Written By Robert C. Lawrence
Photos courtesy of Adam Desantis, ROOST
While kayaking on beautiful Lake Durant near Blue Mountain Lake, NY, one June day, my wife Carol Ann asked, "Where does Blue Mountain get its name?" So we visited the nearby Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake to buy a place names book. But there was no such publication. So... I wrote What's With Those Adirondack Mountain Names?
Whiteface Mountain sits in the town of Wilmington and is the fifth tallest of the 46 High Peaks. It is the most well-known mountain in the Adirondacks. Its rock is mostly anorthosite, a type also found on the moon. The name Whiteface first appeared in Horatio Gates Spafford’s 1813 book, A Gazetteer of the State of New York.
Historian Russell Carson, in Peaks and People of the Adirondacks, says Professor Ebeneezer Emmons, a New York State geologist, likely gave the first modern explanation for the name Whiteface. In a New York State Assembly document from February 1, 1837, Emmons wrote, “Whiteface is a high mountain in the north part of Essex County, which receives its name from the circumstance of a slide having on one side, laid bare the rock, which has a grayish white appearance.”
Researchers have also studied Native American names for Whiteface Mountain. The Algonquin name,
Wa-ho-par-te-nie, means “it goes upward” or “it is white.” The Mohawk name, Thei-a-no-gu-en, means “white head,” referring to the mountain’s white summit rock.
One of the best-known features of Whiteface Mountain is the Veterans’ Memorial Highway, a scenic road that brings visitors close to the summit. Open from late spring through fall, the road offers views of the Adirondacks. At the top, you can hike a short, steep trail to the summit or take the Whiteface Castle elevator. There, you’ll find a stone castle built of stone from the summit and panoramic views in every direction.
The idea for the highway came from Colorado’s Pike’s Peak Carriage Road. Construction began in 1929, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was governor of New York, and finished in 1935. The first dedication was on September 14, 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the road to the Fallen Soldiers of World War I. In 1985, Governor Mario Cuomo rededicated it as the Whiteface Veterans' Memorial Highway, expanding its purpose to honor all veterans. This made the site both a scenic spot and a place to remember those who served.
Whiteface Mountain also served as a real-world laboratory for the State University of New York. Dr. Vincent Schaefer, a chemist and meteorologist at General Electric in Schenectady, helped set up the lab. He held several patents and invented cloud seeding. His team included atmospheric scientist Bernie Vonnegut, meteorologist Ray Falconer, and others. The site became the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center’s Whiteface Mountain Field Station, where people like Ray Falconer gave weather forecasts. Scientists from around the world came to study chemistry, acid rain, red spruce decline, and similar topics.
Whiteface Ski Area opened in 1961 and hosted all six alpine ski events during the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Since then, many have called Whiteface Mountain “The Olympic Mountain.” Today, you can ski the same runs, including the men’s and women’s downhill on the Skyward Trail. Whiteface is one of three ski mountains owned by New York State. The other two are Gore Mountain in the Adirondacks and Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills.
Whiteface Mountain is known for its height, striking appearance, and rich history. From its Native American names and unique geology to its role in science, honoring veterans, and Olympic history, Whiteface is a celebrated landmark in the Adirondacks.
Author’s Note: Thank you to Adam Desantis, Director of Economic Development at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) in Lake Placid, for the photos.