Saddleback Mountain (Rangeley, Maine)
Encyclopedia
Saddleback Mountain is a mountain
located in Rangeley, Franklin County
, Maine
.
Saddleback is one of the highest mountains in the State of Maine, and one of the fourteen with more than 2000 ft (609.6 m) of topographic prominence
. The mountain is the site of Saddleback ski
resort.
Saddleback is flanked to the northeast by Saddleback Horn
. The mountain rock is primarily a form of granodiorite
known as the Redington pluton
that is estimated to have formed roughly 410 million years ago, while the soil atop it is largely till
with a thickness of 10 feet (3 m) or less.
The northwest side of Saddleback drains into Saddleback Lake, thence into Redington Stream, the South Branch
of the Dead River, the Kennebec River
, and into the Gulf of Maine
.
The southeast side of Saddleback drains into Winship and Conant Streams, thence Orbeton Stream, and the Sandy River
, another tributary
of the Kennebec.
The southwest end of Saddleback drains into Cascade Stream, thence into Rangeley Lake
, Rangeley River
, Mooselookmeguntic Lake
, Upper and Lower Richardson Lakes, Rapid River
, Umbagog Lake, and the Androscoggin River
, which drains into Merrymeeting Bay
, the estuary
of the Kennebec River.
The Appalachian Trail
, a 2,170-mile (3,500-km) National Scenic Trail
from Georgia
to Maine
, runs along the ridge of Saddleback, crossing the summit. Saddleback Maine, a ski area, is located on the north face of the mountain.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located in Rangeley, Franklin County
Franklin County, Maine
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 30,768. Its county seat is Farmington.Franklin County was established on 9 May 1838.-Geography:...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
Saddleback is one of the highest mountains in the State of Maine, and one of the fourteen with more than 2000 ft (609.6 m) of topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
. The mountain is the site of Saddleback ski
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
resort.
Saddleback is flanked to the northeast by Saddleback Horn
Saddleback Horn
The Horn is a mountain located in Franklin County, Maine.The Horn is flanked to the southwest by the main summit of Saddleback Mountain, to the northeast by Saddleback Junior, and to the northwest by Potato Nubble....
. The mountain rock is primarily a form of granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
known as the Redington pluton
Pluton
A pluton in geology is a body of intrusive igneous rock that crystallized from magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Plutons include batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, lopoliths, and other igneous bodies...
that is estimated to have formed roughly 410 million years ago, while the soil atop it is largely till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
with a thickness of 10 feet (3 m) or less.
The northwest side of Saddleback drains into Saddleback Lake, thence into Redington Stream, the South Branch
South Branch Dead River
The South Branch Dead River is a tributary of the Dead River in Franklin County, Maine.From the outflow of Saddleback Lake below Saddleback Mountain, the river runs northeast to Eustis, where its confluence with the North Branch of the Dead River was drowned by the impoundment of Flagstaff Lake...
of the Dead River, the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
, and into the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
.
The southeast side of Saddleback drains into Winship and Conant Streams, thence Orbeton Stream, and the Sandy River
Sandy River (Kennebec River)
The Sandy River is a tributary of the Kennebec River in the U.S. state of Maine.The Sandy River originates in the Sandy River Ponds at an elevation of in Sandy River Plantation. The river flows south to a confluence with Chandler Mill Stream in Maine Township E and then easterly to its...
, another tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Kennebec.
The southwest end of Saddleback drains into Cascade Stream, thence into Rangeley Lake
Rangeley Lake
Rangeley Lake is located in Franklin County, Maine in the United States. It is fed by several streams. Its waters flow out from the lake's northwestern end into the short Rangeley River, then into Mooselookmeguntic Lake, and ultimately into the Androscoggin River, Merrymeeting Bay, the lower...
, Rangeley River
Rangeley River
The Rangeley River is located in Franklin County, Maine, in the United States. It is only about a mile long, connecting the outlet of Rangeley Lake with Mooselookmeguntic Lake.It is part of the Androscoggin River watershed....
, Mooselookmeguntic Lake
Mooselookmeguntic Lake
Mooselookmeguntic Lake is located in Franklin County and Oxford County, Maine, in the United States. It is part of the Androscoggin River watershed....
, Upper and Lower Richardson Lakes, Rapid River
Rapid River (Maine)
The Rapid River is a river in the northwestern portion of the US state of Maine flowing from Lower Richardson Lake to Umbagog Lake. Despite its short length, it forms the end of a major portion of the Umbagog Lake and Androscoggin River watersheds...
, Umbagog Lake, and the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
, which drains into Merrymeeting Bay
Merrymeeting Bay
Merrymeeting Bay is a large freshwater tidal bay in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and Cumberland counties, in the U.S. state of Maine. Merrymeeting Bay's unusual geography defies common landform terms. It is not what is usually meant by the word bay. It is somewhat like an estuary except for being fresh...
, the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the Kennebec River.
The Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
, a 2,170-mile (3,500-km) National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail is a designation for protected areas in the United States that consist of trails of particular natural beauty.National Scenic Trails were authorized under the National Trails System Act of 1968 along with National Historic Trails and National Recreation Trails...
from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, runs along the ridge of Saddleback, crossing the summit. Saddleback Maine, a ski area, is located on the north face of the mountain.