Snowy Mountain (New York)
Encyclopedia
Snowy Mountain is a mountain
located in Hamilton County
, New York
. Initially known as 'Squaw Bonnet', its summit is the highest point in the county. While most maps show the elevation as 3899 feet, some suggest that more recent surveys have it as 3904 feet or even 3908 feet.
The mountain is the highest in the Adirondack Mountains
south of the 4000 ft (1,219.2 m) High Peaks region. It is one of thirteen mountain in New York with more than 2000 ft (610 m) of topographic prominence
. Snowy Mountain is flanked to the northeast by Squaw Mountain (3239 feet), and to the southwest by Lewey Mountain (3742 feet). A subsidiary ridge comes off the summit to the east ending at unnamed 'Peak 3149' (3149 feet) which forms the head of a large bowl overlooking the Griffin Brook drainage.
Snowy Mountain stands within the watershed
of the Hudson River
, which drains into New York Bay
. The south end of the northwest side of Snowy Mountain drains into Little Squaw Brook, thence into the Cedar River
, and the Hudson River
. The north side of Snowy Mountain drains into Squaw Brook, thence into Indian Lake
, Lake Abanakee, the Indian River, and the Hudson River. The northeast end of Snowy Mountain drains into Beaver Brook, thence into Indian Lake. The southeast slopes of Snowy Mountain drain into Indian Lake via Griffin Brook, Forks Brook, Willow Brook, and Falls Brook.
It is the location of the recently restored Snowy Mountain Fire Observation Station
, i.e. 'fire tower', listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2001.. In 1909, after the disastrous forest fires of 1903 and 1908, New York State began began erecting observation towers on strategically located peaks, such as Snowy Mountain, as part of a comprehensive forest fire suppression program for the Adirondack Mountains. That year a fifteen foot high log tower and a small log cabin were erected on the summit of Snowy Mountain. A telephone line was strung from the tower to Indian Lake village, a distance of 11 1/2 miles. Upon sighting smoke, the observer would call in the location of a suspected forest fire. With reports from observers on other nearby mountains, the exact location of the fire could be calculated by triangulation and fire suppression crews dispatched most expeditiously. In 1917, a steel tower 22 feet high replaced the log tower. In 1933, the steel tower was raised 33 feet so observers could see over the surrounding trees (one must assume that Verplanck Colvin and his men cleared the summit of most, if not all, trees in 1872 for triangulation sightings to distant peaks during the Adirondack Survey). In 1971, the Snowy Mountain fire tower was closed when NYS decided that it was unnecessary for protecting the Adirondack Park from forest fires (airplanes could do the job equally well). Several years later (it was there in 1986, but gone in 2006), the observer's cabin was removed.
Due to its high elevation and the restored fire tower, Snowy Mountain is a popular hiking destination. While the trip is nearly an eight mile walk involving more than 2000 feet of elevation gain, many find its views well worth the effort.
While the history of ascending this peak is surely incomplete, this much is known: The earliest known ascent is said to have been in 1771 by Archibald Campbell, a surveyor from Albany, NY. In that year, Joseph Totten and Stephen Crossfield were negotiating the purchase of a huge land tract from the Mohawk Nation (Six Nation Confederacy)for Edward and Ebenezer Jessup who had great influence with Sir William Johnson, NY Governor Dunmore and General Tryon. One can imagine that Campbell was dispatched to the area to find out something about what was being purchased. Verplanck Colvin and his crew climbed it on 4 August 1872 for the Adirondack Survey. Mills Blake, Colvin's assistant, and his crew climbed it again ten years later on 7 November 1882 to complete some triangulations, again for the Adirondack Survey. One might wonder about their itinerary for they were again on the summit on 9 and 10 November. Due to the four mile approach, it seems likely that the survey crew bivouacked on the summit at least for the last two days. There is some speculation that Colvin may have been among the group on the 9th. While technically not 'winter', some consider this to be the earliest known 'winter' ascent. Colvin made his second (perhaps 3rd) ascent of this peak on 22 June 1885 when he certainly bivouacked on the summit.
It is not known when the hiking trail was built, but one can imagine that it may have existed before the fire tower in 1909.
Rockclimbing at Snowy Mountain: In the mid-1990s, the peak was visited by Neal Knitel and Jonas Morelli who attempted a route on the left side of the summit cliff. They never returned to complete their route because "it was too far and there was other stuff to do." In 2002, unbeknownst to each other, two parties began working climbing routes at Snowy Mountain: Karl Swisher and Sid Perkins, and Ed Palen and Bob Starinsky. By 2008, seven high quality routes had been put up. All are bolt-protected face climbing on highly featured rock.
Part-way up the Griffin Brook drainage toward Peak 3149, lie the Snowy Mountain Boulders, a unique collection of boulders featuring the largest collection of huecos in the Adirondack Park. This unique bouldering area was initially noticed by Dave Buzzelli in 2003 while on the approach to the slides on Peak 3149 for skiing. Over 40 bouldering problems have been put up here since 2006.
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 Hamilton County
Hamilton County, New York
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is named after Alexander Hamilton, the only member of the New York State delegation who signed the United States Constitution in 1787 and later the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Its county seat is Lake Pleasant...
, New York
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...
. Initially known as 'Squaw Bonnet', its summit is the highest point in the county. While most maps show the elevation as 3899 feet, some suggest that more recent surveys have it as 3904 feet or even 3908 feet.
The mountain is the highest in the Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
south of the 4000 ft (1,219.2 m) High Peaks region. It is one of thirteen mountain in New York with more than 2000 ft (610 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...
. Snowy Mountain is flanked to the northeast by Squaw Mountain (3239 feet), and to the southwest by Lewey Mountain (3742 feet). A subsidiary ridge comes off the summit to the east ending at unnamed 'Peak 3149' (3149 feet) which forms the head of a large bowl overlooking the Griffin Brook drainage.
Snowy Mountain stands within the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
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...
, which drains into New York Bay
New York Bay
New York Bay is the collective term for the marine areas surrounding the entrance of the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. Its two largest components are Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay, which are connected by The Narrows...
. The south end of the northwest side of Snowy Mountain drains into Little Squaw Brook, thence into the Cedar River
Cedar River (New York)
The Cedar River is a river in the central Adirondacks, in Hamilton County, New York. It rises at the outlet of the Cedar Lakes in the town of Arietta and flows northeast into the town of Lake Pleasant, where it passes through the Cedar River Flow...
, and 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...
. The north side of Snowy Mountain drains into Squaw Brook, thence into Indian Lake
Indian Lake, New York
Indian Lake is a town in Hamilton County, New York, United States. The population was 1,471 at the 2000 census. The name is from a large lake partly inside the town.The Town of Indian Lake is on the east border of the county and is northeast of Utica....
, Lake Abanakee, the Indian River, and the Hudson River. The northeast end of Snowy Mountain drains into Beaver Brook, thence into Indian Lake. The southeast slopes of Snowy Mountain drain into Indian Lake via Griffin Brook, Forks Brook, Willow Brook, and Falls Brook.
It is the location of the recently restored Snowy Mountain Fire Observation Station
Snowy Mountain Fire Observation Station
Snowy Mountain Fire Observation Station is a historic fire observation station located on the summit of Snowy Mountain at Indian Lake in Hamilton County, New York...
, i.e. 'fire tower', listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2001.. In 1909, after the disastrous forest fires of 1903 and 1908, New York State began began erecting observation towers on strategically located peaks, such as Snowy Mountain, as part of a comprehensive forest fire suppression program for the Adirondack Mountains. That year a fifteen foot high log tower and a small log cabin were erected on the summit of Snowy Mountain. A telephone line was strung from the tower to Indian Lake village, a distance of 11 1/2 miles. Upon sighting smoke, the observer would call in the location of a suspected forest fire. With reports from observers on other nearby mountains, the exact location of the fire could be calculated by triangulation and fire suppression crews dispatched most expeditiously. In 1917, a steel tower 22 feet high replaced the log tower. In 1933, the steel tower was raised 33 feet so observers could see over the surrounding trees (one must assume that Verplanck Colvin and his men cleared the summit of most, if not all, trees in 1872 for triangulation sightings to distant peaks during the Adirondack Survey). In 1971, the Snowy Mountain fire tower was closed when NYS decided that it was unnecessary for protecting the Adirondack Park from forest fires (airplanes could do the job equally well). Several years later (it was there in 1986, but gone in 2006), the observer's cabin was removed.
Due to its high elevation and the restored fire tower, Snowy Mountain is a popular hiking destination. While the trip is nearly an eight mile walk involving more than 2000 feet of elevation gain, many find its views well worth the effort.
While the history of ascending this peak is surely incomplete, this much is known: The earliest known ascent is said to have been in 1771 by Archibald Campbell, a surveyor from Albany, NY. In that year, Joseph Totten and Stephen Crossfield were negotiating the purchase of a huge land tract from the Mohawk Nation (Six Nation Confederacy)for Edward and Ebenezer Jessup who had great influence with Sir William Johnson, NY Governor Dunmore and General Tryon. One can imagine that Campbell was dispatched to the area to find out something about what was being purchased. Verplanck Colvin and his crew climbed it on 4 August 1872 for the Adirondack Survey. Mills Blake, Colvin's assistant, and his crew climbed it again ten years later on 7 November 1882 to complete some triangulations, again for the Adirondack Survey. One might wonder about their itinerary for they were again on the summit on 9 and 10 November. Due to the four mile approach, it seems likely that the survey crew bivouacked on the summit at least for the last two days. There is some speculation that Colvin may have been among the group on the 9th. While technically not 'winter', some consider this to be the earliest known 'winter' ascent. Colvin made his second (perhaps 3rd) ascent of this peak on 22 June 1885 when he certainly bivouacked on the summit.
It is not known when the hiking trail was built, but one can imagine that it may have existed before the fire tower in 1909.
Rockclimbing at Snowy Mountain: In the mid-1990s, the peak was visited by Neal Knitel and Jonas Morelli who attempted a route on the left side of the summit cliff. They never returned to complete their route because "it was too far and there was other stuff to do." In 2002, unbeknownst to each other, two parties began working climbing routes at Snowy Mountain: Karl Swisher and Sid Perkins, and Ed Palen and Bob Starinsky. By 2008, seven high quality routes had been put up. All are bolt-protected face climbing on highly featured rock.
Part-way up the Griffin Brook drainage toward Peak 3149, lie the Snowy Mountain Boulders, a unique collection of boulders featuring the largest collection of huecos in the Adirondack Park. This unique bouldering area was initially noticed by Dave Buzzelli in 2003 while on the approach to the slides on Peak 3149 for skiing. Over 40 bouldering problems have been put up here since 2006.