GEOLOGY OF THE LAKE PLACID REGION 



INTRODUCTION 



The following outline of the geology of the region about Lake 

 Placid has been prepared from notes which were taken while the 

 w^riter was in the field, first under the direction of Prof. James 

 Hall, state geologist and later under that of Dr Charles D. Wal- 

 cott, director of the United States geological survey. Acknowl- 

 edgments are due both these gentlemen for permission to use the 

 observations. 



It has been the writer's aim to give an observer, and specially 

 a teacher who might be sojourning in the region, a grasp of its 

 larger geologic features, and to suggest the topics in regard to which 

 our present know^ledge needs amplification. The writer's attention 

 has been thus far chiefly centered on the hard crystalline rocks as 

 distinguished from the incoherent sands, gravels and moraines 

 that rest on them. Much iremains to be done in the study of 

 thesr^e last named, for they give the clue to the recent geologic 

 history of the valley and by a careful study of them and by dis- 

 tinguishing moraines, deltas, abandoned lake bottoms and their 

 respective altitudes some interesting problems in geographic 

 geology may be solved. 



GEOGRAPHIC OUTLINE 



If an observer stands on an elevated point near Lake Placid, 

 Vv'itli the relief map which will be found opposite p. 62 in hand he 

 will note that the region about him lies to the northwest of the 

 ■great central group of peaks, which constitutes the backbone of 

 the Adirondacks. The Gothics, Marcy, Mclntyre and their neigh- 

 bors form the southeastern sky line and a broad, open valley lies 

 between their foothills and the lake itself. Whiteface, one of 

 the highest peaks bounds the lake on the north and with its 

 5>purs incloses the valley in this direction. Beyond White- 

 face, the mountains decrease rapidly in size, and although 

 for many miles the country is wild and rugged, the altitudes 

 gradually decline to the plain that forms the south bank of the 



