The Adirondacks are known for their High Peaks, 46 of which are over 4000 feet. So we couldn’t leave the area without summiting at least one of them. The plan for the day was to hike Cascade Mountain, at 4098 feet one of the smaller peaks on the list and reputedly also one of the easiest. At the trailhead we signed in on the trail register, which can be found at the start of all marked hikes. We weren’t expecting anything to go wrong, but always good to be safe!

On the way up, Susannah got several compliments on her new shirt (“Will hike for beer”), which was a spur of the moment birthday present from Nick. We stopped for lunch on a ledge with a splendid view of the Great Range.

It wasn’t too far from there to the summit, which includes a long stretch along a bare granite ledge.

The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is working hard to restore vegetation above the tree line. The rare alpine tundra habitat was once badly eroded by hikers but has been making a comeback. As part of the effort, ADK posts “mountain stewards” on top of many of the popular peaks to answer questions and tell hikers about markers like cairns and scree walls that delineate the hikeable areas. The steward we met helpfully pointed out many of the peaks visible in the spectacular 360 degree view from the summit.

We weren’t the only ones who found this place special: while resting before the hike down, we couldn’t help overhearing the marriage proposal of a nearby couple. (She said yes!) We did our best to give them their space but were happy to oblige when they asked if we could take their picture.

We had intended to summit Cascade and just head back down again, but upon finding ourselves ahead of schedule, we realized we had time to summit nearby Porter Mountain via a branch trail partway down. This gave us several more expansive views, including one back to the summit of Cascade, and also allowed us to add a second 4000 footer to our day’s tally.

Perhaps inspired by Susannah’s shirt, we stopped for dinner at Big Slide Brewery, which had been closed on our earlier attempted visit. They had great beer, excellent entrees, and mouthwatering desserts. All that, plus dogs in the outdoor seating area and fun swag for sale with the Big Slide logo, made for a perfect ending to a memorable day.