip report. June 2010.