My First 46er Last Fall!
What up my road trip warriors!? Last Fall was when I really started to get into hiking and decided I wanted to become an Adirondack 46er. My first completed High Peaks were Cascade Mountain and Porter. The hike took place on September 16th, 2017 with a close friend of mine and it took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to reach the summit of Cascade. I was extremely excited so our ascent went rather quickly. This is the shortest high peaks hike in the Adirondacks at around 5.6 total miles, but still offers a beautiful 360 degree view upon the summit of Cascade. Porter does not offer the best views, but it still should be done if you are an aspiring 46er as I am. I wanted to give a brief overview of my experiences on this hike and why I always recommend it people.
Cascade
The first thing I noticed when approaching this hike was that it was (and still is) an extremely popular hiking spot for many people. There were numerous cars parked up and down the road. If I can suggest anything, it is to get to this hiking destination earlier than later. Beginning on the trailhead, I found that the trail was well-maintained and easy to follow. There were also many other individuals on the trail so the chances of wandering off the trail were slim. The hike itself was a gradual incline the entire time, but I never thought of it as demanding. My buddy and I would cruise for 10-15 minutes, drink some water and keep moving. The most exciting part about this hike for me was reaching the easy rock-climb near the summit as shown below.
Once I reached the summit of Cascade, I was in awe of how amazing the views were. The reason I recommend this hike to so many individuals is because it is extremely rewarding, the distance is more than reasonable, and there is not any portion of the hike that is significantly difficult. On the summit, in every direction I looked, there were mountains, valleys, and clouds just above me. I loved this hike so much that I took my brother on it shortly after. Due to this hike, he now wants to be a 46er as well.
Porter
In regards to hiking Porter, the visibility lacks in comparison to Cascade. It is not too far away from the Cascade summit and the main reason I hit this mountain was that I wanted to check another High Peak in the Adirondacks off of my list. The one aspect of Porter that I thought was cool was that I was able to look over at Cascade where I had been recently. Everyone on the summit looked minuscule and it gave me a different perspective of Cascade Mountain. Although Porter lacked in comparison to Cascade (in my opinion), I still appreciated what this mountain had to offer.
If anyone took the time to read this, I appreciate it. I love to share my experiences and I hope I can influence people to be a little more adventurous. Remember to pack in, pack out and happy hiking!
-Ant
