What is a 46er?

The 46 highest peaks in New York, all the ones supposedly over 4,000 feet high, were put onto a list by an old timer a long time ago. So now a common goal up here is to climb to the top of all 46. If you do that, you are a 46er. Also, when you see a mountain, it's either a 46er or it isn't, meaning it's on the list or not. Strange traditions have grown, like drinking a beer on top of all 46, or doing them all in a week, or doing them in winter. Coming from California, where the peaks are 14,000 feet high, it's a bit hard to get excited about these little tree-covered gems.

When I climbed Allen on Tuesday, it was my fourth 46er. I'm 40, so at this rate I'll have climbed them all by the time I turn 460.

The campers are really into it, and Allen Mt. is a hard, out of the way peak that they were glad to check off their list.

Jim