Talk:Allegheny Mountain (Pennsylvania)

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Formal definition of this ridge

USGS doesn't recognize this ridge in Pennsylvania as having a particular defined name. In Maryland, it continues as Meadow Mountain but there is nothing labeled in Pennsylvania. Allegheny Mountain seems to be the common usage in the area, so we'll go with that here.

The question is where does this ridge end on the north end. Looking at topographic maps, this ridge appears as a well-defined cutoff between the Laurel Highlands to the west and lower areas to the east from the Maryland line up to the vicinity of the Bobs Creek drainage near PA 869 in Cambria County. At this area, around Blue Knob, there is not a well-defined ridge because of creek drainages. It takes about another 8 miles before a well-defined ridge against exists on the west side of the valley containing US 220. This new ridge continues north to north of I-80.

Personally, I would say that this ridge ends just south of Blue Knob. It definitely does not appear to contain the Blue Knob summit itself, which is out of alignment with the rest of the ridgeline.

Brian Powell (talk) 01:57, 29 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As a clarification - on the USGS Morgantown, Cumberland, and Johnstown quads, there is a relatively straight and well-defined ridge seperating the higher elevations to the west and the lower elevations to the east. This ridge begins in the south as a continuation of Meadow Mountain and heads northeast. Starting north/northeast of the Cambria-Somerset-Bedford county intersection, this straight, well-defined ridge disappears. The territory in the vicinity of the Bobs Creek headwaters and Blue Knob State Park is heavily dissected with no clear ridgeline.

Considering that there is a well-defined ridgeline south of this dissected area, it would appear this is a natural northern terminus for Allegheny Mountain in the absence of any officially named point. Brian Powell (talk) 06:26, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]