Washington County: Black Mountain

My peak experiences usually don't last long. I am not a summit saunterer. I don't hang around high places. When I reached the top of Africa in 1998, I spent 27 minutes soaking in Kilimanjaro's view, then started down. Of course, the air was a little thin. But getting up is only half of the journey; you still need to make your way down. When I hiked up Black Mountain one very rainy late-summer day, I was glad I took a little longer than usual before turning around. It felt appropriate to be just up the road from the Village of Whitehall, birthplace of the U.S. Navy. The downpour that greeted me at the trailhead made me feel as if I was swimming in Lake George, not trying to get high above it. When I reached the top of Washington County it was socked in. When I stepped on the outcropping of rocks that overlook Lake George, I could not tell if the drop-off was 15 feet or 1,500 feet. Clouds rolled across my boots. But looking for the survey mark bought me enough time to see a break in the soup. Suddenly there was a spot of blue. The next thing I knew a beautiful view of the lake unveiled itself.