Enchanted Mountains

People often ask why the region is called the Enchanted Mountains. Technically, the region is an elevated and dissected plateau. True mountains are folded or crumpled upward by tectonic activity. While our landscape is being slowly thrust upward, it rises all at once, creating a plateau. The plateau in turn is eroded by the Allegheny and Genesee rivers and their tributaries, forming the deep, rugged valleys. From the valleys, the elevated portions look like rugged hills or mountains, rising to elevations of 2000 to 2500 feet above sea level (up to 1ooo feet above the valley floors). The term Enchanted Mountains was first used to help local tourism in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Olean was known as "The Heart of the Enchanted Mountains" (There is a clearing on a hillside above Allegany, NY, shaped like a heart, and called by the same name). An annual Enchanted Mountain Festival was held for a few years in the 1980's. I sold photocards and postcards locally in the 1990's with the name Enchanted Mountain Enterprises, and a few other local businesses used the term in some form as well. In the early 2000's "Enchanted Mountains" was adopted by Cattaraugus County's tourism agency, and is featured on their website and on all of their literature. It can be debated whether there are mountains or just really big hills here, but the landscape is certainly enchanting. Here are a few photographs that help lead me to that conclusion. These were taken on a July morning, around sunrise, from Mount Hermanns, overlooking the broad Allegheny Valley at Olean, NY.

To the West

The western sky can be just as beautiful as the eastern sky at sunrise. A lake of fog engulfs the valley.

Still to the West

As sunrise approaches, the western sky brightens, and the fog takes on wonderous blue-ish hue.

Sunrise

The eastern sky fills with orange and yellow light as the sun peaks above the horizon.

Enchanted Mountains

This image was used for a postcard titled Enchanted Mountains. Whether or not they are 'true' mountains, I think it was appropriate. This is the view to the northwest, and the city of Olean, NY is beneath the fog.