Hiked up Buck Mountain on the east side of Lake George last Saturday. It was overcast and very humid after an all-day rain on Friday, which brought the mosquitoes out, but otherwise not too bad a day. The 2.3-mile route up from Hogtown Road is a typical Adirondack woods walk, but rather unremarkable. A few small streams are crossed and the trail goes past a couple attractive moss-covered rock ledges, such as the one in the photo, but there are no views or striking scenery until you reach the top. Hiking time, with stops for photos, was about an hour and a half up and an hour and a quarter down.
Reportedly the trail up from Pilot Knob has more views and is more popular. This became abundantly clear when I reached the top and found a crowd of 40-50 people most of whom had hiked that route. On the trail from Hogtown Road I passed only one couple on their way up and a lone hiker on her way down.
The summit has views to the north and northwest from one open ledge, and to the southwest from the main summit. On this day there was a lot of haze and the views were only so-so.
The view past the crowd in the photo at right is to the southwest. Lake George is in the distance. The photo below is looking north toward Sleeping Beauty Mountain (on the right), Shelving Rock Mountain (the hump in the middle distance), and the Tongue Mountain Range in the distance. Lake George and Northwest Bay of Lake George are in the distance on the left.
And finally, an artsy shot from the trail on the way back down.
The view past the crowd in the photo at right is to the southwest. Lake George is in the distance. The photo below is looking north toward Sleeping Beauty Mountain (on the right), Shelving Rock Mountain (the hump in the middle distance), and the Tongue Mountain Range in the distance. Lake George and Northwest Bay of Lake George are in the distance on the left.
And finally, an artsy shot from the trail on the way back down.
