Leaving Tupper Lake mid afternoon, we planned to drive two hours due east to our inn in West Dover, Vermont. Midway, we stopped for gas near Glenn Falls, New York and heard the familiar beep of emails loading as we entered an area with data reception. Perusing messages while my husband pumped gas, I opened an email from our Vermont inn with a detailed list of COVID precautions but was shocked to see the final line – ‘we look forward to hosting you tomorrow night’. Wait! I was expecting to be hosted tonight, not tomorrow! I searched my reservation history and saw my mistake – I’d missed the day overlap and had checked out of our New York inn on Tuesday but not reserved our Vermont inn until Wednesday, leaving us innless tonight. Now frantic, I starting searching for nearby lodging but there were not many options available for tonight. So we decided to retrace our route back to a more touristy area with more hotels, and that’s how we ended up at a Marriott in downtown Lake George.
Our room was not ready when we arrived, in Lake George, so we went exploring. Main street was packed with tourists browsing shops and enjoying the sunshine but everyone was masked and social distancing. We spotted a restaurant with a large street side patio with lots of empty tables so decided to have an early dinner to beat the crowds. Despite the empty tables, the expected wait was an hour due to a lack of wait staff. So we left our phone number just in case and walked towards the lake to watch the boats. Wandering down a side street, we crossed a large parking lot and came to the Dockside, a large open air restaurant perched on a wooden pier overlooking the lake. We left our name with the hostess, bought a drink and walked out on an open patio to enjoy views of the lake while we waited for a table.
Lake George, like the town fronting its shores, was named by a British colonel after his king, George II. An important battle site during the French and Indian War, the British and French built forts along the periphery of the 32 mile long lake. Today, the lake is popular with boaters and we watched as paddleboards, kayaks, paddle boats, ski boats and pontoons crisscrossed the brilliant blue waters. Sipping our drinks and enjoying the beautiful weather, coupled with magnificent views, our wait passed pleasantly and twenty minutes later we were seated at a lakeside table, menus in hand. As we dined, the steam-powered paddlewheeler , Minne Ha Ha, loaded with masked passengers, sailed past.
We had this inspired idea to spend tomorrow on the lake before heading to Vermont but so did all the other tourists who lined up at 6am the following morning, hoping to rent a pontoon. Instead, we opted to hike the nearby Potash Mountain Summit Trail, a 3 mile out and back trail with a 1000 ft elevation gain to the top of the mountain.
The trail was well marked and maintained and for the first half mile we hiked through the shaded woods on a gently rising incline. Eventually, the trail got steeper and rockier and we stepped up from one boulder to the next on a natural staircase, with rocks piled in some places by a conscientious trail maintenance crew. I was extra cautious and stepped purposefully – tripping or falling four weeks post hip replacement surgery would be a huge setback to my recovery.
After another mile of climbing and scrambling, sometimes on all fours, we approached a clearing, came out of the trees and caught our breath! The view of a tidy mountain lake nestled within the forested hills of the Adirondacks was postcard perfect! A group of seniors from a local hiking club resting at the top, informed us we were looking at Lake Luzerne, a three mile long private lake for the exclusive use of local townspeople. Soaking in the view, we snacked on trail mix washed down with tepid water from our canteens, watched an eagle soar overhead and then walked another quarter of a mile through dense underbrush to the actual summit of Potash – elevation 1781 feet with lots of butterflies, but no view.
Eventually, we retraced our steps and began the hike down. Although easier on the heart, it was much harder on the knees and hips as we navigated the rocky steps, careful not to stumble. Staying very focused on our footwork, we looked down as we descended, stopping for an occasional water and photo break to look around.
As the trail leveled, the last half mile was more of a pleasant downhill stroll than a hike. Jays screeched accompanied by the soothing background chirps of warblers, swallows and robins. The occasional bee buzzed by but we were not bothered by insects. A soft breeze ruffled the surrounding vegetation and the occasional ray of sunshine broke through the canopy above, illuminating the forest floor. It was a perfect day to be in the woods! Approaching the car, we were greeted by the multiple rock cairns that fellow hikers had built on the boulders lining the parking lot – likely to commemorate and celebrate an excellent hike! Exhilarated by a morning of hiking and the beautiful landscape, we headed to Vermont, appreciative of our mistake that had brought us back to Lake George!
