Mount Skylight
Encyclopedia
Mount Skylight is a mountain in the Great Range
of the Adirondack High Peaks in the Adirondack Mountains
of New York
. It gets its name from its open, bare and relatively flat summit, unusual in the Adirondack High Peaks.
A remote summit by any approach, it is nonetheless a favorite of hikers. It is famously distinguished by two large cairn
s that have grown on either end of the summit over the years, as 46er lore has it that carrying a rock up and placing it on them will ensure good weather.
A single trail goes up to the mountain's summit from the Four Corners junction between Skylight and Mount Marcy, its northern neighbor; as the name suggests, however, there are three ways to get there. Most commonly, hikers come up from the west, via the Feldspar Brook Trail from the campsites at the Flowed Lands and climb the peak in conjunction with a visit to Lake Tear-of-the-Clouds, the source of the Hudson River
, and a climb up neighboring, trailless Gray Peak
. The trailhead can also be reached by descending from Marcy to the north, or via Panther Gorge and Elk Lake to the southeast, all very lengthy trips that are usually done via an overnight backpack
.
Great Range
The Great Range is a mountain range in the Adirondack Mountains, near Keene Valley, New York, USA. It rises in the heart of the High Peaks region between Ausable Lakes to the southeast and the Johns Brook Valley to the northwest....
of the Adirondack High Peaks 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....
of 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...
. It gets its name from its open, bare and relatively flat summit, unusual in the Adirondack High Peaks.
A remote summit by any approach, it is nonetheless a favorite of hikers. It is famously distinguished by two large cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s that have grown on either end of the summit over the years, as 46er lore has it that carrying a rock up and placing it on them will ensure good weather.
A single trail goes up to the mountain's summit from the Four Corners junction between Skylight and Mount Marcy, its northern neighbor; as the name suggests, however, there are three ways to get there. Most commonly, hikers come up from the west, via the Feldspar Brook Trail from the campsites at the Flowed Lands and climb the peak in conjunction with a visit to Lake Tear-of-the-Clouds, the source 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...
, and a climb up neighboring, trailless Gray Peak
Gray Peak (New York)
Gray Peak is the seventh highest peak in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Park, in New York, USA, and is located in close proximity to Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York state...
. The trailhead can also be reached by descending from Marcy to the north, or via Panther Gorge and Elk Lake to the southeast, all very lengthy trips that are usually done via an overnight backpack
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
.