Savage Mountain

Infobox Mountain
Name = Savage Mountain
Photo =
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pushpin_map_caption = Location of Savage Mountain in Maryland
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latd=39 |latm=42 |lats=31 |latNS=N
longd=78 |longm=55 |longs=42 |longEW=W
Elevation = convert|2991|ft|m|0
Location = Maryland, USA
Range = Allegheny Mountains
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Topographic

First ascent = Unknown
Easiest route = Drive up

Savage Mountain is a ridge which extends from the Savage River gorge in Maryland, north into Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The mountain is located along the border between Garrett and Allegany counties in northwestern Maryland, and extends into Somerset County in southwestern Pennsylvania. The ridge is a continuation of the Backbone Mountain ridge, separated from Backbone Mountain by the Savage River gorge. The peak of Savage Mountain is at an elevation of convert|2991|ft|m.cite web|publisher=Maryland Geological Survey|url=http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/fs/fs9.html|title=Fact Sheet: Maryland's Highest Waterfalls and Mountains|accessdate=2008-09-06] A second, smaller ridge to the west of the main ridge is known as Little Savage Mountain.

The mountain was named for John Savage, an eighteenth-century surveyor, who was trapped in a snowstorm on the mountain while surveying land in western Maryland. According to legend, he offered to let the other members of his party eat him, but the party received aid before such drastic measures became necessary.cite magazine|author=Whetzel, Dan|journal=Mountain Discoveries|pages=16-17|url=http://www.mountaindiscoveries.com/images/ss2006/savage.pdf|year=2006|accessdate=2008-09-07|title=John Savage]

A tunnel from the Western Maryland Railroad cuts through Savage Mountain in Somerset County. The tunnel, built in 1911, was abandoned when the portion of railroad connecting to it was also abandoned. As a result, the tunnel fell into disrepair, until it was renovated in order to be used for the Great Allegheny Passage trail. At convert|3291|ft|m, the Savage Mountain tunnel is the longest tunnel on the route of the Great Allegheny Passage.cite news|author=Gibb, Tom|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|url=http://www.postgazette.com/localnews/20030209tunnel0209p7.asp|title=Somerset's Big Savage Tunnel gets new life as bike trail|date=2003-02-09|accessdate=2008-09-07]

On January 13, 1964, a B-52 bomber carrying two 24-megaton nuclear bombs crashed on Savage Mountain during a winter storm. Three crew members on the plane died and two survived. After an extensive search of the mountain, the nuclear weapons were recovered. A memorial to the incident, dedicated in July 1964, is located in Grantsville.cite magazine|author=Whetzel, Dan|journal=Mountain Discoveries|pages=48-51|url=http://www.mountaindiscoveries.com/images/fw2007/b52.pdf|year=2002|accessdate=2008-09-07|title=A Night to Remember]

U.S. Route 40 Alternate and Interstate 68 both pass over the ridge. At the top of the ridge, fog is common, and in May 2003, fog on Interstate 68 caused an 80-vehicle pileup car accident which killed two people and injured about 100 people.cite news|author=CNN|date=2003-05-24|accessdate=2008-09-07|title=Maryland's I-68 re-opens after huge pileup|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/24/maryland.accidents/index.html] In response, the Maryland State Highway Administration has installed fog detection and warning systems on Savage Mountain, as well as on Keyser's Ridge.cite web|url=http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/hcx.nsf/All%2bDocuments/2E76A2CB2A41E18C85256FF8003E514F/$FILE/Overview%2520Operation%2520Description%2520Maryland%2520SHA.pdf|author=Federal Highway Administration|accessdate=2008-09-07|title=Overview of System Operations for Fog Detection & Sign Warning Systems]

References