Hough Peak () is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
in the
Dix Range of the
Adirondacks
The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York (state), New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the hi ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
. It is the 23rd-highest of the
Adirondack High Peaks
The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's bo ...
, with an elevation of . The mountain is located in the
High Peaks Wilderness Area
The High Peaks Wilderness Area is the largest wilderness area of the Forest Preserve in the U.S. state of New York. It is located in three counties and six towns in the Adirondack Park: Harrietstown in Franklin County, North Elba, Keene, ...
,
in the town of
North Hudson in
Essex County. It is named for
Franklin B. Hough, an early Adirondack conservationist and forester.
History
Hough Peak was called "Middle Dix" or "Little Dix" prior to 1927, after New York governor
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix (July 24, 1798 – April 21, 1879) was an American politician and military officer who was Secretary of the Treasury, Governor of New York and Union major general during the Civil War. He was notable for arresting the pro-Southe ...
. The earliest recorded ascent of the mountain was made on August 31, 1921, by brothers
Bob and
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under pres ...
and their friend Herbert Clark. The trio completed the ascent as part of a challenge they had devised to climb all peaks over in the Adirondacks, which eventually evolved into the list of the 46
Adirondack High Peaks
The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's bo ...
.
In 1927, Russell Carson proposed renaming the mountain "Mount Marshall" in honor of the Marshall brothers in his book ''Peaks and People of the Adirondacks''. The book sold well and popularized the new name, although the Marshall brothers were opposed to having a mountain named after them. Objections were also made to naming peaks after living persons in the
Adirondack Mountain Club
The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1922. It has approximately 30,000 members. The ADK is dedicated to the protection and responsible recreational use of the New York State Forest Preserve, parks, wild l ...
, although these came primarily from anti-Semitic members who did not want the name of the Jewish Marshall family attached to a mountain. Club member Theodore Van Wyck Anthony succeeded in having Carson's proposed names removed from club maps in 1928. In 1937, the state Board on Geographic Names instead renamed Middle Dix to "Hough Peak", after
Franklin B. Hough, at the request of the New York State Conservation Department. The name Mount Marshall was eventually applied to
another mountain in the
MacIntyre Mountains in 1942, following a petition from the
Adirondack Forty-Sixers
The Adirondack Forty-Sixers are an organization of hikers who have Peak bagging, climbed all forty-six of the traditionally recognized Adirondack High Peaks, High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. They are often referred to just as 46ers. As of ...
.
Ascent routes
Hough Peak is only accessible to hikers on the Dix Range Crest Path, an unmarked trail which connects the peaks of the Dix Range. The path connects Hough to the summits of neighboring
Dix Mountain and
South Dix; hikers must first ascend one or the other to access Hough.
See also
*
List of mountains in New York
There are three major mountain ranges in New York: the Adirondack Mountains, the Catskill Mountains, and part of the Appalachian Mountains.
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are sometimes considered part of the Appalachians but, ...
*
Northeast 111
The Northeast 111 is a peak-bagging list of mountains in the northeastern states of the United States. It includes the sixty-seven 4000-footers of New England (48 in New Hampshire, 14 in Maine and 5 in Vermont), the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, ...
4,000-footers
*
Adirondack High Peaks
The Adirondack High Peaks are a set of 46 mountain peaks in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York state. They have been popular hiking destinations since the late 1920s, when the list of peaks was published in Russell Carson's bo ...
*
Adirondack Forty-Sixers
The Adirondack Forty-Sixers are an organization of hikers who have Peak bagging, climbed all forty-six of the traditionally recognized Adirondack High Peaks, High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. They are often referred to just as 46ers. As of ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Backcountry information for Adirondack Parkat ''dec.ny.gov''
Dix Range hiking guideat ''lakeplacid.com''
Hough Peak geographyat ''peakbagger.com''
Hough Peak descriptionat ''summitpost.org''
{{Mountains of New York
Mountains of Essex County, New York
Adirondack High Peaks
Mountains of New York (state)