I'm pretty sure almost everyone I know has done Buck at one point in their life. I have done it a lot. It's always good for a view and when the timing is right, fresh wild blueberries.
There are four different trails that lead to the summit of Buck Mtn., one private trail from Camp Chingachgook, one via Inman Pond and the "steep one", both via Hogtown Road, and the fourth from Pilot Knob Road.
Jenn and I picked a cool comfortable morning for this hike in July. We headed out pretty early to beat the crowds, seeing that it is summer and this is Buck Mountain. We giggled, retied and relaced shoes, and finally hit the steepness of the terrain. We were both feeling pretty good about the trip thus far. We came across some cool looking trees and creatures along the way... and luckily no people yet.
After going across a couple of streams during our upward climb, we finally heard the first group of people. It was two men. They seemed to be having a good time, but looked very fatigued. I want to say we weren't too far in to the hike, but everyone has their limits. We both mentioned that our legs felt heavy to begin with, but we were trekking right along. It was very nice of the rocks to create steps for us.
We reached the top, with an ascent of 1130 feet over 2.3 miles. Being the only ones there, we took time to enjoy the view. It couldn't have been a nicer morning. Limited cloud cover, a cool breeze, and peace and quiet. Wondering around the summit is fun. There are many places to take in different views. When you first reach the top you can see the Sagamore, Green Island, Dome Island, and the lower basin of Lake George.
The huge rock face gives you a very broad view. If you wander to the northeast side, through some trees, the view of the Narrows is spectacular. From Glen Island to Narrow Island, the water was calm.
Being the curious folk we are, Jenn and I knew there was more to see. Going directly east from the summit, you can see the Green Mountains (I think that's what they were!).
On our way to that little spot we found a plethora of wild blueberries. Me, not being the biggest fan of blueberries, was a little wary to try them but man they were GREAT! I'm pretty sure we hung out in the patches of blueberries like bears for entire too long. They were perfectly sweet. They went very well with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had for breakfast when we got to the top.
By the time we had engorged ourselves, discovered the other side of Buck, and took all the pictures our little hearts desired, we were joined by more and more people. Good timing. We wandered around for a little while longer, had our picture taken together by a stranger (Forgot the Gorillapod... strangers are never good at taking pictures for you.), and shared our blueberry finding with another group. We were ready to head back.
I typically dread the trek downhill. My knees hurt and I can never figure out how to use my quads more. Well, thankfully, this time it was easy. The rock "steps" were awesome. I wasn't tired at all and felt great once I got to the car. It could have been the blueberries, or the natural hiking high I get from the adrenaline pumping through my veins, but this was a great hike.
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