16 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS Poem Forty-Six─But Who’s Counting? Bill McKibben One day in midsummer while climbing MacNaughton I ransacked my brain And found I’d forgotten Just how many peaks I still had to bag Before I could send for My Forty-Sixer tag And so I composed This mountain ditty To sing in my car As I drive from the city Oh I’ve been up on Haystack and Porter and Street I’ve wandered on Saddleback, conquered Gray Peak Up Rocky Peak Ridge to the summit of Giant And then through the Wolf Jaws I’ve stumbled defiant Up Blake and Emmons and Dial and Nye They’re all on my list in this summer up high For I’m following Bob Marshall up all the High Peaks My feet are so sore, and my polypro reeks I’m flybit and rainsoaked and proud as can be Before Labor Day comes, a 46er I’ll be I climbed up Mount Marcy and crossed to Skylight Lugging my stone to the summit that night Donaldson, Seymour—they’re part of my saga As well as the peak that they call Couchsachraga I’ve climbed down from Whiteface to pay Esther a call Cascade, it caused me no trouble at all For I’m following . . . The trio of Dixes and Hough and McComb Up Gothics and Sawteeth before I came home Basin and Tabletop, and rocky Wright I sat up on Big Slide awaiting first light Santanoni and Allen and Nippletop too From Colden to Colvin I’ve wandered right through For I’m following . . . Panther and Iroquois peaks I have crossed On Seward and Marshall I found myself lost From the top of Algonquin I had a great view Saw Nippletop, Phelps, and Redfield too Why only last weekend I stumbled up Cliff And now my notes show I’ve completed my list For I’m following . . . I thought I’d be happy but in fact I am sad My blisters are healing but my heart’s feeling bad I’ve nothing to live for I can think of no goal Except for to climb them All again in the snow Photo credit: Aaron Mosier "Forty-Six─But Who’s Counting?" is reprinted from its original publication in the 75th anniversary issue of Adirondac (1997).
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