Lake Tear of the Clouds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Tear of the Clouds
Lake Tear of the Clouds with Mt. Marcy in the background
Lake Tear of the Clouds Location in New York Show map of New York Lake Tear of the Clouds Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Essex County, New York
Coordinates	44°06′24″N 73°56′09″W / 44.10667°N 73.93583°W / 44.10667; -73.93583
Type	tarn
Primary inflows	unnamed streams
Primary outflows	Feldspar Brook
Basin countries	United States
Surface elevation	4,293 ft (1,309 m)

Lake Tear of the Clouds (late 19th century)

Lake Tear of the Clouds is a tiny lake, also called a tarn. It is found in Essex County, New York, United States. This special lake sits on the side of Mount Marcy, which is the highest point in New York state. You can find it high up in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains.

This lake is the highest pond in New York. Many people say it is the very beginning, or source, of the famous Hudson River. Its water flows into Feldspar Brook, then the Opalescent River, and finally Calamity Brook, which all lead to the Hudson River. However, the Hudson River officially starts a bit further southwest, at Henderson Lake.

Discovering Lake Tear of the Clouds

In 1872, a man named Verplanck Colvin was exploring and mapping the Adirondack Mountains. He wrote about Lake Tear of the Clouds. He described it as a "minute, unpretending, tear of the clouds." This means it was a very small, humble lake, like a tear from the sky.

He noted that it was 4,293 feet high. He said it was a "lovely pool" that sent its clear water into Feldspar Brook. This brook then flowed into the Opalescent River, which he called the "well-spring of the Hudson."

A President's Unexpected Journey

Lake Tear of the Clouds played a small but important part in American history. On September 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt was the US Vice President. He had just finished a hike to the top of Mount Marcy. When he returned to Lake Tear of the Clouds, he received urgent news.

President William McKinley had been shot two weeks earlier. Everyone thought he would get better, but his condition had suddenly worsened. Roosevelt quickly hiked down the mountain. He then took a 40-mile (64 km) midnight stagecoach ride through the Adirondacks.

Roosevelt Becomes President

When he reached the train station at North Creek, New York, he learned that President McKinley had died. Roosevelt then took a train to Buffalo, New York. There, he was officially sworn in as the new President of the United States. Today, the path he took is called the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail.

Studying the Lake's Water

In August 2016, scientists visited Lake Tear of the Clouds. These scientists were from groups like Riverkeeper, CUNY Queens College, and Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. They collected water samples from the lake.

This was part of a special project to test the water quality along the entire 315-mile (507 km) length of the Hudson River. It was the first time such a complete test had been done for the whole river.