Skylight rocks?

[Adk_dib]

Where do you get the rocks for skylight? Do you bring one from home or pick one off the trail? (Your not supposed to remove anything fromTrail). I will be coming in from the LOJ. Is there a pile there?

 

[1ADAM12]

As the story myth goes.......your suppose to pick a rock up just as you start to exit treeline. Then put that rock on the huge cairn on top. Then it is not suppose to rain on you for the remainder of the day

 

[Jay H]

I remember when there was always a pile of rocks at the Loj trailhead kiosk with signs requesting that you pack them up to Algonquin or Marcy for the use of the trail maintainers who would surround the alpine vegetation with the rocks.. Not sure if they still do that though.


So far, the rock carrying has worked for me on skylight!

Jay

 

[SherpaKroto]

When I was on Skylight with Guinness (the hiker, not the beer: that came later ) we carried our little rocks up from somewhere near 4 corners. On our way down we met a guy about 5 minutes below the summit on his way up who was loudly proclaiming his accomplishments of having hiked "17 of the ADK 46" (with Guinness just smirking there all the while, trying to figure just how many he had climbed). We asked him if he had his rock. "What Rock?" he replied. Another 5 minutes later we looked across at Tahawus and understood the Cloudsplitter moniker: rather impressive to see the clouds part over Marcy's summit, then rejoin as they rushed toward us. Needless to say, for us the rain was a welcome respite from the heat and humidity. For that hiker, it was a reminder that it's not wise to mess with folklore and fate. The lightning/thunder was deafening. We never did find out if he made it to #18 on that day

 

[Tom Rankin]

I wonder if it's a group thing. I did not bring a rock, but others in my party did. We all got rained on!

 

[1ADAM12]

Does anyone know how this myth got started or where it originated from? I bet Dick knows

 

[rhihn]

Does anyone know how this myth got started or where it originated from? I bet Dick knows

A, I haven't a clue. B, It doesn't work.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Origin of the legend: Reverend Ernest R. Ryder, first President of the Forty-Sixers

Does anyone know how this myth got started or where it originated from?

There were two (now out of print) predecessor books to Of the Summits, of the Forests book. The Adirondack Forty-Sixers (1958) and The Adirondack High Peaks and the Forty-Sixers (1970). I have a 1971 printing of the latter, in which the "Legends of the Couchsachrage" chapter was written by Grace L. Hudowalski, the former and long-time historian of the 46ers. Here it is:

Ernest Ryder, the first clergyman to climb the forty-six, spun this yarn:

Skylight has an open rock summit and cairns are needed to show the way to the top, especially in inclement weather. The climber ascending this mountain should pick up a rock at timberline and carry it up to the top, placing it on one of the summit cairns. Failing to do this it will rain and he will get soaked before he can return to his base camp. Knowing climbers, who get wet while ascending other peaks, know an uninformed climber has just scaled Skylight without the required rock for the summit cairn!

And from the 46er book: Of the Summits, of the Forests, Legends of the Adirondacks chapter, Skylight's Promise:

Pick up a rock at Skylight's timberline and put it in your pocket. Take it the rest of the way up. Drop it on the on the cairn you'll find near the top. That'll help you find your way around the open rock summit and keep it from raining while you're up there. Foolproof."

It has always worked for me. But I got soaked on the way back from Allen once, and I knew someone must have broken the rule.

 

[Tom Rankin]

This is related to the summit steward program. Carrying up rocks was to help build trails, so people would stay off fragile alpine plants. Telling you that you would be rewarded for your labors was probably an outgrowth of that project.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Don't take one from home

Remember: Non-native species. Don't bring a rock from home for the summit of Skylight. It may have no natural enemies up there on the summit of Skylight, which could lead to a disaster.

 

[Rick]

I DIDN'T bring a rock up one January day when I climbed it and it didn't rain on me the whole day

 

[WSC]

Remember: Non-native species. Don't bring a rock from home for the summit of Skylight. It may have no natural enemies up there on the summit of Skylight, which could lead to a disaster.

Oops,
I brought a rock from Mt. Cardigan, NH to the skylight summit to put on the cairn. I did not know about the prevention of rain rummor, although it stayed dry all day afterwards!
I hope that the NH rock, gets along well with its NY counterparts, I don't think it was a red sox fan so that should help.
WSC

 

[Tom Rankin]

Oops,
I brought a rock from Mt. Cardigan, NH to the skylight summit to put on the cairn. I did not know about the prevention of rain rummor, although it stayed dry all day afterwards!
I hope that the NH rock, gets along well with its NY counterparts, I don't think it was a red sox fan so that should help.
WSC

While we are laughing at this, there is a serious problem with transporting non-native species of plants, insects, fungi, animals, etc. from place to place. I actually heard that in NYS, firewood may be restricted to only being harvested and sold locally, to prevent the spread of tree blights.

While I do not know of any specific problems that could result from transporting rocks from place to place, that last environment we would want to introduce a non-native species into is an alpine area. Of course, many species would not survive the harsh climate, but if they did, it could be devastating.

 

[Neil]

I don't really believe any of this superstitious baloney. But just to be safe I carry a grain of sand with me and deposit it on the cairn.

I boil the grain of sand for one hour and carry it in alcohol. I need tweezers and a jeweler's eye lens to be able to extract it from the bottle. On windy days I place it firmly under a larger rock. It makes me feel good to control the weather.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

If non-native rocks are introduced, and they have no natural enemies, they will reproduce without bounds, and before you know it, Skylight will be higher than Marcy.

 

[Jay H]

So how do we know if the rock is native or not? Are they stamped: "Made in NY" ?

Jay

 

[SherpaKroto]

So how do we know if the rock is native or not? Are they stamped: "Made in NY" ?

Jay

By their accent, of course!