Cascade & Porter trails

[aldiaur]

Hi, I am new to this forum, please excuse me if I am posting in the wrong place.

I have "Exploring the 46 Adirondack High Peaks", and I am looking to hike Cascade and Porter this week. Only thing is, the book doesn't seem to have specific information about hiking them together. I am looking to hike from either Marcy Field or "The Garden" to the other side of Cascade.

I'm interested in others' opinions about which starting point is better - is there a significant difference between them? I'm tending to favor the trail from Marcy Field, since it goes over Blueberry Mt. and looks more climactic than the other way.. Also, I'm estimating the trip to be about 7 mi, does this sound right?

Thanks for any comments or advice.

[percious]

aldiaur,

What you have said is pretty accurate. I think it might be a tad more than 7 miles R/T but someone else here will undoubtedly know the exact distance.

Typically, Cascade and Porter are hiked as first 46ers via route 73. That hike is much less distance, and probably less elevation gain, because they start you so high up. Keep in mind there is probably still a lot of snow up there now, so you may be looking at a longer day than expected.

-percious

[Rik]

Going up from Marcy Field is a pretty stiff little climb but also a real nice way to do these popular peaks.

[Dick]

Aldiaur,

ADK High peaks Region (a helpful book to own) lists the Porter trip from Marcy Field to summit as 4.5 (2.4 to Blueberry), which would be 9 mi. round trip (3,275 ascent). From Marcy Field we have only gone as far as Blueberry, but it was a nice hike, with nice views.
From the Garden it is 3.8 mi. one way, or 7.6 mi. r.t., with 2700 ft. elevation gain. I have never done Porter from that direction. The book indicates nice views on Little Porter, which you climb en route. It also indicates that there was a major re-route on this trail in 2000-2001 to avoid private land. Tony Goodwin (author of the ADK HP Guide) indicates that at one point there is a sign in memory of his father, Jim Goodwin, "who cut the original Little Porter trail in 1924, and in whose honor funds were contributed to construct the present trail." Perhaps Tony, who has posted here before, will have more information on this trail. No doubt there are others who have hiked all three ways.
By comparison, Porter is only 1960 ft. ascent from Cascade Lakes trailhead (Cascade is 1940). Porter is a short, .7 mi. spur off of the Cascade trail, a "down-up" through a tunnel of trees up the ridge. Doing Porter/Cascade this way is a total of 6.2 mi.

Dick

[aldiaur]

Thanks everyone for your info, I have a good idea now of what to expect. I hadn't thought of there still being snow up there this time of year, good to know indeed.

Maybe I should have explained this better, but a friend and I are going hiking together, and I think we're going to use two cars so we can start in the East (I think we'll start at Marcy Field) and end in the West, having hiked both Porter and Cascade without going round trip, but we'll see, gas is expensive these days In any case I'll write up a trip report after we come back.

Thanks again.

[Rik]

That will be a great way to do those peaks.