Highest peak in each town
The Adirondacks have 47 peaks exceeding 3800 feet elevation above sea level. Hikers who climb up 46 of them become members of an elite club called the “46ers.” One peak, MacNaughton, was added due to recent improved surveying and now, to retain the “46”, this new addition is an option. The Catskills have 35 peaks exceeding 3500 feet and also have an elite hiking club called the “3500 Club.”
I was trying to apply this high peaks concept locally, which is not easy because we do not have any high peaks. Nevertheless, I work with what is available. However, basing the roster of peaks on their elevation would include just a few towns, so I thought it might be more interesting to spread it out over each of our 21 towns. The following paragraph is a ranked list of the highest peak in each town. Their heights were read from topographical maps. These maps have contour lines of either 10 or 20 feet intervals, so the elevations usually end in zeros. However, sometimes a map states elevations in exact numbers. A peak listed as 1940 feet can be up to 1959 feet. The elevations in feet are in parentheses. When the peak has a proper name it follows. An asterisk indicates state land. Most of these peaks are on private property, so landowner permission to visit them is necessary.
Afton (2040 *), Otselic (2000 *), Pharsalia (2000 *), Plymouth (1980 Pigeon Hill), Norwich (1966 Lookout Tower), Columbus (1960), McDonough (1960 Berry Hill *), Sherburne (1960 Skinner Hill *), Smyrna (1960), Guilford (1940), New Berlin (1940 Flagpole Hill), Lincklaen (1920), North Norwich (1880 *), Preston (1840), Oxford (1820), Coventry (1792 Bobell Hill), German (1789 *), Pitcher (1780 Pink Hill *), Bainbridge (1760), Greene (1710), Smithville (1612).
Calling these high spots “peaks” is convenient but does stretch the definition. Most of these “peaks” are so flat that it is difficult to determine where exactly the top is. Basically, when you think you are at the top of a hill, look around. If you spot any place that looks higher, go there. When no other place looks higher, you are probably on the top. However, vegetation hides the ground surfaces so finding the exact top can be difficult. The question rests upon how important it is to be exact. From a hiking perspective, merely walking to what looks like the top would be sufficient to state that “I have been there.”
In the photo are three Bullthistle Hikers settling on what they think is the top of the highest peak in Preston. From the left are Marilyn Gooley, Sue Bliven, and Bob Bliven. They are comparing the elevation on the topographical map with that of Bob’s GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) machine. The map states 1840 to 1859 feet and the GPS says 1893 plus or minus 20 feet. That location is under a foliage canopy, so that may have been a factor in the best-case 14 foot discrepancy. My older GPS would not even register a position.
A closer look at the maps shows that we have seven peaks in Chenango County at or above 2000 feet. They reside in three towns: Afton has four; Otselic has one, and Pharsalia has two. In the category from 1900 through 2000 feet, we have nine towns. We have three towns in the 1800 through 1900 range, five towns in the 1700 through 1800 range, and only one town in the 1600s. So, most of our towns (12) have at least one peak over 1900 feet. The lowest point in the county is in Greene where the Chenango River crosses into Broome County, about 890 feet. Every place in the county is somewhere within a range of 1150 feet.
From a historical aspect, high peaks data turned out to have very little relevance. I have often heard that the earliest settlers tended to prefer the higher places. However, I have yet to see this in writing by an author who was an eyewitness or reporting for one. If our river floods continue to be almost annual events, there will be a migration to higher land.
Chenango County is essentially saddle-shaped with the highest places in the northwest and southeast corners. The highlands in Afton can be regarded as the foothills of the Catskills. the adjacent towns of Masonville and Sanford have many peaks over 2000 feet, some over 2100. The highlands of Otselic run into those of Georgetown, which has 12 peaks over 2000 feet, the highest being 2160 feet.
So, even though we cannot compare with anything in the Adirondacks or Catskills we are not exactly flat. High and low are relative terms and anyone wanting to chug up a hill can do so locally without a lot of driving. One of my favorite walks here in Norwich is from my house near the river up to the northern city limits, an ascent of 200 feet. Another is to trot up 500 feet to the top of West Hill. Anyone wanting to hike up to some of these high peaks should come with us on our Bullthistle hikes.
I was trying to apply this high peaks concept locally, which is not easy because we do not have any high peaks. Nevertheless, I work with what is available. However, basing the roster of peaks on their elevation would include just a few towns, so I thought it might be more interesting to spread it out over each of our 21 towns. The following paragraph is a ranked list of the highest peak in each town. Their heights were read from topographical maps. These maps have contour lines of either 10 or 20 feet intervals, so the elevations usually end in zeros. However, sometimes a map states elevations in exact numbers. A peak listed as 1940 feet can be up to 1959 feet. The elevations in feet are in parentheses. When the peak has a proper name it follows. An asterisk indicates state land. Most of these peaks are on private property, so landowner permission to visit them is necessary.
Afton (2040 *), Otselic (2000 *), Pharsalia (2000 *), Plymouth (1980 Pigeon Hill), Norwich (1966 Lookout Tower), Columbus (1960), McDonough (1960 Berry Hill *), Sherburne (1960 Skinner Hill *), Smyrna (1960), Guilford (1940), New Berlin (1940 Flagpole Hill), Lincklaen (1920), North Norwich (1880 *), Preston (1840), Oxford (1820), Coventry (1792 Bobell Hill), German (1789 *), Pitcher (1780 Pink Hill *), Bainbridge (1760), Greene (1710), Smithville (1612).
Calling these high spots “peaks” is convenient but does stretch the definition. Most of these “peaks” are so flat that it is difficult to determine where exactly the top is. Basically, when you think you are at the top of a hill, look around. If you spot any place that looks higher, go there. When no other place looks higher, you are probably on the top. However, vegetation hides the ground surfaces so finding the exact top can be difficult. The question rests upon how important it is to be exact. From a hiking perspective, merely walking to what looks like the top would be sufficient to state that “I have been there.”
In the photo are three Bullthistle Hikers settling on what they think is the top of the highest peak in Preston. From the left are Marilyn Gooley, Sue Bliven, and Bob Bliven. They are comparing the elevation on the topographical map with that of Bob’s GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) machine. The map states 1840 to 1859 feet and the GPS says 1893 plus or minus 20 feet. That location is under a foliage canopy, so that may have been a factor in the best-case 14 foot discrepancy. My older GPS would not even register a position.
A closer look at the maps shows that we have seven peaks in Chenango County at or above 2000 feet. They reside in three towns: Afton has four; Otselic has one, and Pharsalia has two. In the category from 1900 through 2000 feet, we have nine towns. We have three towns in the 1800 through 1900 range, five towns in the 1700 through 1800 range, and only one town in the 1600s. So, most of our towns (12) have at least one peak over 1900 feet. The lowest point in the county is in Greene where the Chenango River crosses into Broome County, about 890 feet. Every place in the county is somewhere within a range of 1150 feet.
From a historical aspect, high peaks data turned out to have very little relevance. I have often heard that the earliest settlers tended to prefer the higher places. However, I have yet to see this in writing by an author who was an eyewitness or reporting for one. If our river floods continue to be almost annual events, there will be a migration to higher land.
Chenango County is essentially saddle-shaped with the highest places in the northwest and southeast corners. The highlands in Afton can be regarded as the foothills of the Catskills. the adjacent towns of Masonville and Sanford have many peaks over 2000 feet, some over 2100. The highlands of Otselic run into those of Georgetown, which has 12 peaks over 2000 feet, the highest being 2160 feet.
So, even though we cannot compare with anything in the Adirondacks or Catskills we are not exactly flat. High and low are relative terms and anyone wanting to chug up a hill can do so locally without a lot of driving. One of my favorite walks here in Norwich is from my house near the river up to the northern city limits, an ascent of 200 feet. Another is to trot up 500 feet to the top of West Hill. Anyone wanting to hike up to some of these high peaks should come with us on our Bullthistle hikes.
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