Mount Marcy

Information

Elevation

1.629 m

Country

Amerika Serikat (US)

Location / Range

Pegunungan Adirondack — High Peaks Wilderness, Negara Bagian New York

Mountain type

Puncak non-vulkanik dari anorthosite tua (~1,1 miliar tahun) yang dipahat gletser Pleistosen; puncak berupa tundra alpine

Volcanic?

No (non-volcanic)

Coordinates

44.1127, -73.9237

Difficulty

Berat sebagai hiking sehari (bukan teknis): sekitar 24 km pulang-pergi lewat jalur Van Hoevenberg dengan kenaikan ~965 m; bagian atas terbuka di atas garis pohon

Best Season

Akhir Juni–September untuk kondisi paling andal; pendakian musim dingin/peralihan menuntut snowshoe + crampon dan perlengkapan darurat lengkap

Permits & Rules

Tidak perlu izin khusus; akses gratis. Titik awal populer di Adirondak Loj/Heart Lake dikelola ADK (ada biaya parkir); pendaki diminta mengisi buku registrasi trailhead

Hazards

Puncak terbuka di atas garis pohon dengan cuaca yang bisa berubah keras dan dingin dengan cepat, jarak tempuh panjang, serta tundra alpine yang rapuh (wajib berjalan di atas batu/jalur agar tidak merusak vegetasi langka)

Description

Mount Marcy (1,629 m / 5,344 ft) is the highest point in New York State and the loftiest of the Adirondack 46 High Peaks. Its traditional Algonquin name, Tahawus, is often rendered "Cloud Splitter." The peak is built of roughly 1.1-billion-year-old anorthosite later carved by Ice Age glaciers, leaving an open summit dome of fragile alpine tundra where hikers must step on bare rock to protect rare vegetation. The first recorded ascent was on 5 August 1837 by the geologist Ebenezer Emmons and his party. In the col between Marcy and Mount Skylight lies Lake Tear of the Clouds, a small pond frequently cited as the highest source of the Hudson River. The most common route is the Van Hoevenberg Trail from the Adirondak Loj—about 24 km round trip with close to 965 m of gain—non-technical but demanding for its length and rocky footing. Weather on the exposed summit can deteriorate quickly and run far colder than at the trailhead, so layered clothing, navigation and ample time matter. Marcy also carries a piece of history: on 13 September 1901 Theodore Roosevelt was descending it when word came that President McKinley was dying, and he soon became president.