Monday, January 16, 2023
Miles: 5.75
Start/End: Hwy 73
Elevation gain/loss: 2618’/2628′
Peaks: Cascade, Porter
After finishing up Street & Nye, I headed over to the Cascade trailhead on Highway 73. I was tired but the hike was less than 6 miles and I was certain I could finish before dark. I also knew that finishing these 2 peaks would leave me only two remaining for next weekend so I put one foot in front of the other and got out of my car and started hiking at 2pm. Knowing that the trail would be icy, rocky, and excessively packed out as it’s the shortest ADK46 hike (and not seeing any ranger trucks parked at the trailhead), I left my snowshoes behind and went with just spikes. I made quick work of the ascent up to Cascade intersection, crossing paths with half a dozen people descending the mountain. I made the short quick scramble up to the summit, where I saw the incoming clouds and a small sliver of clear sky on the far horizon) and then went down the spur trail for Porter. It was a relatively smooth hike over, but my left calf was bothering me quite a bit. Once back at the intersection, I was glad to be done with the ascent but my calf also interfered with my ability to go very quickly on the descent. I accepted it for what it was, and hoped I wasn’t aggravating it too much. I made it back to the trailhead as dusk fell, right around 5pm. Then it was a long drive home, enjoying the simple pleasure of sitting down in a heated space, content with the knowledge that I’d completed 30% of the ADK46 in 3 days and only had 2 peaks left.
