Buck Mountain

I decided to change things up for once. We've been going to Vermont and New Hampshire for the last few hikes, so I came up with the idea of going to New York, more specifically, the Adirondacks. This is my second hike in the Adirondacks. The range is the next frontier to me. I actually did Algonquin Peak seven years ago but I forget most of it. It felt like a fresh start so I decided to do an introductory hike. That hike is Buck Mountain, situated to the east of Lake George.


The sign at the trailhead.

We began up the trail. The hike itself isn't difficult in any way. There are several different stream crossings that don't present much of a challenge. I had spikes on and they still weren't that hard. Most of the trail was iced over, but could be done without spikes by walking on the side of the wide trail. There are multiple icy waterfalls on the side of the trail with steep rock faces. 


The rocky and icy side of the mountain.

After the last junction with the Connector Trail, the trail gets the steepest, but not anything to complain about. With all the leaves off the trees, we could see Pilot Knob and Crossett Pond on the way up. You'll know your approaching the peak when you see a big, grassy ledge area. From here you can see Lake George, Crane Mountain and even some mountains in Vermont like Dorset Peak and Equinox Mountain.


Pilot Knob as seen from the first ledge.

We entered the woods again and found ourselves on a long ledge that the trail follows. The summit area is quite nice. It reminds me of Brace Mountain, another peak in New York. The true summit is an enormous rock ledge where most of the Adirondacks can be seen. You can see the High Peaks, Pharaoh Mountain, Crane Mountain, Gore Mountain, the Tongue Range and even Black Mountain.


The ledges at the top, with Crane Mtn. and Gore Mtn. in the distance.

We stayed on the summit for a long time, but it started to get cold so we began the journey down. When we came to the first ledge, we met a guy named Don and his dog Norvert. It was nice talking with him on the way back down the mountain. I've also decided to start a gallery in my blogs where I can show extra photos.


Gallery
Looking into the High Peaks.
Bella with Lake George in the background.
The view east with Equinox Mountain in the back.

Overall, this is a great beginners hike for someone who wants to start hiking in the Adirondacks. With a great view over Lake George and another into the High Peaks, I highly recommend this hike in the winter, as it does get crowded in the summer.

6 comments:

  1. Nice write up bud, I can't wait for the next one you plan for us!

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  2. Great write up bud! I can't wait for our next adventure that you plan for us!

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  3. Nice Job Evan!!!! Looks like the views were great for you guys. Keep up the Blog and who knows, you may end up write a great adventure book. Make sure you keep a copy for us! :)

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    1. Thank you so much! I have more adventures coming up in the next week. You guys introduced some hikes to me, so I hope to introduce some to you!

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  4. What a great description, looking forward to reading more!

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    1. Thanks you for reading! It's good to know someone likes my writing!

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