Buck Mountain Hike

3/26/22

One of the (many) reasons I started this blog was to keep track of my hikes to record the normal stats of distance and elevation, who I went with, and what the hike conditions were. I haven't been great at this but I'll try again.

Today Lyne, Ann Marie and I set out to hike Buck Mountain which overlooks Lake George. I hiked it at least once before, and found the 7 miles challenging but very doable. Normally for a 2000 footer I would take some care to prepare the day or two before the hike in terms of hydration, nutrition, and anti-inflammatory meds. But instead I went out drinking, did not hydrate well, and slept poorly. I only checked the elevation as we were heading past the gate up the mountain, and knew I was in for a challenge as I thought it was just over 1000 ft, not double that.

We started out at 9:50 am and reached the summit at 12:20. The temp was in the 30's - 40's, so we were fairly warm on the way up. There were 2 or 3 water crossings that threatened our socks, but we managed to stay dry, which is good considering we all forgot extra socks. We passed several lovely waterfalls that were full due to melt water, and only a couple of areas of ice. No need for spikes as the icy spots were very sparse.






I only had one slice of avocado toast at 7 am so I was really hungry from 11 am on. I really started to dream about my peanut butter and jelly sandwich by 11:45. By noon I told my mates that I would need a couple of minutes alone with my sandwich at the top, so not to bother me. 😜

After my lunch I could finally appreciate the views and took a few pictures. There were just a few other hikers today, and one very friendly guy offered to take our photo, and in return I snapped a few for him. He told us about the Pilot's Knob hike just down the road, and to go in June when the blueberries are in abundance, so another adventure is in the planning.

Lyne, me, and Ann Marie with a still frozen Lake George and Gore Mtn background.

Looking north up the lake - it even started to snow!

All our layers back on as the top was windy and cold; only a 20 minute stop.

On our way down, we took our time and had so many moments of gut busting laughter over the most trivial (men, sex, dating) banter. Whenever anyone (Ann Marie) would complain about the path I chose, I would tell her this was a "choose your own adventure" hike. She threatened me with her hiking pole. 

Shortly after 3:15 pm we made it back to the car so about 5 hrs total hiking at a very leisurely pace. AnnMarie and I headed to Swifty's in Albany for a burger and a beer; Lyne headed to Saratoga for a meeting with a friend. It was a lovely day and we agreed that days filled with friends, laughter, and a bit of adventure are the best! 

In my last February post, I was giving winter the send-off, but now a month later, it seems winter will not go so easily. Today has been a long series of snow squalls, clouds, and high winds. Tomorrow's high temperature is supposed to be 25 degrees F. I am not amused.

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