That 1990s boombox probably has a real amplifier chip in it, not just a digital board. In my experience, that gives you a warmer sound, especially at lower volumes, compared to a lot of the small Bluetooth stuff. Paulp45 might trade his dignity for pizza, but you traded a few evenings for way better sound quality.

Saw a study from some call center software company that said Tuesday 10 AM to 11 AM is actually the worst time to call, not the best. It backs up what @mia592 is saying about it being a total gamble. That report said even with perfect staffing models, unexpected stuff like a system alert or a regional outage throws everything off. So your luck at 4 PM on a Friday probably just means you hit a quiet pocket while the person next to you in line got a busy signal.

Mount Marcy as a day hike sounds brutal. What was the actual mileage and elevation gain your friend gave you? People throw around numbers that sound easy until you're halfway up with no turn around point.