Cascade and Porter (NY ADKs) 9/3/16.
So, it had to happen eventually. After seeing Gibba's and GG's Marcy trip report Greg got the itch. I personally have had the urge for years now, as I have visited the ADK's smaller cousins to the south, the Catskills, a couple times, but could not find time to pull the trigger. That all changed yesterday.
Greg and I met at the Warner park and ride, our usual jump off point for Vermont excursions. According to Google maps the drive to the Cascade/Porter trail head should only take us 3 hours and 21 minutes. Of course, that was what I remembered from a couple months ago when I had last checked it. I made a huge mistake in not re-checking the actual directions, and this mistake would cost us about an added hour in the morning (more on this in a second), and 40 minutes on the drive home. To make a long story short we took 89 to Rt.4 through Killington and Rutland, into New York where we picked up 87 at exit 20. I had since realized we should have jumped off 89 higher up and crossed into NY on the Champlain Bridge. Oh well, lesson learned for the next visit. Of course, things were not helped by the fact that we managed to stumble into the midst of a bike race taking place on Rt. 9N which delayed us 20 minutes in traffic.
Once through that we shot up 87, took exit 30 and headed through Keene to the trail head.
Greg had read that this was a popular hike and would probably be packed. Sure enough the cars had easily exploded out of the limited parking and sprawled on either roadside ala Lafayette Campground.
Well, maybe it wasn't QUITE that bad, and considering we were just getting on trail at about 10:30 it could have been worse. Speaking of on trail, the first foray begins:
Low down my first impressions were that this trail seemed to be more cared for and maintained than many I am used to.
Since we were starting late, on a very popular trail, we would be mingling with large crowds for the whole hike, but the easier grades were easy going to us so much so we were able to maintain a 2MPH moving average despite the occasional hiker traffic jam.
Greg likes bog bridging!
Before the junction with the Cascade Spur and the trail continuing to Porter is a small ledge where we would get our first views. Here Greg scrambles up.
And here is the first taste of our ADK viewy goodness.
Almost to the junction we get our first taste of the infamous ADK mud I have heard so much about.
And the junction!
We decided to go to Porter first and then hit Cascade on the way back as Cascade was supposed to be the best viewpoint of the day (which it was). While you make your way over you get occasional glimpses through the trees back to Cascade.
And as we saw it was indeed doing brisk business today.
The ridge walk over to Porter was pretty much a quick short drop from the junction followed by a nice mellow climb over to Porter.
There are a couple small viewpoints on the way over, but they are all trumped by the splendid panorama from the summit.
We returned back the way we came to the junction with the Cascade Spur and started with a bog bridge boulevard through a muddy section.
Then it is pretty much a slabby climb up to a false summit, but all of which is open, ledgy, chocked full of views...oh and people.
And summit time!
Oh, and I guess you could say the views were decent.
I am Brian, and I approve this summit.
We spent some time on the summit soaking in the splendid views and talking a bit with one of the Alpine Stewards that was making the rounds. When we had had our fill we returned back down the trail we came, fighting a horde of hikers, few of which lacked common courtesy (alas not just a White Mountains thing I guess...) When we got back to the car it was almost 2:00 and our trip only took about 3 1/2 hours. We considered doing The Owl, another delightful looking hike just down the road. At 1.2 miles round trip and 460 feet of gain it would have been a nice topper to get views of where we had just been. Alas, because of the lengthy drive (again, not helped by my mistake in driving directions) we decided to save it for another day. So we followed the same erroneous route back down 87, through Vermont and back to Warner where we arrived around 6:30.
And what were my impressions of this day? Well, I hate to say it, but...I have second love now. The Whites will always be my "home", the place I find myself returning to often. But Greg and I were so impressed that we think we may find ourselves striking out West more often. Not every weekend perhaps. Maybe only a few times a year. But the impression made on us was enough to urge us to want to return often. And not even to peakbag the 46. Greg and I were truly amazed at a bald ridge across the road from Cascade called Pitchoff Mountain, which is very much under 4000 feet, but which looks to be the ADK, sub-4K equivalent of Guyot. There seems to be a lot to offer, and with the proper driving route now better established it seems to me you will see more reports from the Empire State pop up from us.
Brian
Pitchoff does look spectacular, as do a bunch of other "shorter" mountains like Hurricane, Ampersand, The Owl... one of the downsides of actually working on the 46ers is those hikes will have to wait just a bit longer. But those are all on the list for down the road for sure. 
