Whiteface Mountain
Whiteface Mountain | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 4,867 ft (1,483 m) |
Prominence | 3,110 ft (950 m) |
Listing | #5 Adirondack High Peaks |
Coordinates | 44°21′57″N 73°54′10″W / 44.36583°N 73.90278°W |
Geography | |
Location of Whiteface, northeast of Lake Placid | |
Location | Wilmington, New York, U.S. |
Parent range | Adirondacks |
Topo map | USGS Lake Placid |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1814 by John Richards and party[1][a] |
Easiest route | road |
Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-highest mountain in the
Geography
Whiteface Mountain is located in the town of
Geology
Whiteface Mountain is primarily composed of gabbroic anorthosite, a white igneous rock which has been exposed near the summit and along the slopes where landslides have occurred.[4] The white rock, and presence of rime ice at the summit for ten months of the year, are inspirations for the contemporary name of Whiteface, and likely also for indigenous names, including the Algonquin name Wa-ho-par-te-nie, which has been translated as "it is white", and the Mohawk name Thei-a-no-gu-en, which has been translated as "white head".[5][b]
Like the surrounding Adirondack region, Whiteface Mountain was covered by large glaciers during the most recent ice ages, which left prominent features on the mountain's slopes. The north, west, and east faces of the mountain are covered with prominent cirques separated by arêtes. One arête is now occupied by the hiking trail from the end of the Veterans Memorial Highway to the summit, while another is used by the Wilmington Trail.[7] A long rock slide on the Southern face of the mountain, known as the Lake Placid slide, was used as an early trail to the summit.[8]
Climate
Due to its bare summit and isolation from other mountains, Whiteface is exposed to
Whiteface Mountain has a subarctic climate (Dfc) according to the Köppen climate classification, with severely cold, snowy winters and cool to mild wet summers. The average snowfall at Whiteface Mountain is 190 inches per year, and the mountain trails are serviced by additional snowmaking. During the 2016-2017 season Whiteface boasted a record-setting 281 inches of natural snowfall.[12] During an unprecedented arctic blast on February 4, 2023, the temperature fell to a record low of −40.2 °F (−40.1 °C) and a record wind speed of 121 miles per hour (195 km/h) was recorded.[9][13]
Climate data for Whiteface Mountain, New York (1937-1946 normals, extremes 1937-1946) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 42 (6) |
41 (5) |
63 (17) |
69 (21) |
73 (23) |
79 (26) |
78 (26) |
78 (26) |
75 (24) |
69 (21) |
57 (14) |
52 (11) |
79 (26) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 16.3 (−8.7) |
17.8 (−7.9) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
36.3 (2.4) |
50.9 (10.5) |
59.6 (15.3) |
62.7 (17.1) |
59.9 (15.5) |
53.9 (12.2) |
42.1 (5.6) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
20.0 (−6.7) |
39.7 (4.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 7.5 (−13.6) |
8.4 (−13.1) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
51.4 (10.8) |
55.3 (12.9) |
53.1 (11.7) |
46.1 (7.8) |
33.6 (0.9) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
11.4 (−11.4) |
31.6 (−0.3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −1.8 (−18.8) |
−1.1 (−18.4) |
8.7 (−12.9) |
20.1 (−6.6) |
34.2 (1.2) |
43.2 (6.2) |
47.9 (8.8) |
46.0 (7.8) |
38.3 (3.5) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
3.0 (−16.1) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −36 (−38) |
−40 (−40) |
−35 (−37) |
−18 (−28) |
9 (−13) |
16 (−9) |
28 (−2) |
28 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
6 (−14) |
−10 (−23) |
−34 (−37) |
−40 (−40) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.11 (104) |
3.76 (96) |
3.27 (83) |
4.26 (108) |
3.84 (98) |
3.26 (83) |
4.20 (107) |
3.56 (90) |
4.48 (114) |
3.71 (94) |
4.08 (104) |
4.27 (108) |
46.80 (1,189) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 27.0 (69) |
29.7 (75) |
19.2 (49) |
11.4 (29) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
10.1 (26) |
23.2 (59) |
17.8 (45) |
139.7 (355.31) |
Source: Northern Regional Climate Center[14] |
Whiteface Mountain Ski Area
Whiteface Mountain Ski Area | ||
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Terrain parks 7 | | |
Snowfall | 190 in (480 cm)[15] | |
Snowmaking | yes | |
Night skiing | no | |
Website | Whiteface.com | |
Whiteface ski area, opened in 1960, is run by the Olympic Regional Development Authority. It was a venue of the 1980 Winter Olympics, hosting all six of the alpine ski events.[16] It was also used as a venue for the 2000 Goodwill Winter Games and for alpine skiing at the 2023 Winter World University Games.[17][18]
Whiteface's ski area boasts 90 trails stretching over 24 miles (39 km) on 299 acres (121 ha) of land.
History
The earliest recorded ascent of Whiteface was made by surveyor John Richards in 1814.[1][a] It was the first mountain in the Adirondacks to attract attention from tourists, due to its proximity to Lake Placid, and by 1859 there was a trail to the summit from nearby Wilmington.[21]
In July 1909, a fire lookout was established on the mountain. The original lookout was a pole frame structure with a canvas tent stretched over it for the observer to get out of the weather. The shelter was later improved to a stone hut. In 1919, a 22-foot-tall (6.7 m) steel
Construction of the
In 1941, New York voters approved funds for the construction of a ski area on Whiteface, which was built by the Whiteface Mountain Authority after World War II. The ski area, known as Marble Mountain, operated between 1948 and 1960. The slopes were regularly exposed to strong prevailing winds that would strip away snow, and the area was abandoned in favor of the modern ski area in 1957. The former base lodge of the ski slope is today used for additional meteorological observations by the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center.[28]
Ascent routes
The Veterans Memorial Highway runs for 5 miles (8 km) up the slope of the mountain, terminating 300 feet (91 m) below the summit.[4] The Highway is usually open to vehicles from May to October.[29] Whiteface Castle, a cut stone and concrete structure built into the mountain, is at the end of the highway. From the adjacent parking lot there are two routes to the summit proper. The first route is the Stairway Ridge Trail, a footpath with handrails and intermittent concrete and stone steps approximately 0.2 miles (0.32 km) long. The second is a 426-foot (130 m) long tunnel into the core of the mountain. At the end of the tunnel is an elevator which rises to the summit.[30]
Two hiking trails reach the summit, one from Wilmington and the other from Lake Placid and Connery Pond.[7] The trail from Connery Pond begins at a parking lot on New York State Route 86 and proceeds to the summit, for an elevation gain of 3,232 feet (985 m). An alternative approach on this trail can be made by crossing Lake Placid by boat to Whiteface Landing, which intersects with the trail 2.7 miles (4.3 km) from the trailhead, and hiking the remaining 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the summit.[31] The Wilmington Trail begins on the Veterans Memorial Highway and is 5.2 miles (8.4 km) to the summit, for an elevation gain of 3,620 feet (1,100 m). This trail intersects with an unmarked path to the summit of nearby Esther Mountain 3.4 miles (5.5 km) from the trailhead, and also passes by ski trails and lifts.[32] The Wilmington Trail can alternatively be reached from the Marble Mountain Trail, which begins at another parking lot on New York State Route 86. The two trails intersect 1.8 miles (2.9 km) from the Marble Mountain trailhead and 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from the Wilmington trailhead, adding 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the total length of the route to Whiteface.[33]
Gallery
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Whiteface Mountain
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Whiteface Mountain from near Franklin Falls NY
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Whiteface Mountain as seen from Esther Mountain
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View from the Cloudsplitter Gondola on the way to the summit of Little Whiteface
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A view of nearby Lake Placid from the summit of Whiteface Mountain
Notes
References
- ^ a b Waterman 2003, p. 67.
- ^ "Whiteface Mountain". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Goodwin 2021, p. 147.
- ^ a b c d "History of the ASRC Whiteface Mountain Field Station". albany.edu. University at Albany, SUNY. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Wolfe, Douglas; Stephenson, Guy; Lawrence, Judy (July 11, 2017). "Legends of the Whiteface Name". whiteface.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Beauchamp 1907, p. 75.
- ^ a b Goodwin 2021, p. 148.
- ^ Mackenzie, Kevin B. (2016). "Adirondack Landslides: History, Exposures, and Climbing". Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies. 21 (1): 167–183. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ a b French, Tom (March 3, 2024). "Whiteface summit plays key role in statewide network of research stations". Adirondack Explorer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Falconer, R. E.; Falconer, P. D. (December 20, 1980). "Determination of Cloud Water Acidity at a Mountain Observatory in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research. 85 (C12): 7465–7470. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Cloud Chemistry and Meteorological Research at Whiteface Mountain: Summer 1980 (PDF) (Report). Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York. April 1, 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort | SkiCentral.com". www.skicentral.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Lynch, Mike (February 3, 2023). "Whiteface sees record cold temps". Adirondack Explorer. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN, NY". Northern Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mountain Stats". whiteface.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ 1980 Winter Olympics official report. Volume 1. pp. 20-28.
- ^ "Lake Placid readies for first Winter Goodwill Games". The Ithaca Journal. February 12, 2000. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Whiteface Mountain (USA)". fis-ski.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Pennington, Bill (January 11, 2008). "Whiteface Mountain". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Carson 1927, p. 261.
- ^ Waterman 2003, pp. 109, 209.
- ^ "Searchable list of NY Fire Towers". nysffla.org. The New York State Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Museum News". Journal of Forest History. 18 (1/2): 43. April 1974. Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via JSTOR.
- ^ a b Dedam, Kim Smith (September 14, 2010). "Whiteface Memorial Highway feted at 75". Lake Placid Press-Republican. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ a b "The Whiteface Memorial" (PDF). The New York Times. September 14, 1933. p. 14. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- Gross Domestic Product deflatorfigures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ "Will Open Whiteface Highway" (PDF). The New York Times. Associated Press. July 16, 1935. p. 21. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Phil (May 1, 2015). "How New York Lost its Marble" (PDF). Skiing History. pp. 26–29. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "Whiteface Mountain Summer Activities Schedule". Lake Placid Legacy Sites. May 11, 2022. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Manchester, Lee. "A 5-mile drive to the top of the world" (PDF). Adirondack Architectural Heritage. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 12, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Goodwin 2021, p. 148-149.
- ^ Goodwin 2021, p. 150-151.
- ^ Goodwin 2021, p. 153.
Bibliography
- Beauchamp, William Martin (1907). Aboriginal place names of New York. Albany: New York State Education Department.
- Carson, Russell M. L. (1927). Peaks and People of the Adirondacks. Garden City: Doubleday.
- Goodwin, Tony, ed. (2021). Adirondack trails. High peaks region (15th ed.). ISBN 9780998637181.
- Waterman, Laura (2003). Forest and crag : a history of hiking, trail blazing, and adventure in the Northeast mountains (First ed.). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club Books. ISBN 0910146756.
External links
- Whiteface Mountain website
- Whiteface Mountain Field Station from the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center of University at Albany, SUNY
- Wilmington Historical Society Photos
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Whiteface Mountain
- Summitpost.org: Whiteface Mountain
- The History of Whiteface Mountain Ski Center