An Icy Trail to Porter Mtn

After a much-too-long hiatus I've finally returned home to the Adirondacks and the peaks that I love. After four long months in beautiful but flat upper Michigan I was very anxious to climb a high peak upon my return, and chose the familiar trail up Cascade and Porter as a good place to get my body back into hiking elevation. My sore muscles today are a reminder of just how long its been, and I can see it's going to take some time to work back up to the bigger hikes!

McIntyre range from first lookout on Cascade

I climbed Cascade earlier this year in February, but opted out of hiking to Porter as well due to icy conditions that would have been unsafe in my microspikes. Ironically I found the exact same conditions yesterday as I did in February--a dusting of snow at the base, a few inches at the top, and lots of icy sections. Much like last winter the Adirondacks have seen temperatures fluctuating above and below freezing, causing snow to become ice and making hiking conditions challenging. But despite the fluctuating temperatures the trail to Cascade was easy to navigate in microspikes, and a braver person could have even done without them by skirting the few icy sections. While most of the hike to Cascade was fairly easy I did end up turning around at an icy section just below the summit at the final rock scramble to the top for safety's sake. Most people would have continued forward, and two other hikers on the mountain yesterday did, but when hiking alone I tend to err on the side of caution, especially on summits I've ascended before. Plus the view from just below was already worth the climb, always more amazing than I remember it being, and sheltered from the wind that was howling from the southwest. As I sat below the summit and refueled I watched clouds roll in and engulf the Great range, then the McIntyre range, and then Cascade as well. I had reached the top just in time to catch the view before it disappeared.

View from Cascade as clouds rolled in

An icy trail to Porter Mtn

With conditions being much the same as last time I suspected that the trail to Porter would be much icier, and I was right. The trail to Porter had turned into a frozen waterfall for most of the .7 miles beyond the Cascade trail junction, with very thick ice that would be difficult, though not impossible, to grip in microspikes. Fortunately I made the investment this year in a pair of 10-point crampons, and was anxious to try them out. With crampons the path was easy and rather enjoyable. While I've climbed Cascade many times this was only the second time I have made the jaunt over to Porter, and the first time I've done so in the winter. I find the path to Porter much more enjoyable than Cascade, it's much narrower and at times you are enveloped by balsams, which are just indescribably beautiful coated in snow. There was no one else at the summit when I arrived, though I was joined briefly by another hiker shortly after I reached the top. The last time I climbed Porter there were literally dozens of people on Cascade, and the solitude of Porter was a sharp contrast to the bustling nearby peak. Also in contrast to Cascade was the lack of wind on Porter's summit, making it a much more hospitable place to enjoy lunch. So many people hike Cascade instead of Porter, but I think Porter is more worth the trip. The view from Cascade is certainly better, but to me it's not about the view, it's about the entire experience, which I find much more enjoyable on the paths less traveled.

Once again it's nice to be back, and I look forward to continuing to share my experiences.