Last hike of the season - Cascade and Porter

I took advantage of a day of summer weather on friday in an otherwise cold wet autumn that is due to get even colder and wetter with the approaching "frankenstorm".  I left home at the civilized hour of 7am and arrived at the Cascade/Porter trailhead on route 73 around 10:30. I made my way up the surprisingly wet trail and was soon at the split where I was reminded of how much snow falls in these mountains. As the following picture shows, a trail sign on a post that is 5-6 feet tall is almost buried by snow in the winter.




I opted first for the peace and quiet of Porter. It didn't look as I remembered it but then it has been a while and I think this is the first time I had been there on a clear non-winter day. Both of these peaks are high on the views vs effort scale. Porter is more wooded but there is enough of small ledge to easily see over the trees. After some quiet time in between groups I headed over to Cascade. There were less people there than I would have guessed on such a nice day. The views from Cascade are spectacular although I would recommend arriving either early morning or late afternoon so that you are not looking into the sun as well as at the view that ranges from Algonquin to Giant from west to east. After a quick descent I was back in my car and then back home by 7pm.

Fingers crossed that the coming storm takes it easy on the Adirondacks!

More pics from this hike.

Pics from a snowshoe hike in March.

Picking Berries

Late June and then July are berry season. First strawberries, then raspberries. There are several you-pick-em berry patches that I frequent at this time of year. Now when it comes to blueberries I am not sure when the season is but it is always a good time to hike up to Porter and Cascade via the Blueberry mountain trail from Marcy Field. While Porter and Cascade are considered lightweight hikes by 46er standards, this route has as much elevation gain (3200 ft) as a hike to Mt Marcy from the LOJ. Along the way you get some unique views along the Keene Valley. The trail is relentless and steep as it makes its way up Blueberry Mountain and then up on to the Porter ridge. From there it is flat to slightly uphill with a short uphill section to the wide open summit of Cascade mountain. Cascade is a great spot to rest after the long hike and has excellant views on a clear day.

When you reach the summit ledges of Blueberry mountain there are blueberry patches everywhere and they sure are tasty. By the time you reach the berries you have hiked up some steep trail and are ready for a rest and a snack. We did not see any signs of bears but if you think about it, what bear wouldn't want to sit there gazing at Giant or Hurricane mountains while chowing down on some tasty blueberries! Shortly after you get to the blueberry patches you reach the summit of Blueberry mountain where there are more berries and a huge round rock (glacial erratic). Ken scrambled up on it and claimed King of the mountain.

Some more steep hiking to the Porter ridge and some flat muddy sections of trail. When we arrived at Porter summit the rain was coming down sideways and hard. Luckily the storm blew over and it was at least clear on Cascade although a but too hazy for good photos. A large bird provided plenty of entertainment as it swooped from one side of the peak to the other on the winds that were blowing pretty hard.

A great day to be out on the trails and for sure the best way to hike to Porter and Cascade. Mmmmmm, blueberries!