The Geology of Mt. Mansfield State ForestChristman, Robert A. (Robert Adam)
Science
The Geology of Mt. Mansfield State Forest
Christman, Robert A. (Robert Adam)
Geology -- Vermont -- Mount Mansfield State Forest
The summit of Mount Mansfield when viewed from a distance has the
resemblance of a face with an exaggerated distance between the nose and
upper lips. Accordingly, these peaks are named, from south to north, the
Forehead, Nose, Upper Lip, Lower Lip, Chin, and Adam’s Apple. All these
points are readily accessible by the Long Trail and the area of the Nose
may be reached by the Toll Road or the Ski Lift. From all the points
along the crest an excellent view may be obtained. On clear days Lake
Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains in New York State may be seen to
the west, and Mount Washington in New Hampshire may be seen to the east.
Of the local structures, good exposures of the mica-albite-quartz schist
occur along the crest with magnetite and garnet locally abundant. The
rocks on Sunset Ridge, which extends west from the Chin, can be seen
clearly to be dipping at gentle angles to the west.
The Chin has an elevation of 4393 feet, which is the highest point in
Vermont. Most of the schist in this area is nearly horizontal or dipping
slightly to the west. However, minor folds are present everywhere and an
average reading is difficult to obtain. At the summit much of the schist
contains large black grains of magnetite. The summit is reached by the
Long Trail along the crest of the mountain from the Toll Road, by the
Long Trail from Barnes Camp via Taft Lodge, or from the west by the
trail up Sunset Ridge. An excellent view of the Lake of the Clouds and
the Adam’s Apple is obtained a short distance north of the summit of the
Chin.
[Illustration: Figure 11. “Subway” formed by separation of the rocks
along a joint on west slope of Mount Mansfield.]
Lake of the Clouds which lies north of the Adam’s Apple and Bear Pond
which lies north of Bear Head Mountain are both small shallow bodies of
water. The slight depressions in which they occur were probably scooped
out by the erosive action of the glacier.
[Illustration: Figure 12. Cave of the Winds. Mount Mansfield, as
seen from the east slope of the Chin. The Mount Mansfield Hotel and
the Nose are in the distance. The rocks in the foreground show the
beginning stages of downhill slippage of a large mass of rock away
from the joint.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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