|
=== [[Korean War]] ===
{{Infobox Mountain
I have been editing this article for a few days. I ran down through the article and fixed any grammer mistakes I could find. I would appreciate any suggestions on what to do and how I can really improve it further. Thanks a lot. [[User:Mr. Killigan|Mr. Killigan]] 06:17, 12 July 2007 (UTC)
| Name = Panther Mountain
| Photo = Panther Mountain from Highmount.jpg
| Caption = Panther from the west, along [[New York State Route 28|Route 28]] near Highmount
| Elevation = ~3,720 feet (~1,134 m)
| Location = [[New York]], [[USA]]
| Range = [[Catskill Mountains|Catskills]]
| Prominence = 996 feet (304 m)
| Coordinates = {{coor dms|42|03|23|N|74|23|42|W}}
| Topographic map = [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] [[Shandaken, New York|Shandaken]]
| Type =
| Age =
| Last eruption =
| First ascent = unknown
| Easiest route = trail
| Grid_ref_UK =
| Grid_ref_Ireland =
| Listing = [[Catskill Mountain 3500 Club|Catskill 3500 Club]]
| Translation =
| Language =
| Pronunciation =
}}
'''Panther Mountain''' is one of the [[Catskill Mountains|Catskill]] [[Catskill High Peaks|High Peaks]], located in the [[Shandaken, New York|Town of Shandaken]] in [[Ulster County, New York|Ulster County]], [[New York]]. At approximately 3,720 feet (1,135 m) in elevation, it is the 18th highest in the range. A combination of factors has led [[geology|geologists]] to believe the mountain is on the site of an ancient [[meteor]] [[impact crater]].
==== Kirill Lokshin ====
Its proximity to [[Slide Mountain (New York)|Slide Mountain]], the highest Catskill peak, the relatively short distance required to climb the mountain from the south and the excellent views available from the mountain and nearby [[Giant Ledge]] have made Panther one of the most popular [[hiking|hikes]] in the range. Aspiring members of the [[Catskill Mountain 3500 Club]] must climb it twice, at least once during winter.
There are a number of areas to work on, at this point; keep in mind, though, that this is a very high-profile article, so you should be careful to move slowly and carefully to avoid getting entangled in any editorial conflicts here.
==Name==
* <s>The article is, in my opinion, simply too long; we're looking at 72K (~12,000 words) of prose. The "Legacy" section, in particular, is ripe for splitting out into a separate [[Legacy of the Korean War]] article, with a much shorter summary left in the main one.</s>
* <s>"Korean War (1950 – 1953)" should really be something like "Course of the war"; you probably don't want to repeat the article title as a section heading.</s>
* The citations need cleanup; at a minimum, all of the embedded external links should be converted to footnotes. There are also a number of "citation needed" tags floating around. Beyond that, more thorough citation would be appropriate throughout the article; see [[WP:MILHIST#CITE]] for some guidelines.
* <s>The "Depictions" section should be turned into prose, rather than a laundry list of films; see also [[WP:MILHIST#POP]].</s>
* <s>The "Names" section, as it's presently constituted, would work much better as a narrow sidebar; it's of some interest, but I doubt there's enough material to sustain a separate section.</s>
* <s>The "See also" section should be eliminated. If something isn't worth linking from the text, it's generally not worth linking at all. </s>
* <s>The rump "Bibliography" section should be removed as well.</s>
* The "External links" section could use trimming.
Hope that helps! [[User:Kirill Lokshin|Kirill]] 04:08, 13 July 2007 (UTC)<s>cool</s>
::Thank you very much for offering your opinion! [[User:Mr. Killigan|Mr. Killigan]] 00:57, 14 July 2007 (UTC)
The origin of the name is unknown. [[Panthera|Panther]]s may once have been seen in the area; but are not resident in the Catskills today.
==Geography==
The mountain takes the shape of a longitudinal ridge in the center of the rough circle mostly formed by [[Esopus Creek|Esopus]] and [[Woodland Creek|Woodland]] creeks. Slide's north ridge begins right where the Panther/Giant Ledge ridge ends. Two named [[tributary|tributaries]] of Woodland, its [[Dougherty Branch Woodland Creek|Dougherty Branch]] and [[Panther Kill]], rise on the mountain's western slopes.
Three of the [[valley]]s around the edge of the mountain have earned separate names of their own. Going [[clockwise]] from the southwest, they are Little Peck Hollow, Hatchery Hollow and Fox Hollow. The ridge aside the Daugherty Branch is called Fork Ridge.
The mountain rises gradually from the north, with many [[false summit]]s. The drop to the south, to the [[mountain pass|col]] with Giant Ledge, is much sharper.
The entire area has long been a part of New York's [[Forest Preserve (New York)|Forest Preserve]]. Today it is within the [[Slide Mountain Wilderness Area]], part of the [[Catskill Park]], managed by the state [[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation|Department of Environmental Conservation]].
[[Image:Panther rosette stream pattern.gif|300px|thumb|left|The nearly-complete circle made by Esopus and Woodland creeks around Panther gives a rough indication where the crater walls were.]]
==Natural history==
===Geology===
The circular pattern made by the two creeks around the mountain was the first indication Panther's origins might be different from the other Catskill peaks. Most mountains' [[drainage basin]]s show a more dendritic (tree-like) pattern rather than the [[rosette]] made by Esopus and Woodland around the mountain. In the 1940s, a geologist named George Chadwick was curious about this [[dome]] structure, and studied cuttings left over from drillings by the Dome Gas Company, which produced roughly 50,000 cubic feet (150 m³) of [[natural gas]] a day from [[gas well|well]]s that went as deep as 6,000 feet (1.8 km) beneath the surface. Since that was not profitable, the effort was abandoned. Chadwick believed that the dome was the result of gas pushing up from below.<ref name="Discover">Guterl, Fred; August 2000; [http://discover.com/issues/aug-00/features/featcrater/ The Panther Mountain Crater]; ''[[Discover (magazine)|Discover]]''; retrieved December 29, 2006.</ref>
In the early 1970s, another geologist, Yngvar Isachsen, with the New York State Geological Survey at the [[New York State Museum]] in [[Albany, New York|Albany]], wondered if the stream pattern indicated a crater lay beneath. Since it wasn't his primary task at the Geological Survey, Isachsen did most of his research into the crater question on his own time. He found, when looking at the bed of the Esopus, that much of the exposed [[sandstone]] and [[shale]] showed an unusually closely spaced [[fracture]] pattern — every foot (30 cm) instead of every meter (3.3 feet), as is seen elsewhere in the Catskills. If a crater wall lay beneath, the debris from the impact and the [[sedimentary rock]] already in the area would have settled more compactly and been more prone to sagging over time, he reasoned.<ref name="Discover" />
It wasn't until his later years, in the early 1990s, that Isachsen was able to devote any considerable amount of time to the crater question. Since the walls of a newly-formed impact crater are often unable to support themselves, [[landslide]]s occur and build up a mound of rock and soil in the center. This results in a lower [[density]] of rock and a lesser [[gravitation]]al pull, which can be measured. Isachsen took a [[gravimeter]] along on two hikes up the mountain and took regular readings. As he had expected, the gravity in the area was slightly lower than other mountains of comparable elevation in the Catskills, adding more weight to the crater theory.<ref name="Discover" />
To prove it, he needed to drill deep into the rock under the mountain and find direct mineral evidence of a meteor strike. He didn't have to, however. In the museum's archives he found the results from George Chadwick's earlier digs and inspected them closely. Finally [[graduate student]]s working for him found microscopic [[iron]] spherules — to him irrefutable evidence of an impact crater.<ref name="Discover" />
However, questions from crater specialists at a [[conference]] in [[Budapest]] sent him back to look more deliberately through the cuttings. The attendees pointed out that he hadn't ruled out the possibility that the spherules had merely been deposited by a passing meteorite or [[comet]]. In October 1999, closer examination of tiny [[quartz]] crystals in the samples turned up shock [[lamellae (materials)|lamellae]], which could only have resulted from impact. A group of [[Canada|Canadian]] specialists confirmed the finding.<ref name="Discover" />
The impact is estimated to have occurred 375 million years ago, during the [[Devonian]] period, when much of what is now the Catskills was either [[river delta]] or a shallow sea. The crater lies 2,640 feet (800 m) below the surface, 6 miles (10 km) wide, directly under the mountain. The meteor that struck is believed to have been roughly one-half mile (1 km) wide, striking with a force equivalent to 11 trillion tons (9.9 trillion tonnes) of [[TNT]].<ref name="Discover" />
Isachsen believes it is possible that there may be significant [[hydrocarbon]] deposits, often a side effect of ancient crater impacts, very deep beneath the mountain.<ref name="Discover" />
In 2004, the [[European Space Agency]]'s [[Mars Express]] probe found an analogous circular plateau in the [[Solis Planum]] region of the [[Thaumasia]] area of [[Mars]]. While it has not yet [[erosion|eroded]] as Panther has, both are an example of [[inverted relief]].<ref name="RASC">O'Dale, Charles; August 31, 2006; [http://www.ottawa.rasc.ca/articles/odale_chuck/earth_craters/panther_mountain/index.html Panther Mountain Meteorite Crater]; [[Royal Astronomical Society of Canada]], [[Ottawa]] chapter, retrieved from ottawa.rasc.ca December 30, 2006.</ref>
===Forests===
Panther's forests are for the most part typical of the Catskills, with [[beech]]-[[birch]]-[[maple]] northern [[hardwood]] forests on its lower slopes giving way to [[boreal forest]]s of [[balsam fir]] and [[red spruce]] above 3,500 feet on the mountain. While the lower slopes were logged in the 19th century, particularly for [[Eastern Hemlock|Eastern hemlock]] bark and its [[tannin]], the upper mountain remains in [[old-growth forest|first growth]]. According to Catskill forest historian [[Michael Kudish]], there is a rare virgin spruce grove near the summit. There are also two open areas visible from the summit on a knob known as Beech Flat, one of about two acres (8,000 m²) at 2,740 feet (835 m) and another of 5-7 acres (2-3 ha) at 2,848 feet (868 m), are totally natural, resulting from the absence of soil in those areas.<ref name="Kudish113">[[Michael Kudish|Kudish, Michael]], ''The Catskill Forest: A History'', Purple Mountain Press, Fleischmanns, NY, 2000, ISBN 1-930098-02-2.</ref>
==Human history==
It is not known who first climbed Panther, due to the sketchy records kept by early inhabitants of the area. Farming, Kudish found, went much lower on Panther (1,613 feet (492 m) on average) than it did elsewhere in the Catskills, due to the steep slopes at the mountain's base. Later logging climbed to a higher elevation, particularly near the hamlets of Big Indian and Phoenicia due to nearby train stations (Garfield Mountain's summit does not appear to be in first growth.<ref name="Kudish114">Kudish, ''op. cit.'', 114.</ref>
The proximity of the railroad led to another common Catskill industry of the time, [[bluestone]] [[quarry]]ing. Kudish has found several along the northern edge of the mountain and suspects there may be more.<ref name="Kudish114" />
The Fox Hollow-Panther-Giant Ledge Trail across the mountain used by hikers to reach the summit today was cut in 1935, based on a contemporary Conservation Department pamphlet. The Fox Hollow Lean-To was built the next year.<ref name="Kudish115">Kudish, ''op. cit.'', 115</ref>
==Approaches==
Panther is traversed by the blue-[[trail blazing|blazed]] Fox Hollow-Panther-Giant Ledge Trail (GP), which runs north-south from Fox Hollow down to a junction with the yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch (P-EB) Trail 0.5 mile (1 km) south of Giant Ledge. The vast majority of attempts on the mountain use this route.
[[Image:Burroughs Range from Giant Ledge.jpg|thumb|right|300px|View of Wittenberg and Cornell mountains from Giant Ledge.]]
The shorter southern approach is much more popular due not only to its brevity but the excellent views available from Giant Ledge. The northern approach, however, is not without some views of its own. Sometimes the entire 7.5-mile (12 km) GP trail, plus the route to the Giant Ledge trailhead or Woodland Valley State Campground, will be hiked as an overnight [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpack]], with one of the designated [[campsite]]s along the trail being use, and cars parked at both ends.
[[Image:Panther and Giant Ledge from Slide.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Panther and Giant Ledge from near the summit of Slide]]
===Southern route===
Hikers typically park at the [[trailhead]] lot, 2,100 feet (641 m) in elevation, where Ulster County Route 47 bends sharply about three-quarters of a mile (1.3 km) north of [[Winnisook Lake]], midway up or down the hill between it and Big Indian Hollow. Here the P-EB leaves the road again and leads southeast uphill 0.7 mile (1.1 km) and 500 vertical feet (151 m) to the GP in the level area between the ledge and Slide's north ridge. The former route of the P-EB, now closed, leads downhill to the southwest to its former route across the Winnisook Club.
Turning north on the GP, the trail remains level, passing an official [[campsite]] and some muddy spots until it reaches the base of Giant Ledge 0.6 mile (1 km) later, where a good, reliable [[Spring (hydrosphere)|spring]] can be found via a short side trail. A climb of 0.15 mile (240 m) up the steep, rocky south slope of the ledge, sometimes assisted by rock steps, levels out at 3,200 feet (975 m), where the trail stays close to the east side. There are many viewpoints from the [[cliff]] tops here that take in the nearby Burroughs Range (Slide, Wittenberg and Cornell) to the south; the valley of Woodland Creek below with a small area of [[Ashokan Reservoir]]; and the [[Devil's Path]] to the northeast. There are more campsites, often likely to be taken early on good summer weekends.
[[Image:View northeast from Panther summit, Catskills.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Devil's Path from Panther's summit.]]
The trail remains on the ledge for 0.3 mile (500 m), then drops down again more gently on the north slope. Not too long after reaching level ground, the 720-foot (219 m) climb up Panther proper begins. At first the trail gently switches back up some rocky stretches of the mountain's south slope, then at 0.75 mile from the ledge, a short side trail leads to an excellent viewpoint over the Burroughs Range at about 3,300 feet (1,006 m). 0.2 mile later (400 m), the trail passes a grassy area that has been home to a less reliable spring in the past. Not too far beyond, in the middle of two steep, rocky chutes, the trail passes the sign marking 3,500 feet (1,067 m) in elevation, above which open fires are forbidden and camping is only permitted in winter, due to the fragile high-montane environment. The trail levels off gently but there is still almost 0.5 mile (1 km) to the small ledge with a view to the northeast that marks the summit.
Via this route, it is 3.2 miles (5.1 km) to the summit. Total vertical gain is 1,920 feet (585 m); net is 1,720 feet (524 m), due to the presence of Giant Ledge along the trail. However, some more experienced hikers sometimes [[bushwhack]] around the base of the ledge to save themselves this extra vertical if they do not want to take in the views.
===Northern route===
The GP trail's northern end begins at a small parking area at the end of Fox Hollow Road, 1.5 mile (2.5 km) south of [[New York State Route 28|NY 28]] at 1,420 feet (433 m) in elevation. At 0.4 mile (640 m) from that trailhead, a short side trail leads to the Fox Hollow [[lean-to]] and a reliable spring.
The trail then begins to climb the long ridge of Panther, finally reaching the first (3,480-foot; 1,061 m) of two false summits after 2.7 miles (4.3 km). A short descent follows, then another climb to the second false summit 0.6 mile (1 km) to the south. Along the way there is an excellent view of the peaks to the west: [[Balsam Mountain|Balsam]], [[Fir Mountain|Fir]] and [[Big Indian Mountain|Big Indian]]. It is another 1.2 mile (1.9 km) and a steeper climb to the actual summit.
Total distance via this route is 4.9 miles (7.9 km). Total vertical ascent is 2,450 feet (747 m).
==References==
<references/>
==Further reading==
*Isachsen, Y.W., Wright, S.F., and Revetta, F.A., 1994, The Panther Mountain circular feature possibly hides a buried impact crater. Northeastern Geology, v. 16, no. 2, p. 123-136.
==External links==
*[http://www.catskillcenter.org/panther/ Panther Mountain Meteor Impact Site]
{{geolinks-US-buildingscale|42.0564|-74.3950}}
{{Catskill High Peaks}}
[[Category:Catskill High Peaks]]
[[Category:Mountains of New York]]
[[Category:Devonian craters]]
[[Category:Craters of the United States]]
[[Category:Ulster County, New York]]
| 