Avalanche Lake (New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Avalanche Lake |
|
|---|---|
Avalanche Lake, looking northeast, showing Mount Colden, right, and Avalanche Mountain, left
|
|
 Avalanche Lake
Location in New York
Avalanche Lake
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Adirondack High Peaks, Keene, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°07′59″N 073°58′04″W / 44.13306°N 73.96778°W |
| Primary outflows | Lake Colden |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 0.4 miles (0.64 km) |
| Max. width | 250 feet (76 m) |
| Surface area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 2,885 ft (879 m) |
Avalanche Lake is a beautiful mountain lake in the Adirondack High Peaks in New York State. It covers about 9 acres and sits high up at 2,885 feet (879 meters) above sea level. This lake is special because it's nestled between two tall mountains: 4,714-foot (1,437 m) Mount Colden and 3,816-foot (1,163 m) Avalanche Mountain. These mountains have steep cliffs that rise straight out of the water!
Contents
About Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake is a narrow lake, about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) long and 250 feet (76 meters) wide. It's like a long, thin ribbon of water surrounded by towering peaks.
Where is it?
Right next to Avalanche Mountain, you'll find the MacIntyre Range. This range includes some of the tallest mountains in New York. These are 5,115-foot (1,559 m) Algonquin Peak (the second highest in the state!), 4,829-foot (1,472 m) Boundary Peak, 4,843-foot (1,476 m) Iroquois Peak, and 4,380-foot (1,335 m) Mount Marshall. Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York, is also nearby, about 2.5 miles (4 km) to the east.
Avalanche Lake flows south into Lake Colden, which is part of the Hudson River watershed. To the north, a trail from the Adirondak Loj goes over Avalanche Pass. This pass is just a little higher than the lake and separates it from the Lake Champlain watershed, which eventually leads to the St. Lawrence River.
The Trail and "Hitch-Up Matilda"
The trail that follows Avalanche Lake towards Lake Colden can be tricky. It has many large rocks, so wooden ladders have been built to help people get through. There are also three spots where the trail uses wooden walkways, called "catwalks." These catwalks were first built in the 1920s and are bolted right into the side of the cliff!
This part of the trail is famously known as the "Hitch-Up Matilda." The name comes from an event in 1868. A mountain guide was carrying one of his clients through a difficult spot where there was no path on the shore. The client's husband told her to sit higher on the guide's shoulders, saying "Hitch up, Matilda!"
How Avalanche Lake Was Formed
Avalanche Lake's unique shape and surroundings are partly due to natural events, especially avalanches.
Discovery and Naming
Europeans first explored the lake in 1833. A group of surveyors, led by Judge John Richards and Major Reuben Sanford, found it. The lake was later named by William C. Redfield.
Avalanches and Lake Changes
The lake gets its name from the powerful avalanches that have shaped it. On August 20, 1869, a huge avalanche happened on Mount Colden. This caused many landslides that sent rocks and debris into the lake. This rubble actually made the lake's water level much higher. Another avalanche in 1942 caused even more slides, raising the lake level by another 10 feet (3 meters)!
Images for kids
-
Avalanche Lake looking southwest, Mount Colden, left, Avalanche Mountain, right, Calamity Mountain, center.
