- Mount Everett
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Mount Everett Elevation 2,624 ft (800 m) Parent peak 42° 06' 07"N, 73° 25' 57"W Location Location Southwest Berkshire County, Massachusetts Range Taconic Mountains Coordinates 42°06′07″N 73°25′57″W / 42.10194°N 73.4325°WCoordinates: 42°06′07″N 73°25′57″W / 42.10194°N 73.4325°W Geology Type Thrust fault; metamorphic rock Age of rock Ordovician Climbing Easiest route Mount Everett Road and Appalachian Trail Mount Everett at 2,624 ft - or 800 m - is the highest peak in the south Taconic Mountains of Massachusetts. The mountain is known for its expansive views of the southern Taconics and Berkshires; for its fragile ecosystem of old growth pitch pine and scrub oak; and for its rare plant and animal communities. Several trails cross the mountain, including the 2,140 miles (3,440 km) Appalachian Trail. The mountain is named after a 19th Century governor of Massachusetts, Edward Everett. The name was proposed in 1841 by Edward Hitchcock, geologist to the state, in his "Final Report on the Geology of Massachusetts." [1] Hitchcock wrote that at the time of his proposal, the mountain was known as Bald Mountain or Ball Mountain, and to this day its peak is indicated on some topographic maps as "Bald Mountain."
Details
Guilder Pond, a highland lake, is located in the cirque-like ravine between Mount Everett and Undine Mountain to the north; Race Brook Falls, a popular waterfall, cascades from a common ledge between Mount Everett and Mount Race to the south. A seasonal auto road climbs to just short of the summit.
The summit and west side of Mount Everett is located in the town of Mount Washington; the east slopes are located in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Much of the mountain is located within the Mount Everett State Reservation; other parcels are part of Mount Washington State Forest or conservation easements.
The east side of the mountain drains into Race Brook, thence into Schenob Brook, the Hubbard Brook, the Housatonic River, and Long Island Sound. The west side drains into Guilder Brook and City Brook, thence into Bash Bish Brook, the Roeliff Jansen Kill, the Hudson river and New York Bay of the Atlantic Ocean.
References
- ^ Final Report on the Geology of Massachusetts 1841, page 238
- Massachusetts Trail Guide (2004). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club.
External links
- South Taconic Range trail map.
- Mount Washington State Forest. Massachusetts DCR.
- Mount Everett State Reservation. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
- Mount Washington State Forest map
- Berkshire Natural Resource Council
- Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club
- Commonwealth Connections proposal PDF download. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
- Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Categories:- Taconic Mountains
- Mountains of Berkshire County, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts geography stubs
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