Pochuck Mountain
| Pochuck Mountain | |
|---|---|
 White Birch Road within the Scenic Lakes community leading down one of the southwestern peaks of Pochuck Mountain. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,194 ft (364 m) |
| Prominence | 695 ft (212 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°12′40″N 74°31′50″W / 41.21111°N 74.53056°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Sussex County, New Jersey / Orange County, New York, U.S. |
| Parent range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Pochuck Mountain |
Pochuck Mountain is a
Etymology
The name Pochuck is a
Geography
Pochuck Mountain and Wawayanda Mountain to the east form the borders of the Vernon Valley, an important farming and mining area of New Jersey drained by Pochuck Creek. Immediately to the northwest of the ridge lies the Black Dirt Region, which is drained by the Wallkill River. Both valleys are part of an elongated lowland region known as the Great Appalachian Valley that divides the Appalachian Mountains for hundreds of miles. Due to the unusual positioning of Pochuck Mountain relative to the neighboring mountains, the Vernon Valley is a somewhat isolated prong of the rest of the Great Appalachian Valley.
Watershed
As the entire mountain is drained by the Wallkill River and its tributary Pochuck Creek, the region lies completely within the Wallkill River watershed. The Wallkill River flows northeast until it joins Rondout Creek near Rifton, New York. Rondout Creek then tributes the Hudson River in Kingston, New York. The Hudson River ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean via the New York Harbor.
Lakes on Pochuck Mountain include Lake Glenwood, Lake Pochung, Lake Wallkill, Pleasant Valley Lake, Tall Timbers Lake, Lake Panorama, Louemma Lake, and Scenic Lakes (2 manmade lakes in the
Mountain passes
- Lake Pochung Road separates the summit from the ridge's southwestern peaks.
- CR 565 (Glenwood Road) separates the summit from the ridge's northern peaks.
- CR 641 (Drew Mountain Road) separates the summit from the ridge's northeastern peaks.
- Glenwood Mountain Road separates several of the ridge's northeastern peaks.
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail runs over the top of the ridge within Wawayanda State Park, north of the summit.
Geology
Pochuck Mountain is part of the Reading Prong of the New England Uplands subprovince of the New England province of the Appalachian Highlands. In fact, it is the northernmost ridge of the Reading Prong in New Jersey. The rocks that form Pochuck Mountain are comprised from the same belt that make up nearby Wawayanda Mountain. This belt consists of ancient crystalline metamorphic rocks. As such, the New England province as a whole, along with the similarly composed Blue Ridge province further south, are often together referred to as the Crystalline Appalachians.
The Crystalline Appalachians extend as far north as the
Portions of the Reading Prong in New Jersey are known to contain Uranium deposits, linked to reported Radon contamination in certain residential areas developed on the prong.[2] The naturally occurring Radon (226Ra) is a product of the decay chain of the Uranium isotope 238U.[3]
Wildlife
Mammals inhabiting Pochuck Mountain include black bear, white-tailed deer, opossum, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, skunk, bobcat, fisher, porcupine, coyote bats, chipmunks, groundhogs and field mice.
Industry
While the developed portions of Pochuck Mountain have largely been put to residential use, the mountain and its foothills have historically been a center for
References
- ^ Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States
- ^ The Pennsylvania Radon Story
- ^ "Principal Decay Scheme of the Uranium Series". Archived from the original on 2008-10-25. Retrieved 2008-08-01.