Armstrong Mountain (Keene Valley, New York)

Last updated


Armstrong Mountain
Armstrong from Noonmark.jpg
Armstrong (center), Gothics (left) from Noonmark
Highest point
Elevation 4,400 ft (1,300 m)  NGVD 29 [1]
Listing Adirondack High Peaks 22nd [2]
Coordinates 44°08′05″N73°50′57″W / 44.1347741°N 73.8490291°W / 44.1347741; -73.8490291 [3]
Geography
New York Adirondack.svg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Armstrong Mountain
Location of Armstrong Mountain within New York
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Armstrong Mountain
Armstrong Mountain (the United States)
Location Keene, Essex County, New York
Parent range Great Range
Topo map USGS Keene Valley
Climbing
First ascent 1875, by Ed Phelps and Thomas P. Wickes [4]
Easiest route Hike

Armstrong Mountain is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 22nd-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,400 feet (1,300 m). It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is named for Thomas Armstrong, a lumberman from Plattsburgh. [4] In 1866, Armstrong and a business partner, Almon Thomas, purchased the Totten and Crossfield Purchase, which contained the mountain and several of the other High Peaks. Armstrong named the mountain after himself in 1869, although the name was not popularized among local hikers until years later. The earliest recorded ascent was made by Ed Phelps and Thomas P. Wickes in 1875. In 1887, the Totten and Crossfield Purchase was sold to the Adirondack Mountain Reserve. [4]

Contents

The mountain can be climbed via the Phelps Trail and ADK Range Trail. The Phelps Trail begins at the Garden Parking Lot in Keene Valley on New York State Route 73. The ADK Range Trail branches off at a DEC Interior Outpost located 3.1 miles (5.0 km) from the trailhead. [5] The trail continues to the Wolf Jaws Notch, located between Lower Wolfjaw Mountain and Upper Wolfjaw Mountain, and branches between the two. The trail to the right goes over Upper Wolfjaw and continues to the summit of Armstrong, 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from the DEC Interior Outpost, for a total one-way distance of 7.0 miles (11.3 km) and elevation gain of 2,500 feet (760 m). The summit offers views of Johns Brook Valley and the other peaks of the Great Range. [6] Alternatively, the summit can be approached from the Ausable Club on the Lake Road Trail and Beaver Meadow Trail, [7] or climbed as part of a hike of the complete Great Range. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's book Peaks and Peoples of the Adirondacks. Those who have climbed all 46 High Peaks are eligible to join the Adirondack Forty-Sixers club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Haystack</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Mount Haystack is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondack Mountains of New York. With an elevation of 4,960 feet (1,510 m), it is the third-highest mountain in New York and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The first recorded ascent of the mountain was made by mountain guide Orson Schofield Phelps in 1849, accompanied by Almeron Oliver and George Etsy. Phelps gave the mountain its current name based on its appearance to a haystack, and later cut the first trail to the summit in 1873. The summit is an alpine zone above the treeline, which offers a view of nearby Mount Marcy and Panther Gorge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Skylight</span> Mountain in United States of America

Mount Skylight is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. Skylight is the fourth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,924 feet (1,501 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain was given its name by artist Frederick S. Perkins and guide Orson Schofield Phelps in 1857, due to a rock formation on the peak resembling a window. Phelps would later make the first known ascent of the peak with surveyor Verplanck Colvin and two others on August 28, 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Colvin</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Mount Colvin is the 39th highest peak in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains in the U.S. State of New York. Mount Colvin offers excellent views of a number of other Adirondack High Peaks, most notably the peaks that comprise the Great Range. High Peaks that are readily visible from Colvin include Giant, Rocky Peak Ridge, Upper Wolfjaw, Lower Wolfjaw, Armstrong, Sawteeth, Gothics, Saddleback, Basin, Tabletop, Marcy, Haystack, Redfield, Allen, Nippletop, Dial and Blake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray Peak (New York)</span> Mountain in United States

Gray Peak is a mountain located in the town of Keene in Essex County, New York. It is the seventh-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,840 feet (1,480 m), and is located in close proximity to Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York. Gray Peak is southwest of Mount Marcy and southeast of Mount Colden. The first recorded ascent of the peak was made on September 16, 1872, by surveyor Verplanck Colvin and guide Bill Nye. It was named for Asa Gray by Colvin. Although the mountain is only 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the summit of Marcy and lacked prominence desired by the Marshall brothers for inclusion in the High Peaks, it was added to the list to preserve the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Peak Ridge</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Rocky Peak Ridge is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 20th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,420 feet (1,350 m). It is located in the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area, in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is named for its appearance as a rocky ridge to the east of the better-known Giant Mountain. Other early names for the mountain included "Giant's Wife", "Bald Mountain", and "Bald Peak", the last of which now belongs to a shorter nearby peak. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made by trail guides Fred J. Patterson and Sam Dunning in 1878. A major forest fire in 1903 burned the topsoil from the top of the mountain and left it with its distinctive bare ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gothics</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Gothics is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the tenth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,736 feet (1,444 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain is named due to the resemblance of its three arched peaks and large rock slides to Gothic architecture. Although the name has been attributed to Orson Schofield Phelps and Frederick W. Perkins, who named several peaks during an 1857 ascent of Mount Marcy, other evidence shows the name Gothics in use at least as early as 1850. The earliest recorded ascent was made on October 11, 1875, by Verplanck Colvin, Roderick L. McKenzie, and Ed Phelps, although an unrecorded ascent was likely made earlier by James J. Storrow and Orlando Beede. The summit of Gothics is an alpine tundra zone, and on clear days views of 30 nearby peaks are available, as well as the Upper and Lower Ausable Lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Range</span> Mountain range in NY state, United States

The Great Range is a mountain range in the Adirondack Mountains, near Keene Valley, New York, United States. It rises in the heart of the High Peaks region between Ausable Lakes to the southeast and the Johns Brook Valley to the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basin Mountain (New York)</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Basin Mountain is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the ninth-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,827 feet (1,471 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The peak was named either for the basins formed between knobs on its slopes or the large basin to its southeast formed by it and the surrounding mountains. The name Basin was most likely coined by Orson Schofield Phelps and Frederick W. Perkins in 1857 during an ascent of Mount Marcy. The earliest appearance of the name in writing was made by surveyor Verplanck Colvin in 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Slide Mountain (New York)</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Big Slide Mountain is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 27th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,240 feet (1,290 m). The mountain is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. The Johns Brook Valley lies to its east and the South Meadow to its west. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made in 1812 when a surveyor named John Richards was marking the lot lines in Township 12 of the Old Military Tract. The peak was later named for one of two prominent landslides which occurred in 1830 and 1856.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nippletop</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Nippletop is a mountain in the Colvin Range of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. With an elevation of 4,620 feet (1,410 m), it is the 13th-highest peak in New York and one of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks. It is located near the southern border of the town of Keene in Essex County, in the High Peaks Wilderness Area of Adirondack Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macomb Mountain</span> Mountain in the United States

Macomb Mountain is a mountain in the Dix Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 21st-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,405 feet (1,343 m), and the most southeasterly of the High Peaks. It is located in the town of North Hudson in Essex County. The mountain is named for Alexander Macomb, an American general who became famous for his victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh in 1814. The name first appeared in print in 1842. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made in 1872 by guide Mel Trumbull and artist Arthur H. Wyant. Major slides on the western face of the mountain were caused by hurricanes in 1947 and 1950 and expanded by Hurricane Irene in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phelps Mountain (New York)</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Phelps Mountain is a mountain located in Essex County, New York. The mountain is named after Orson Schofield "Old Mountain" Phelps (1817–1905), who cut the first trail up Mount Marcy and named several of the Adirondack peaks. It is the 32nd highest peak in New York. Phelps Mountain is flanked to the southeast by Table Top Mountain.

Table Top Mountain is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 19th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,427 feet (1,349 m). It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County, inside Adirondack Park. The name "Table Top" first appeared in print in 1876, referring to its appearance. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made in 1911 by Jim Suitor, a cruiser for the J. & J. Rogers Company while it performed logging operations on the mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Mountain (New York)</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Allen Mountain is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 26th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,340 feet (1,320 m). The mountain is located in the town of Keene in Essex County. It was named for Rev. William B. Allen by his friend, Rev. Joseph Twichell, while the two were visiting the Adirondacks in 1869. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made on August 21, 1921, by Bob Marshall, George Marshall, and Herbert Clark.

Mount Redfield is a mountain in the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 15th-highest peak in New York, with an elevation of 4,606 feet (1,404 m), and one of the 46 High Peaks in Adirondack Park. It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County, near Cliff Mountain and Mount Skylight. Surveyor Verplanck Colvin named the mountain after William C. Redfield, organizer and member of an expedition to Mount Marcy in 1837, and the first to guess that Marcy was the highest peak in the Adirondacks, and therefore in New York. The earliest recorded ascent was made in 1894 by mountain guide Ed Phelps and a guest whose name has not been recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saddleback Mountain (Keene, New York)</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Saddleback Mountain is a mountain in the Great Range of the Adirondacks in the U. S. state of New York. It is the 17th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,515 feet (1,376 m). It is located in Adirondack Park in the town of Keene in Essex County. The mountain was named for the outline of its ridge, which resembles a saddle, by Orson Schofield Phelps and Frederick Perkins. It is flanked by Basin Mountain, the ninth highest of the High Peaks, and Gothics, the tenth highest. Good views of the two higher mountains are offered from the summit of Saddleback. The mountain straddles the watersheds of Johns Brook and the Ausable River. The earliest recorded ascent was made by amateur climber Newell Martin on August 5, 1894. It was claimed that an earlier ascent was made by patent lawyer James J. Storrow and mountain guide Orlando Beede, but the date of this climb is unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Wolfjaw Mountain</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Lower Wolfjaw Mountain is located in Essex County, New York, United States. Landscape artist Alexander Helwig Wyant (1836–1892) named Lower Wolfjaw, together with neighboring Upper Wolfjaw Mountain, about 1870 for their appearance in profile. The mountain is the northeasternmost of the Adirondack High Peaks in the Great Range of the Adirondack Mountains. Lower Wolfjaw Mountain is flanked to the southwest by Upper Wolfjaw Mountain, and to the northeast by Hedgehog Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Wolfjaw Mountain</span> Mountain in the United States

Upper Wolfjaw Mountain is a mountain located in Essex County, New York. Landscape artist Alexander Helwig Wyant (1836–1892) named the mountain, in combination with neighboring Lower Wolfjaw Mountain, c. 1870 for their appearance in profile. The mountain is part of the Great Range of the Adirondack Mountains. Upper Wolfjaw Mtn. is flanked to the southwest by Armstrong Mountain, and to the northeast by Lower Wolfjaw Mtn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panther Peak</span> Mountain in United States

Panther Peak is a mountain in the Santanoni Range of the Adirondacks in the U.S. state of New York. It is the 18th-highest of the Adirondack High Peaks, with an elevation of 4,714 feet (1,437 m). It is located in the town of Keene in Essex County, inside Adirondack Park. The mountain is named after the panthers which were once native to the region. The name "Panther Peak" was in use by 1840, but originally referred to a different mountain now known as Mount Henderson. By 1904, the name had been transferred to the present Panther Peak. The earliest recorded ascent was also made in 1904 by surveyor Daniel Lynch. The mountain is flanked by two other High Peaks in the Santanoni Range, Couchsachraga Peak and Santanoni Peak.

References

  1. Goodwin, Tony, ed. (2021). Adirondack trails. High peaks region (15th ed.). Adirondack Mountain Club. pp. 286–287. ISBN   9780998637181.
  2. "The Peaks – Adirondack 46ers". adk46er.org. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  3. "Armstrong Mountain". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  4. 1 2 3 Carson, Russell M. L. (1927). Peaks and People of the Adirondacks. Garden City: Doubleday. pp. 145–147. ISBN   9781404751200.
  5. Goodwin, Tony, ed. (2021). Adirondack trails. High peaks region (15th ed.). Adirondack Mountain Club. pp. 35, 41. ISBN   9780998637181.
  6. Goodwin, Tony, ed. (2021). Adirondack trails. High peaks region (15th ed.). Adirondack Mountain Club. pp. 43–44. ISBN   9780998637181.
  7. Goodwin, Tony, ed. (2021). Adirondack trails. High peaks region (15th ed.). Adirondack Mountain Club. pp. 43, 70, 80. ISBN   9780998637181.
  8. Goodwin, Tony, ed. (2021). Adirondack trails. High peaks region (15th ed.). Adirondack Mountain Club. p. 50. ISBN   9780998637181.